Heater Help

[kevinthecow]

kk, so my heater is really bad. it says 10-30G is fine, and wow it's weak. (50watt.)

My temp drops so low that all my fish are barely active! (except for the dojo's, they love cw)

So, My mom said I could go get a heater. Whats better? Two 50watts, or One 100watt? (They're sub, and set automatically to 78 f.

Which is better?


And, I noticed that one of my loaches is in a corner. It isn't moving but it's alive. It didn't go crazy for their special bloodworms either. ): (All three usually are the first to be at the surface when I even come close)

Lets hope he doesn't die. )':

 

[Ficious]

My 50 wat heater isbt stabilizing in my10gal half full breeding tank. Temps set at 80 znd the water is 74...makes me mad

 

[Colin_T]

how big is the tank and how warm is the room?
a 50watt heater will be fine on a 10gallon tank in a warm room (room temp doesn't drop below 18C) and the tank water doesn't need to go above 26C. If the room is cold then a bigger heater would be better. Likewise a bigger heater will be required for a bigger tank and if you want the water temperature around 28-30C.

 

[kevinthecow]

Stupid! The guy recommended me 50, cause on the box it said 10~30. (I'm 29g.)

The room is fairly warm, with a fireplace nearby but the temp is dropping, so the house heater is going crazy!

My 10g is fine with the 50w. So, i should try 100w?

 

[rocknurworld2006]

Stupid! The guy recommended me 50, cause on the box it said 10~30. (I'm 29g.)

The room is fairly warm, with a fireplace nearby but the temp is dropping, so the house heater is going crazy!

My 10g is fine with the 50w. So, i should try 100w?

wat do u mean?

u say its fine with the 50? so why need a 100?

 

[kevinthecow]

Sorry, I mean't a 100w for my 29g.

(50w was fine with my 10g, thats what I mean't)

 

[Colin_T]

if the smaller heater is struggling to warm the tank then it is probably better to take the heater back and upgrade it to a higher wattage one.
You can also try insulating the tank. Use some polystyrene foam (the white foam that normally goes under the tank) and stick it to the back and sides (on the outside) of the tank. Get a coverglass (made from 4 or 5mm thick glass) for the tank too and that should help reduce heat loss and the heater won't come on as much.

 

[kevinthecow]

Accident**

It's actually 100w, not 50w. It's small, and Thats why It's struggling. I got a 200w one. It's Elite Brand, i think.

How much would a reg 200w cost? I bought it already, its long and it works.

 

[smegforbrains]

You definitely need at least a 200w for a 29g tank - good move..


Most LFS in the UK sell 200w heaters for around £25-£30 (approx $40 ish?)


I stick to a general rule of:

50w = up to 12 UK gallons
100w = over 12 and up to 18 UK gallons
150w = over 18 and up to 25 UK gallons
200w = over 25 and up to 32 UK gallons (or 2x 100w)
300w = over 32 and up to 40 UK gallons (or 2x 150w)

40 - 50 UK gallons, I would use 2x 200w


and so on.