using two heaters

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slvrcvc

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May 16, 2004
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I was told that using two heaters for a 40gal acrylic tank that is 36" long 15"wide and 16"deep is beneficial to have the tank heated evenly

using the 3watts per gallon for heating I would need 120watts for a 40gal

is it safe to use 2 100watt heaters? (i can only find them in 50watt increments) for a total of 200w.

the biggest concern is that I dont want to chance overcooking the fish for some reason

I plan on getting an ebo-jager or visitherm type of heater btw.


p.s. and I decided to buy a 40gal tank today :)
 
I did a lot of checking on the wattage of heaters and determined this, too little watts is only a problem if the ambient temp around the tank fluctuates a lot, also any water changes with different temp water will make the heater work a lot to adjust the temp. Using too many watts will only hurt your wallet and they take up more room. As long as you have a good quality heater, they will only adjust to the set temp, no more. I don't use 2 heaters per tank but I can see the advantage, especially in a larger tank. Not only will it allow more even heating but you have a back-up in case of a failure. go to www.bigalsonline.com and you can find any heater you want prettymuch. KYle
 
Two 100 watt heaters is perfect for your tank. The goal here is to provide enough heating over multiple heaters, while making sure that one heater is powerful enough to temporarly keep a tank's temperature constant, while also making sure that no one heater is powerful enough to "cook" the entire tank if it is stuck on for some reason. Confused yet? :D

My larger tanks all have multiple heaters running on them (2x200watt heaters on both my 66 and 70 gallon tanks). If one of my heaters fail, the other heater should be able to handle the tank load until I get a replacement, but no one heater is powerful enough to overheat my tanks.

The size of your heater is dependant on the ambient temperature of the area which it sits in. In general, if the room is constantly warm, then you can get away with using a smaller heater.... if on the other hand, temperatures can dip down pretty low, then a larger heater is recommended. Temperatures over where I live can get pretty nasty... during the night, the main floor's ambient temperature can dip down in the mid-high teens... and if the furnance dies (it has happened before), then temps can dip down into the low-mid teens... not very pleasant. So I use larger heats on my tanks.

Don't skimp on your heater though. Buy a good quality heater and you won't regret it.

HTH
-Richer
 
its usually a good idea but not needed in a tank that size, a good filter will get the water flowing enough to keep everything distributed. i used to do the 2 heaters but even my 180 is running fine with just 1 250 watt heater. i do live in southern california though.
 
I have 2 200 watt heaters in my 72g. I wouldn't get anything less. Its good to make your heaters work as little as possible, it will help them last longer and make any problems less likely. I usually go by the rule of 5 watts per gallon. My room temp fluctuates between 68 and 72 degrees during the winter. My tank however never changes from about 76.4 degrees. In the summer, it gets warmer, I have to have a fan blow across the surface of the water to cool it. The heaters barely ever go on. Its not really a big deal money-wise for something like a 150 watt heater and a 200 watt heater. Even if I didn't need it, I would go with the 200 for like the extra $3. I would recommend Ebo-jagers and Tronic heaters, best on the market.
 
Using two heaters in a 3 foot tank is gross overkill. I have two 200 watters in my 4 foot 90g and THAT is borderline. A 5 or 6 foot tank would warrant using heaters at both ends.

You are much better off with one high-quality heater than two cheapo units. Go with the Ebo-Jager.
 
I disagree. I think the safety factor of having two smaller, undersized heaters makes the extra expense well worth it. Even high quality heaters go bad sometimes and get stuck in the on position. If you don't have any single heater capable of cooking your fish, that possibility is not a worry.

The difference in cost between cheapo heaters and quality heaters (Ebo Jagers, Tronics) is miniscule. There's really never an excuse to buy cheap heaters.

Jim
 
Originally posted by JSchmidt
I disagree. I think the safety factor of having two smaller, undersized heaters makes the extra expense well worth it. Even high quality heaters go bad sometimes and get stuck in the on position. If you don't have any single heater capable of cooking your fish, that possibility is not a worry.

Jim
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I agree, you only have to come home and find your fish cooked one time to decide to avoid that problem for the rest of your life. No matter how good a heater is, it will not last forever.
 
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