Should I use one or two heaters for my 4x2x2 tank filtered by a single fx5? I have a 250 watt heater that I am planning on putting in there but was maybe thinking of adding another just in case. The 250w is rated for tanks up to 90 gallons so I'm not sure if it'll will be enough. I also have a 200 watt and 100 watt lying around. I plan to keep the tank probably in the low to mid 80s. My biggest gripe about running two heaters is the cost of energy; Or would the 250w running alone actually cost more to run because it has to work harder? Any suggestions would help, thanks
Heater(s) for 120
- Thread starter Kollection
- Start date
Howdy 
I have single 300W in my 120g tank..it keeps temp. at 26°C (79F) without problem..my mate has also single 300W in 150g at temp 26 (79F)..we have covered tanks so evaporating is minimal..
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I have single 300W in my 120g tank..it keeps temp. at 26°C (79F) without problem..my mate has also single 300W in 150g at temp 26 (79F)..we have covered tanks so evaporating is minimal..
Sent from my GT-I9100 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
Personally I would do 2 lower wattage heaters. Just in case one fails, even though the other won't be sufficient, it is better than having no heaters left.
I like multiple heaters as well, with them being a tad undersized:
1) if one goes out and dies, the other will keep the tank temp going at the needed temp until the broken one can be fixed
2) if one goes crazy and starts super heating, it won't be large enough to cook the fish
3) both together will let you raise the tank's temp if needed
4) two lets you place them opposite ends of the tank which might help make the tank temp more stable.
I've seen people lose fish to a tank having no heat and to a tank having too much heat.
Also, heaters only run when needed, no matter how many you have. Total wattage = heat, so whether you have a 500 watt or 300 watt, the difference relates to how long they are on not how much wattage they use. (Larger is faster, smaller is slower, same total watts.) And they don't work harder the way motors do. On/off, one wattage. It's just on longer or shorter, but the "work" is the same rate just for a different period of time.
There are some small amounts of watts lost with a unit plugged in but not on, but it's pretty tiny overall.
1) if one goes out and dies, the other will keep the tank temp going at the needed temp until the broken one can be fixed
2) if one goes crazy and starts super heating, it won't be large enough to cook the fish
3) both together will let you raise the tank's temp if needed
4) two lets you place them opposite ends of the tank which might help make the tank temp more stable.
I've seen people lose fish to a tank having no heat and to a tank having too much heat.
Also, heaters only run when needed, no matter how many you have. Total wattage = heat, so whether you have a 500 watt or 300 watt, the difference relates to how long they are on not how much wattage they use. (Larger is faster, smaller is slower, same total watts.) And they don't work harder the way motors do. On/off, one wattage. It's just on longer or shorter, but the "work" is the same rate just for a different period of time.
There are some small amounts of watts lost with a unit plugged in but not on, but it's pretty tiny overall.
thanks for all the advice. Think I'll go with two larger heaters that way they'll be on less and heating will be much faster. Hopefully, it won't eat away too much at the electric bill as the tank is in a pretty stable environment. The room temp doesn't fluctuate too much so that will be good.