Heater Question

[Onion01]

I have a heater for rated for a 75g tank. Can I use it to heat a 20g or 29g? Will it overheat my tanks, or not. Can I partially submerge it?

 

[devlyyn]

how many watts is it? I moved my heater from a 29 to a 75 gallon and it was fine. I think it is 150 watts.

 

[Onion01]

400W

 

[Onion01]

bump

 

[AMG]

Sure, just keep the heater turned way down.

 

[Onion01]

much appreciated. But can I get some mods or other opinions on this?

 

[hmt321]

most heaters have a thermostat, it should shut itself off when it gets to the desired temp. the real worry is if the thermostat gets stuck, it could continue to heat the tank, casualties can occur. I have read that several smaller heaters are better because if one malfunctions in such a manner it cant super heat the water, also if it fails all together you still have another heater working to maintain water temp.

 

[Onion01]

k, thanks. I will try it out on 79 F and see how hot that gets

 

[Merbeast]

k, thanks. I will try it out on 79 F and see how hot that gets

My guess is that it will get to 79 +/- 1 degree. Today's newer submersible heaters don't tend to get stuck on as often as yesterdays old hang on the back heaters did. You should be fine with your nice big heater. A positive thing with it is that it will be on for shorter periods than a smaller heater.

 

[guppy]

It will only cause a problem if the thermostat breaks, then it will quickly overheat the tank. In normal operation oversize heaters work great as they don't have to work very hard to maintain the proper temp. It is best to place the heater where it is in the circulation flow pattern within the tank to avoid a warm spot. Do Not operate the heater only partially submerged as the part above the water will over heat and can cause the heater to break.