Heater right wattage for 60 gallon??

[Elisabeth83]

I got my 60 gallon today so had to buy a new heater. The tank is 60 gallons (200litre) and the heater I got is for 225-300 litres. It's 200 watts.

Will that work good? If not I can take it back tomorrow and get the 150 watt one for 150-225 litre tank.

 

[WILDER]

I think I would take it back and get the other one.

 

[breezer40]

What heater is it? My 200w heaters only cope with 30-40 gallon tanks. I know there are some heaters on the market which are supposed to use a lower watt and produce the higher heat output but never used one

 

[Elisabeth83]

this one is called Tetratec

wilder why should I take it back? What will happen?

 

[WILDER]

Going by the litres, the other one sounds the right size for your tank going by litres.

 

[modernhamlet]

A 200w or 250w heater is fine for your tank. I wouldn't use a 150w. It'd be working too hard much of the time.

 

[CathyG]

200 watts is fine, though you might want to consider splitting the 200 watts over two heaters. That way you can avoid cold spots in a long tank (if you place one at each end) and you have backup if one fails

 

[Polardbear]

I've got a 200 watt in my 55 gallon. My house is so warm though all the time that it hardly ever comes on. Using 2 heaters of lesser wattage is a good idea on large tanks for the reasons mentioned.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Elisabeth83

The rule of thumb for heaters is to figure on 5 watts for each gallon of water. So, if you have a 60 gallon tank, you should have about 300 watts of heater(s).