advice on choosing heater wattage for 300g + sump

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
C

chiroken

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 3, 2012
93
1
0
Vancouver Island, BC Canada
Setting up a 300g tank with a 140g (if the tank was full) sump and looking for advice on heater wattage. I want to run 2 heaters and not sure on 200/250/300 watt heaters? Cost isn't an issue, Ebo-jager 200/250W are the same price, 300W are $0.50 more. Obvious to go with 2 300W or is there a disadvantage of having them bigger than necessary? I've been of the thought that smaller is better, they stay on longer (fewer on/off's), it is the on/off of the thermostat that wears out a heater.

Tank will be in the house, winter night temp wouldn't be below 65-68 degrees.

Can both heaters go side by side in the same sump compartment (never had a sump before).

Thanks
 
I would lean towards the 300W heaters given the size of your tank. I am in the process of setting up my first sump as well, and I was planning on putting the heaters right before the return pump. There's so much water flowing through the sump, it shouldn't matter if the heaters are close to one another. I'd love to see some pics of your set-up if you have them.

*EDIT*
If cost isn't an issue, why not get a titanium heater? I've been wanting one of THESE for a while, but my most recent tank set-up has cost me MUCH more than I initially thought it would.
 
johnnytaboo said:
I'd love to see some pics of your set-up if you have them.

*EDIT*
If cost isn't an issue, why not get a titanium heater? I've been wanting one of THESE for a while, but my most recent tank set-up has cost me MUCH more than I initially thought it would.
Click to expand...

Right now the tank is in the garage. Can't set it up until I reinforce the floor, I figure it'll be 4500lbs when set up!!! No pics yet.

Haha....didn't mean cost wasn't an issue, only that it wasn't an issue between the 200 & 250W heaters as they are the same price ($30).

Another forum has steered me towards a large 1000W heater with heater controller and running it past a monster fish forum (lol). I know nothing about these. This big tank thing is new to me, my previous largest tank was 90g. Now my sump is 140g.
 
I have 2 300's in my 225. the reason why I have so much heat is because,
1 I live in Canada and it can be -20 to -30 in the winter.
2 my tank is 3 feet wide, so it takes a lot longer to heat the volume of water than If it was 2 feet wide. I would go for the same thing that I have. I got Eheim Jagers and had them for about 15 months now without any issues
 
I have 2x 300w in the two overflows in my 135g. They're aquatop and work well, and they're cheap. I piad $25 for them 3 years ago, but I just bought two extras for $12 each at kens fish.
 
I would also recommend a temperature controller, but instead of running one large 1,000W titanium rod, go with either two 500W titanium rods or three 300W Eheim Jagers. This way, if one fails, you aren't SOL.

A garage tank during a Canadian winter is going to require some serious wattage to maintain temps. If you undersize the heater, they are going to be running non-stop and will be much more prone to failure.

Insulate the heck out of the tank. A cover is going to be the biggest factor in regards to keeping heat in, but if you can also insulate the back panel with some rigid polystyrene insulation that will also help.

Here's a good temp controller; I use one to control six Eheim Jager 300W (total of 1,800 watts).
http://www.jehmco.com/html/temperature_controller.html
 
aldiaz33 said:
I would also recommend a temperature controller, but instead of running one large 1,000W titanium rod, go with either two 500W titanium rods or three 300W Eheim Jagers.

A garage tank during a Canadian winter is going to require some serious wattage to maintain temps. If you undersize the heater, they are going to be running non-stop and will be much more prone to failure.

Insulate the heck out of the tank. A cover is going to be the biggest factor in regards to keeping heat in, but if you can also insulate the back panel with some rigid polystyrene insulation that will also help.

Here's a good temp controller; I use one to control six Eheim Jager 300W (total of 1,800 watts).
http://www.jehmco.com/html/temperature_controller.html
Click to expand...

My tank is in the basement so it still gets pretty cold, but I have a heated garage so the garage might actually be a decent place to put a tank
 
aldiaz33 said:
I would also recommend a temperature controller, but instead of running one large 1,000W titanium rod, go with either two 500W titanium rods or three 300W Eheim Jagers. This way, if one fails, you aren't SOL.

A garage tank during a Canadian winter is going to require some serious wattage to maintain temps. If you undersize the heater, they are going to be running non-stop and will be much more prone to failure.

Insulate the heck out of the tank. A cover is going to be the biggest factor in regards to keeping heat in, but if you can also insulate the back panel with some rigid polystyrene insulation that will also help.

Here's a good temp controller; I use one to control six Eheim Jager 300W (total of 1,800 watts).
http://www.jehmco.com/html/temperature_controller.html
Click to expand...

The tank would be temporarily in the garage, maybe 2 months, then into the livingroom. Regardless of how long, it does still need to be heated out there though ;) I can easily lash 3 sides with 1-2 inch styrofoam, same as what I'm insulating the basement foundation walls with. The bottom of the tank has plywood under the glass and inside of the trim to make the bottom flush. It sits on 1/2"-5/8" styrofoam. I will be getting glass pieces for a lid as well.

The garage is insulated and has a baseboard heater that I have on during the winter, I can turn it up. Our winters have many days below freezing but rarely that many degrees below freezing. Doubt the garage would freeze if the baseboard heater was off. It does get chilly out there so it will need more juice to heat the tank while out there.

I have come across the jehmco option of having 2 500W heaters on their controller.
 
I would run 500-1000W titanium heaters and a temperature controller.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom