What heater for 125g?

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

Adam Sabz

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 26, 2010
57
0
0
Buffalo, NY
I currently use (2) 250 aquaeon heaters in my 125. However, when they are both set at same temp, one is always on more than the other. I try to even out thermostats and it never gets even.
I would like to use one heater, 400w I assume? What do you recommend?


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Adam Sabz said:
I currently use (2) 250 aquaeon heaters in my 125. However, when they are both set at same temp, one is always on more than the other. I try to even out thermostats and it never gets even.
I would like to use one heater, 400w I assume? What do you recommend?


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1) It doesn't matter if one comes on and the other doesn't afaik. It costs the same electricity wise.

2) Not sure if you mean one particular one comes on always, or that they turn on randomly, but both are never on at the same time. If it's the latter, it's fine. If it's the former, then that one is in the spot in the tank that cools down the fastest or it's not calibrated the same as the other. Swap their locations and you should be able to see what the answer is.


Using one heater is not what I would recommend. Two undersized heaters will not be able to 1) cook your fish if one heater gets stuck, and 2) not be able to freeze your fish if one heater simply dies.

On the other hand, one extra large heater can do the first or the second or both.

Having said that, a lot of experienced people use only one heater and have not had problems. If I got just one, I'd make sure it was the highest quality I could get. (I don't have a brand to recommend, but I'm sure someone has one to mention.)
 
2 watts per gal is recommended.
I'd use more smaller heaters than one big one. Most heaters for aquarium use are not accurate at all. Possible the heater that doesn't turn off is just bad.

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That's what I thought and replaced 1 heater. Heater on left would never shut off and heater on right would never turn on no matter how high I turned it up. Replaced heater on right. Now the new heater on right is always on and left never comes on. Been trying to get them to run closer in temp to no avail. Tank does stay at 80* consistently though.


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I own 3 of the 250w aqeoun heaters, 2 of which are in my 180. The 2 in the 180 are set up to a Finnex controller, and are at opposite ends of the tank. They would also turn on and off at different time intervals even though the controller activates them at the same time. They are both set higher than the controllers temp setting, so I think the built in rheostat just turns off the heaters before it gets too hot (as a safety measure). I'm thinking that this happens because each individual heater heats at different rates, therefore it turns off at different time. I run 2 different thermometers in the 180 and the temp is always consistent.
 
Update: replacing one if the heaters fixed the problem. Seems the thermostat on one was way off and needed to be set about 10* higher. Replaced and dialed in new one very close to the other. They now go on and off equally. Thanks for the help.


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