Heater Question??

CCLAXX · 12/19/2011, 07:36 PM

Okay im starting my first sw tank and it is a 17.4 mr aqua tank and i plan to add a 40br as a sump/refugium . I was wondering what wattage of a heater(s) would i need.

WetShepherd · 12/19/2011, 07:49 PM

I'm not sure that I'm following your abbreviations - but if you're looking at a system with 60ish gallons of water, then either a single 150w or even better would be two 100w (redundancy if one fails off, and if one fails on, there's less chance of it cooking your tank before you realize what's going on). I use an Eheim Jager so that's where I'm speaking from. I would suggest you get a few more suggestions before deciding

Mandosh · 12/19/2011, 08:00 PM

Simple answer, I'd go with 2-100w heaters.

thegrun · 12/19/2011, 08:26 PM

The general rule of thumb is 3-5 watts per gallon of water, depending on how warm you keep your house and the heat load from your other tank equipment (pumps and lights add heat). It is strongly recommended to split your wattage between 2 heaters so if one sticks in the on or off position you will usually avoid a tank crash from over or under heating. It is also a very good idea to use a good quality controller (apex or reef keeper) to run and monitor the heaters.

snorvich · 12/19/2011, 08:57 PM

I strongly recommend a Ranco controller or equivalent. You will sleep better!

12/19/2011, 07:36 PM	#1
CCLAXX Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Alexandria , VA Posts: 200	Heater Question?? Okay im starting my first sw tank and it is a 17.4 mr aqua tank and i plan to add a 40br as a sump/refugium . I was wondering what wattage of a heater(s) would i need.

12/19/2011, 07:49 PM	#2
WetShepherd Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 522 Blog Entries: 5	I'm not sure that I'm following your abbreviations - but if you're looking at a system with 60ish gallons of water, then either a single 150w or even better would be two 100w (redundancy if one fails off, and if one fails on, there's less chance of it cooking your tank before you realize what's going on). I use an Eheim Jager so that's where I'm speaking from. I would suggest you get a few more suggestions before deciding __________________ (see blog for pics) 55g Tank (48" x 13" x 21") /c 60lbs LR & 60lbs Sand 2 MP10w 1 Koralia 425 PH, 3 Reef Brite LED Bars, 15g Sump Tunze DOC Skimmer 9002 and 2 150w Eheim Jager Heater @ 78.5 degrees

12/19/2011, 08:57 PM	#5
snorvich Team RC member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Outlander Posts: 40,953 Blog Entries: 46	I strongly recommend a Ranco controller or equivalent. You will sleep better! __________________ Warmest regards, ~Steve~

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12/19/2011, 08:00 PM	#3
Mandosh Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 51	Simple answer, I'd go with 2-100w heaters.

12/19/2011, 08:26 PM	#4
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	The general rule of thumb is 3-5 watts per gallon of water, depending on how warm you keep your house and the heat load from your other tank equipment (pumps and lights add heat). It is strongly recommended to split your wattage between 2 heaters so if one sticks in the on or off position you will usually avoid a tank crash from over or under heating. It is also a very good idea to use a good quality controller (apex or reef keeper) to run and monitor the heaters.