two different wattage heater in same tank???

anik49

Feeder Fish
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Sep 27, 2019
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hello everyone, need some help. my tank size is 5.5' 2' 22. so i bought a eheim 300 watt heater for my tank. now my question is i have another hopar 100 watt heater, can i use with eheim 300 watt.
some info, because i live in south Asia, weather is not too much cold here.winter season is only for 3 months and inside house lowest temperature is maximum 16-17 degrees.
so the heater is enough for my tank.
another info other 9 months temperature is 32-34 degree sometimes more than that. so i don't think on that situation i need any heater .
 

pops

Alligator Gar
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Nov 24, 2013
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running dif watt heaters is not an issue, heater is a heater is a heater, I would run the 300 watt as main and set the one little lower as a backup that will kick in if the 300 watt goes down or help heat if for some reason not keeping up.
 

anik49

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 27, 2019
16
3
3
35
running dif watt heaters is not an issue, heater is a heater is a heater, I would run the 300 watt as main and set the one little lower as a backup that will kick in if the 300 watt goes down or help heat if for some reason not keeping up.
i am also thinking the same, but local lfs told me if i do that 100 watt will be burn out after some days ???.
 

pops

Alligator Gar
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again set it lower, let the 300 watt do the work, the 100 watt there for backup.
 
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pops

Alligator Gar
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Nov 24, 2013
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in fish keeping redundancy is a wonderful thing, whither that be a heater or filtration.
 

duanes

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When I lived in Milwaukee (same latitude as Toronto Canada) I unplugged heaters May thru Sept, for most fish.
Here in Panama (8.9' lat), around the same as Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Thailand, I don't use a heater at all.
My tank is outside on the patio, and I keep Panamanian cichlids, and a few others Panamanian fish.
It depends on how far you want to raise the tanks temp from normal room temp.
If just to maintain a few degrees higher than normal the 300 watt heater will definitely be enough, in fact the largest problem with heaters I had (even in the north) is having them them get stuck in the "On" position, nd cooking the fish.
 
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anik49

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 27, 2019
16
3
3
35
When I lived in Milwaukee (same latitude as Toronto Canada) I unplugged heaters May thru Sept, for most fish.
Here in Panama (8.9' lat), around the same as Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Thailand, I don't use a heater at all.
My tank is outside on the patio, and I keep Panamanian cichlids, and a few others Panamanian fish.
It depends on how far you want to raise the tanks temp from normal room temp.
If just to maintain a few degrees higher than normal the 300 watt heater will definitely be enough, in fact the largest problem with heaters I had (even in the north) is having them them get stuck in the "On" position, nd cooking the fish.
planning to use the heater only 3 months and targeted temperature is 26 degree. which is only 5-6 degree different from room temperature. if there is no sudden weather change,lowest temperature will be maximum 20 degree.inside house.
but i am thinking about my heater longevity. because i bought it from abroad, so don't want to make any pressure on it. because it's tough to get it second time , on our local market we only get non branded heater or chinese cheap heaters not the quality ones.
so i am thinking to bought another 300 watt heater. planning to buy a interpet delta therm heater 300 watt. already bought a eheim 300 watt heater.

any suggestions helpful for me ???
 

duanes

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Isla Taboga Panama via Milwaukee
Since I've been keeping fish about 5 decades, I've probably tried every brand out there, and they've all bit the dust in one way or the other over time.
I've found using a couple under sized heaters per tank has been the most successful, if one sticks in the "on" position, hopefully the other goes off, and because one alone, is too small to over heat a large tank.
I prefer heaters around 200 watts for 100 gallons or over, a safer choice, I also like mine in sumps, away from the fish.

Below one of the In-Line heaters, it once got stuck in the on position, and actually started to melt the PVC line it was attached to.
I noticed the problem when seeing the PVC start to bow., before even touching the very warm tank water.

with the In-Line heaters I put a check valve below, the unit so in case of a flow blockage or interruption water would be prevented from draining the heater dry and burning up.
 
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