how many heaters and what wattage?

[BadKarma99-4spd]

another question, how many heaters should i get and what wattage should they

be? ive heard to get two and place them at opposite ends of the tank?

oh and i have a 45-55gal u.s.

thanks

 

[Phase2]

Hi ...I got 18gal UK and a 16 gal UK tanks and have 1 heater in each. I always put the heater next to the filter/pump as this will circulate the warmed water around the tank. (some filters have heaters built in such as the excellent ones from Juwel).
It will take a while for the temp to come up....get a really good temp gauge(ones that sit in the water in side the tank are better,in my opinion, than the ones that stick to the outside of the glass). I run both my tanks at 25c(75f) and the fish are happy. The temp will rise and fall with the room tempreture and remember that moving water will cool down quicker than standing water so always set up your tank with the pump/filter running...as for wattage...heres a guide

Aquarium size cm

60x30x30 75-100 watts
90x30x37 100 -150 watts
120x37x37 120-180 watts
But get the biggest you can afford(you can always turn it down)

Are you just starting up a tank or do you already have one.

 

[BadKarma99-4spd]

thanks for the info, im just starting a tank, all i have is the actual aquarium, no hood, no nothing. im trying to find the best products and how much of everything i will need before i begin to buy: plan on eheim canister filter, ebo jager heaters, some kind of aquarium sand(black), python gravel vac

my tank is 48"lx12"wx18"h

thanks for the chart, i was educated in u.s. public school so it will take me a second to convert from cm to in.

thanks again

and if you have any other opinions on what i need and what products to use let me know.

 

[aquamanis]

But get the biggest you can afford(you can always turn it down)

Hi BadKarma, I,ve uploaded a table in members aquarium pics of recommended heater wattages as I couldn,t attach a pic here.

This is not a good idea for two reasons. 1: The heater will be coming on and off in short spurts, heating the water too quick can stress the fish. 2: If ever the thermostat fails and the heater is stuck on you will have more chance of catching it before it cooks your fish than with one that is too big.

 

[BadKarma99-4spd]

thanks for the chart, it appears i need to have 150w since my house is usually around 70-75f

to clarify, should i get two 75w or just one 150w? sorry i wasnt real sure what you ment by if it failed and catching it in time

if one failed shouldnt the second pick up the slack, kind of a fail safe?

thanks for the help

 

[aquamanis]

BadKarma, I have the same tank dimensions as yours and one 150watt does the job nicely, dosen,t switch on and off too frequently. You could go the two 75 watt heaters but personally I think they are ugly looking things that take up room inside your tank so to me one is better than two for that reason. Heaters will fail in two ways, either the element will go and you wont have any heat at all or the thermostat fails and when that happens the heater is left in the ON position (not good). Thats what I meant about having more time to catch it. Thats why its important not to get one that is too big. People buy a bigger heater thinking it will last longer but the bigger heater will be switching on and off more frequently than a smaller one. I think you will be fine with the one 150watt.

 

[BadKarma99-4spd]

EXCELLENT that was a much appreciated crystal clear explination. i really appreciate the help, thanks

 

[CFC]

With larger taks (those over 40 gallons) i personally prefer the two heater method, if one should get stuck on then it will take far longer to overheat the tank and should one fail completely the other will keep the tank warm enough for your fish to remain alive.
Heaters are the number one most common item to suffer form equipment failure and the item most likely to cause the death of all your fish should something go wrong with it, my advice is to buy two heaters of the best quallity you can afford, they are the one item you cannot cut corners on.

 

[Bubble]

what about when the temperature go up too much (not from the heater), how can we lower it down? beside changing 25% of the water?

 

[KnuckleHead]

what about when the temperature go up too much (not from the heater), how can we lower it down? beside changing 25% of the water?

Try floating a few ice cubes ina plastic baggie until it reaches the desired temp.

 

[Phase2]

You will need to run the tank with lid and heaters pump and filter to be able to get the temp right....it'll take a few days adjusting as it takes a while for the water to reach a stable tempreture....get a good thermometer....I prefer the ones that sit inside the water rather than stick on the glass.....I have never had a heater stick on but it may happen but if you check your tanks (as we all do) regular you will notice any temp change. in an emergency you can float a soft drinks bottle with frozen water in to cool the tank...The reason a bigger wattage heater may be better is that should you upgrade to a bigger tank then its money saved as you can use it in the new bigger tank. I would also fit the heater near the filter outflow as this helps circulate the warm water and I put the theremometer the other end of the tank....sure your'll be ok.....