One Heater Or Two?

[OzMic]

We are getting our new JeboR390 next week, it is 900x480x520 (35x19x20 approx) 193L (50USG approx).

My question is regarding heating. Would we be best running 1 or 2 heaters for this set-up? IE: 1x200 watt, or 2x100 watt.

What benefits are there for either;

• Running costs would work out pretty much the same?

• Back-up of running 2 in the event of 1 failure.

• Better heat distribution.

Are there any other pros or cons for either method?, or have I pretty much just convinced myself to run 2x100 watts?.

What brand would you recommend?. We currently have an AquaOne in our current set-up. I was looking at the Fluval "Tronic" series.

Any other tips or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Cheers

 

[loachman]

Cost's aren't much different for a base system.

With 2+ heaters some opt for a control unit so they both go on and off at the same time and heating is more even. This adds a fair amount of cost, but isn't needed if you don't want to.

The most compelling reason for 2 is that if one fails (and they almost always fail on) that it's not really strong enough to overheat the tank.

 

[rabbut]

IMO, running two heaters is better wherever possible. As you pointed out, two heaters will give you a safety net in the event of a failure, and also distribute the heat more evenly. The running costs will be identical, as the tank needs the same ammount of heat to hold the temporature. The only real dissadvantages, are setting the stats on both heaters correctly, and the use of an extra plug on the extention (if the last one can be counted as a dissadvantage). Setting the stats is fiddley, but not too bad though.
HTH
rabbut

 

[OzMic]

Great, thanks for the fast reply folks.

I guess the only other factor is the set-up cost. The 200W is only a couple of dollars more than the 100W, so running 2x100W pretty much doubles the initial set-up cost. Though the peace of mind for the safety factor is probably worth it in the long run.

What are some good brand heaters available in Australia?. Are the Fluvals fairly decent?.

 

[Bozza]

OzMic, I use all Aquaone heaters for all my tanks. They are good price and quite reliable.

 

[OzMic]

Thanks Bozza, I've never had a problem with the AquaOne heater I have been using for the last 2 years either. But in saying that, I still might give the fluvals a go. Can't wait until this new tank arrives!.