Basement Kept Tanks - Better Heating...

[skiltrip]

i once kept a 10gallon in my basement, but the temp fluctuations down there were rough on the fish. the smaller amount of water didn't help either. i had a stock 10 gallon kit included whisper heater in there and it died.

i was thinking of setting up my 10g in the basement again, i was just wondering, will a bigger heater help stabilize the temp? like say a 125watt Jager heater in the 10g. i figure the higher wattage heater would have an easier time keeping temps stable. i know a larger tank would help to stabilize itself. the smaller volume of water makes it cool off a lot faster, thus making the heater do a lot more work.

not sure if there's something i'm not considering. i think the coldest it ever gets down there is in the high 60s., and that's in the dead of winter during those nasty cold snaps (i live in new york).

 

[Tolak]

A larger heater will work, as will trying to set it up in a warmer part of the basement. Near your heating system would be good.

 

[guppymonkey]

Depends on whether the basement is insulated. They say that basements don't change temperature much but I lived in the basement for years and mine fluctuated a LOT. In the summer it was up to 80 (night and day) and in the winter it was somewhere between 50 and 60. A heater is a must unless you want to heat the whole room. I used the basement as a fish room so I just heated the entire room because that was cheaper than running 20 heaters all the time.

 

[skiltrip]

Thanks for the input guys.

I think i'll put a 125watt jager heater in that 10 gallon, i think that would do the trick, ya think?

I do have a room heater that I keep running in the winter to take the edge off down there. Maybe i'll switch thing around so the tank is closer to where I keep the heater to help out a little more. thanks again.

 

[skiltrip]

I went an ordered a 150watt Jager heater, cause it was only 40 cents more than the 125watt.

is there any way putting a 150watt heater in my 10 gallon would be BAD? could it actually do harm? will it just make it ultra stable, or could it make it less stable because of the amount of heat it might burst out?

p.s. i think the last heater i had in there was a 75watt jager and it broke because it was working too hard.