overkill heater wattage
- Thread starter McPhish
- Start date
Its recomended 3-5 watts per gallon so your fine, my 75 has a 300 on it right now and keeps a steady 82 degrees. You actually save some money going higher wattage as it doesnt have to be on for as long as a smaller wattage heater would be. + if you upgrade tanks your higher wattage heater would be more useful. I do recomend you put the heater where the flow is strongest, I have mine right next to my aquaclear 110 and canister to evenly disperse the heat which leads to a longer lasting heater.
The only downside to a heater too powerful is that if it fails, and they all do (likely in the on position,) the time it takes to cook the fish is far less. I've had it happen once, so I use a controller with a temp alarm these days.
Very true, most lower end heaters do fail on the ON position but a quality heater has a build in fail safe so spending the extra money is worth it. But nothing is 100% so its a risk we all take.
I personally only go aqueon just because thats the brand I started with and its just all around a great heater. I have had only 2 of them fail in +5 years of continuous operation but every time it failed its always on the off position. I have about 10 heaters in operation at a given time so that says a lot. When it doesnt work anymore I pay 2.99 for shipping and they fix it and send it right back to me within two weeks, cant beat a life time warranty.
http://www.thatpetplace.com/aqueon-submersible-aquarium-heaters
But general practice is you change out your heater every year but I find with aqueons its perfectly fine letting them run until it dies as 99% of the time it dies on the off position, nothings every 100% is it haha?
A side note is my 16 inch jag loved to push up the heater out the water about a year and a half ago and I come home and freak out for 10 seconds and thought to myself oh just push it back half way into the water and I get a face full of steam, unplugged it and let it rest for a couple hours and its still working to this date. Still very accurate/stable and works like a charm, any other heater I know of would have cracked immediately. 25 bucks for years of service is a no brainier!
I personally only go aqueon just because thats the brand I started with and its just all around a great heater. I have had only 2 of them fail in +5 years of continuous operation but every time it failed its always on the off position. I have about 10 heaters in operation at a given time so that says a lot. When it doesnt work anymore I pay 2.99 for shipping and they fix it and send it right back to me within two weeks, cant beat a life time warranty.
http://www.thatpetplace.com/aqueon-submersible-aquarium-heaters
But general practice is you change out your heater every year but I find with aqueons its perfectly fine letting them run until it dies as 99% of the time it dies on the off position, nothings every 100% is it haha?
A side note is my 16 inch jag loved to push up the heater out the water about a year and a half ago and I come home and freak out for 10 seconds and thought to myself oh just push it back half way into the water and I get a face full of steam, unplugged it and let it rest for a couple hours and its still working to this date. Still very accurate/stable and works like a charm, any other heater I know of would have cracked immediately. 25 bucks for years of service is a no brainier!
Two undersized heaters are safer than 1 oversized heater. If a failure occurs on a heater that's oversized (whether it's stuck on, or off) the fish will suffer quickly (especially in a 29 g.) With 2 undersized heaters, one failing is not a disaster, just an inconvenience. And I am racking my brain, but I don't think there is any electrical cost difference of any significance. Watts are watts: it doesn't take more watts with 2 heaters than one heater, and the watts don't cost more if they come from different heaters, and the watts all work the same way in the tank.
So, within a range of temperatures, the heater will raise the water above the ambient temperature of the room (allowing for whatever extra heat is coming in the tank from a pump/filter and what is being lost.) Roughly speaking, if the heater can raise the tank 20 degrees, it can do so whether the room is at 62 or 78. If the heater dies, the tank either falls to 62, or if it gets stuck at on, it rises to 98. Having 2 heaters each which is only capable of raising the tank 10 degrees, allows for one failure and the tank will be at a low of 72 or high of 88.
So, within a range of temperatures, the heater will raise the water above the ambient temperature of the room (allowing for whatever extra heat is coming in the tank from a pump/filter and what is being lost.) Roughly speaking, if the heater can raise the tank 20 degrees, it can do so whether the room is at 62 or 78. If the heater dies, the tank either falls to 62, or if it gets stuck at on, it rises to 98. Having 2 heaters each which is only capable of raising the tank 10 degrees, allows for one failure and the tank will be at a low of 72 or high of 88.
What is the logic behind 3-5 watts per gallons ? Sounds dangerous to me even with 'quality heaters. Quality heaters can also fail.
Howdy
An overpowered heater will not hold the temp as steady as two smaller heaters. It will reach higher peak temps in tank water because it will still give up more heat after turning off after a heat cycle.
It's really not advisable, it won't work as well.
HarleyK
Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
An overpowered heater will not hold the temp as steady as two smaller heaters. It will reach higher peak temps in tank water because it will still give up more heat after turning off after a heat cycle.
It's really not advisable, it won't work as well.
HarleyK
Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
