Heater Question

[KuchDaddy]

I just bought a Visitherm Deluxe 300 W heater for my 55 gallon tank. The tank isn't completely setup, no fish, no substrate and no hood/light, but it is filled with water and the filter is running.

The tank is in my finished basement, and it can get guite cold in there. On a cold night it probably can get down to the mid to upper 50's, which is why I went with 300 W (it was the most watts I could find).

Just to test it, I set the heater to 81 F. It took 24 hours to get the water temp to 75 F. This was three days ago and the water temp stays right at 75 with the heater set on 81.

So I have two questions:
1) Is this typical behavior for this type of heater? Should I expect the water temp to be exactly what I set it for? If I want it at 80, I will have to set it for 86, etc.

and if not....
2) Do you think the heater is just unable to keep up and I need to add a second heater?

Thanks!

BTW, the only heater I have experience with is the crappy one in my 10 gal, and it doesn't have numbers on the dial, just "high" one way and "low" the other, and I am constantly having to fiddle with it. I think I will get a nicer one for that tank too, so I can set it and, well not really forget it, but don't have to mess with it.

[Rbishop]

If your basement gets that cool, I would recommend two 250 or 300 watt heaters. I think most heaters will not read 100% accurate. Thue the need for a good thermometer.

Visitherm and stealth are some of the most popular heaters available, IMO.

Just a couple of thoughts..do you have a lid on the tank to help hold the heat in? Is the heater in a turbulent or high flow area vice a stagnant area?

[KuchDaddy]

Just a couple of thoughts..do you have a lid on the tank to help hold the heat in? Is the heater in a turbulent or high flow area vice a stagnant area?[/quote]


I do not have a lid on the tank now, but I will by the time it is fully set up. The heater is located directly underneath the outflow (spray bar) of the filter in a back corner. The intake for the filter is on the opposite back corner. The temperature does seem to be same throughout the tank, I have checked several locations.



I will probably go ahead and put another heater in there.

[Mgamer20o0]

always having a back up is a good idea. i would add another one. open tanks do cool off a lot faster then closed tanks.

the 250w says its for up to 65 gal tanks. thats raising the temp 17 degrees.

[jones57742]

KuchDaddy:

The comments in the previous posts regarding purchasing a second heater are "right smooth on".

but

IMHO what you are observing is a thermostat problem and not a heater problem.

Once again IMHO the temperature settings on thermostats utilized for aquarium heaters are unreliable.

TR

[grannylvsfish]

both heaters on my tank are dead on as far as with the thermometer. in fact I have two thermometers in each tank to be sure.

[Mgamer20o0]

KuchDaddy:

The comments in the previous posts regarding purchasing a second heater are "right smooth on".

but

IMHO what you are observing is a thermostat problem and not a heater problem.

Once again IMHO the temperature settings on thermostats utilized for aquarium heaters are unreliable.

TR

how did you come up with a thermostat problem?

[wackydan]

I've never had a heater that was accurate to the temperature settings on the dial.

Those temp settings are there to idiot proof the heaters....

Go by your thermometer...and turn up the heater another click... wait several hours, and turn up more if needed.

When you get your second/spare do the same thing so that it is ready to go when you need it.

So it's not a thermostat problem... it's a calibration issue between what the settings indicate and what the heater is giving you.

[Rbishop]

I think the single heater can not do any more for the cold basement.

[Mgamer20o0]

i agree with rb. thats one cold basement. could prob turn the heater all the way up and still not have it was warm as it needs to be.

[KuchDaddy]

Thanks for the advice folks everyone!

The thermostat on the heater could be a bit off, but I plan on getting another anyway heater for the many reasons mentioned.

Even though it may be overkill, I'll get another 300 W so I know I'll be good no matter how cold it gets.

[Cory Keeper]

my stealth is almost dead on, if it wasn't so cold in this house.

[jones57742]

how did you come up with a thermostat problem?

Mg:

I somehow missed this when you posted but

I really do not understand the comment.

None of the thermostats for the "high end heaters" in the sump of my main tank or the "rudimentary heaters" in my two 5G tanks are accurate (and I am not talking about 1F but more like 3F to 5F).

TR

[wackydan]

Mg:

I somehow missed this when you posted but

I really do not understand the comment.

None of the thermostats for the "high end heaters" in the sump of my main tank or the "rudimentary heaters" in my two 5G tanks are accurate (and I am not talking about 1F but more like 3F to 5F).

TR

Add to that temp swings and there's another problem though My stealth seems to deal with the temperature swings of the house better than any other heat I have...

It's still off by 2 or 3 going by the dial....

[Mgamer20o0]

Mg:

I somehow missed this when you posted but

I really do not understand the comment.

None of the thermostats for the "high end heaters" in the sump of my main tank or the "rudimentary heaters" in my two 5G tanks are accurate (and I am not talking about 1F but more like 3F to 5F).

TR
you asked


IMHO what you are observing is a thermostat problem and not a heater problem.
i said.

View Post
how did you come up with a thermostat problem?

so you have visi therm heaters off by 5f?

[jones57742]

MGM:

visi therm?

TR

[Mgamer20o0]

MGM:

visi therm?

TR

i take that as a no. try picking up a couple if your having that much problems with your other heaters.

[jones57742]

i take that as a no. try picking up a couple if your having that much problems with your other heaters.

I appreciate it MG.

TR

[loaches r cool]

If its really that cold and your heater isnt keeping up (well you havent determined 100% what the issue is yet) I'd consider a coldwater setup and put the tropicals upstairs if possible. You'll be running up your e-bill with the heater running all the time versus a cold water tank with no need for heater...

[Punnet]

Try covering your tank first and see how much warmer the heater can make your tank. I'd bet that your loosing at least 50% of your heat energy due to evaporative losses.

It takes 1 calorie to raise a gram of water 1 degree Celsius but you loose at least 80 calories of heat energy with every gram of water that is evaporated.

[jones57742]

It takes 1 calorie to raise a gram of water 1 degree Celsius

Punnet:

I appreciate your post and checked it out.

I never knew the definition of a calorie and believed that the criteria which you set forth was applicable to the unit of energy in the CGS system.



but you loose at least 80 calories of heat energy with every gram of water that is evaporated.
Try covering your tank first and see how much warmer the heater can make your tank. I'd bet that your loosing at least 50% of your heat energy due to evaporative losses.

KuchDaddy

IMHO Punnet is right smooth on here.

There is really no such thing as cold.

Our perception of cold is only a lack of heat (energy).

As an example of Punnet's assertion

In West Texas swamp coolers (evaporative air conditioning units) are still used for home cooling.

When the outside temperatures are 100F and the relative humidity is low these swamp cooler reduce the outside air temperature to approximately 75F prior to discharge via evaporation.

TR

[Reddog80p]

Just get another heater. Plain and simple. No need for a 3 page discussion on a simple question that was answered 15 minutes after the OP posted.