Inconsistent Heating

daisymoonbeam · 03/27/2006, 09:49 PM

Ok, I really need some help with this. I just can't seem to ge the heat in my tank to stay consistent.

It seems that every five days (weirdly almost to the day) my heater decides to overheat. I am using a 100 Watt Stealth and am on the third one since all of them have done this. It is my understanding that for a 46 gallon tank I really should have two 100 Watt heaters but am afraid to add the other one because I can't seem to get even one to stay consistent.

For the past few days the temps have been a very level 78.7 to 79.7 at the hottest part of the day with the lights on. Today from 5:45 pm to 8:30 pm the temp went from 79.7 to 81.1. Nothing in the tank is different from all the other days, the temps outside and in the house are all pretty much the same. I keep the house at 72 or 73 all the time.

I am just as frustrated as I can be over this and have been battling this weekly re-occurance for at least a month.

Any help or suggestion would be soooooooooooo appreciated at this point.

Thanks

daisymoonbeam · 03/27/2006, 09:50 PM

By the way, the heater is set to 79.25 I think and has been for the last week, haven't touched it or anything else.

Sk8r · 03/27/2006, 09:51 PM

I gathered some good recommendations on a thread titled "heater on timer?" in the equipment forum. Apparently there are better heaters.

bertoni · 03/27/2006, 09:58 PM

I use Tronic heaters, mostly, since they seem to fail "off" rather than try to cook the tank. The breeders forum has other quotations along that line. I do use two of them, and a separate DIY "thermal shield" that is effectively a temperature controller. I don't know of any brand of heater that I'd trust (again). Too many animals lost to bad heaters.

03/27/2006, 09:49 PM	#1
daisymoonbeam Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 49	Inconsistent Heating Ok, I really need some help with this. I just can't seem to ge the heat in my tank to stay consistent. It seems that every five days (weirdly almost to the day) my heater decides to overheat. I am using a 100 Watt Stealth and am on the third one since all of them have done this. It is my understanding that for a 46 gallon tank I really should have two 100 Watt heaters but am afraid to add the other one because I can't seem to get even one to stay consistent. For the past few days the temps have been a very level 78.7 to 79.7 at the hottest part of the day with the lights on. Today from 5:45 pm to 8:30 pm the temp went from 79.7 to 81.1. Nothing in the tank is different from all the other days, the temps outside and in the house are all pretty much the same. I keep the house at 72 or 73 all the time. I am just as frustrated as I can be over this and have been battling this weekly re-occurance for at least a month. Any help or suggestion would be soooooooooooo appreciated at this point. Thanks __________________ Daisy I just want all my "wetpets" to be happy, healthy and well-adjusted Current Tank Info: 46 Gallon Bowfront-one lonely Royal Gramma so far

03/27/2006, 09:50 PM	#2
daisymoonbeam Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 49	By the way, the heater is set to 79.25 I think and has been for the last week, haven't touched it or anything else. __________________ Daisy I just want all my "wetpets" to be happy, healthy and well-adjusted Current Tank Info: 46 Gallon Bowfront-one lonely Royal Gramma so far

03/27/2006, 09:51 PM	#3
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	I gathered some good recommendations on a thread titled "heater on timer?" in the equipment forum. Apparently there are better heaters. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

03/27/2006, 09:58 PM	#4
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I use Tronic heaters, mostly, since they seem to fail "off" rather than try to cook the tank. The breeders forum has other quotations along that line. I do use two of them, and a separate DIY "thermal shield" that is effectively a temperature controller. I don't know of any brand of heater that I'd trust (again). Too many animals lost to bad heaters. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni