How to use a Temperature controller

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Piranha
MFK Member
Jul 16, 2012
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Montreal, Quebec
So I understand that these controllers are essentially a great way to regulate the temperature. I just want to make sure that I use mine right.

Let's say I hook up 2 heaters to my controller and set the temperature to 78° on the controller. Would it be best to set the heaters to something a bit higher? That way when the thermostat goes on the heaters heat up the water right away? Or is this a risk and can cause some kind of short circuit/malfunction?
 
You have it exactly right. Even if the heaters fail (stick on) the controller will keep them from running wild.
 
Just trying to understand how this works, as I've never used a temperature controller before. I had thought that they were like a circuit breaker in that if the heater jams on, then the controller cuts the power out - but then stays off until manually reset. But this thread seems to indicate that the controller will automatically restore power to the heater when the temp falls. Is that correct?
 
A temp controller is simply a unit that one plugs their heaters into, which adds another layer of protection to heating elements. A controller simply turns off, or on, when a set point is reached. No need to reset anything.
 
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There are two ways to use the controller. First, you can set the controller to the temp to the the temp you want the tank at and then set the heater(s) slightly higher. This way, the controller (usually much more reliable) turns the heaters on and off to maintain the tank temp. Then, if the controller ever gets stuck on, the heaters’ internal thermostats will shut them off before they overheat the tank.

The other way to set them up is to have the heater(s) set to the temp you want the tank at and then set the controller a little bit higher. This way if the heaters’ internal thermostat fails on, the controller will turn them off before the tank overheats.

Either way will work.
 
While I agree that there are two ways to use a controller, generally speaking a quality controller will trump an aquarium heater in reliabilty all day long, which is why I use the controller to set my desired setpoint.
 
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Ok, excuse me if I'm asking obvious questions, but I'm fairly new to the hobby (just over 2 years) and want to make sure I avoid any stupid mistakes. I've made most of the noobie mistakes and only in the last 9 months have I reached a place where all my tanks are stable, colourful, free from fatalities and disasters, and providing stress free enjoyment for both the fish and my family!
I travel frequently on business. I have people at home who will throw the food into each tank on a daily basis, and my trips are short enough to allow me to do water changes when I get home. I do get paranoid sometimes wondering if a piece of equipment will fail while I'm away. For that reason I run 2 filters on each tank.
Obviously heaters can fail in two ways. They can get stuck on - cooking the fish. So it looks as if the temperature controller is the solution to that danger. The other problem is if a heater just gives up the ghost altogether. I live in a cold climate, so the fish would then die of cold. So if I were to put two heaters in each tank in conjunction with a temperature controller, would that work? I'm thinking that way, if one heater dies, the other keeps going - so I would be covered both ways. Is my thinking ok here? Or is there something else I'm missing?
 
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Yes, that would work. Just make sure that the total wattage of the two heaters doesn't exceed the maximum rating of the controller.
 
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