Temperature Control

[enrique4jc]

I have a 29 gallon tropical tank and I have some concerns about temperature control. The tank was left here with a couple of fish in it when I moved into my home, and I was told I could keep it if I wanted. I have a love and respect for pretty much all living things, so of course I kept it!

It has an old HOB heater that just from looking at it seems WAY to small to keep the tank warm in comparison to what I see on the market today. I have no idea what the wattage is or anything like that. I plan to get a new heater this week so I can get that settled. Should I go with one 150w heater or two 75w heaters?

Also, there is something that confuses me. I've currently got three (that's right, I said three) thermometers on the tank, and they all give me a different reading. Two of them are the little stick-on types that change color with the temp. One of them reads 78/80, while the other reads 76/78. The other thermometer, which I just bought last week, is a simple metal one that hangs on the top and goes down into the water. It is reading 72. Which one of these readings should I trust?

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[jeffs99dime]

how ya doin?
1. personally i would go with the visitherm steath heater. 2 of of them. lay them flat at the bottom of the tank on both sides. i have two of them in my 55 g and they are awesome. also, if you have two heaters and one "dies" at some point, you will have a back-up.
2. definitely get rid of the "stick-on thermometers." those are alcohol thermos and they are not accurate. only trust your "hanging" thermo. they're very accurate. you could also get a digital thermo. at the lfs if you want. hope this helps you out.--jeff

** i would go with two 150w heaters. they're thermostat controlled so they're not going to turn on at the same time anyway. atleast they don't for me.

 

[echoofformless]

Two is better than one - always. Though I have never invested in a two heater system.

Rena is a great heater as well. I also hear good things about Hydor.

 

[TKOS]

2 is better than one if you have the cash, but also think about the extra sockets for plugging things in. The pricier heaters are worth the extra dough and the ability to hide them away better inside the tank is nice. Aim for 3-5 watts per gallon of tank water to heat. 2 150 watt heaters sounds like over kill to me. 2 75 watts should be plenty. Even if one fails (which doesn't happen often) then even 1 75 will be able to handle the new load . Water changes temp very slowly. Also unless you have a super cold house then the heaters won't be working that hard anyway.

 

[Rbishop]

** i would go with two 150w heaters. they're thermostat controlled so they're not going to turn on at the same time anyway. atleast they don't for me.

I wouldn't put two 150 watt heaters in a 29 gal tank. Maybe two at 75 watt each.

I don't trust the stick on thermometers; prefer the floaters. Also use digital. Be aware you can have low flow areas that read several degrees different than the rest of the tank.

 

[jeffs99dime]

I wouldn't put two 150 watt heaters in a 29 gal tank. Maybe two at 75 watt each.

I don't trust the stick on thermometers; prefer the floaters. Also use digital. Be aware you can have low flow areas that read several degrees different than the rest of the tank.

hey, sorry about that. i was reading another post that had a bigger tank in it. yes, 2x150w would be overkill. i apologize--my mistake.--jeff