steven@reev.com

What type of heaters are you using and where are they being placed? Glass, plastic, metal? Controller built into heating element or separate? In sump , or tank? If in sump does the water level fluctuate where the heater is located? How are they going bad? Just stop working or cracking?

My tank is not "large" but have been using the same heater for 3 years almost http://www.marinedepot.com/ViaAqua_V...VA1155-vi.html

If you are relying on just one heater maybe you should look at getting a few smaller heaters, if you were using one 250 watt heater get three 100 watt ones, then if one goes bad it will not cause your temp to fluctuate as much as one going bad will.

For a 240g tank, you'll be wanting 3 watts per gallon. That adds up to 720 watts. If I were you, I'd have three 250w heaters in the system hooked up to a controller.

For my new 400g, I have four 300w heaters. The benefit of multiples (smaller heaters) is that none of them have the juice to cook the tank if one sticks in the on position. I like Ebo Jager, and have used them for years. They are glass, and controlled by my Aqua Controller III.

My heaters are in the sump, the water level does not fluctuate. They are in just before the return pumps they are plastic heaters, I have tried the stealth pro, and now the Aqueon Pro heaters. with these I have had tree fail in less than tree months. they just stop working and one was pushing out black smoke from the cord. in the past I had ebo jagers that lasted years but my lfs told me the new ones are no good. I am looking for brand name recommendations here. I need to get this solved my tank is dropping to 76 every night now!
-SR

Originally Posted by NightShade

What type of heaters are you using and where are they being placed? Glass, plastic, metal? Controller built into heating element or separate? In sump , or tank? If in sump does the water level fluctuate where the heater is located? How are they going bad? Just stop working or cracking?

My tank is not "large" but have been using the same heater for 3 years almost http://www.marinedepot.com/ViaAqua_V...VA1155-vi.html

If you are relying on just one heater maybe you should look at getting a few smaller heaters, if you were using one 250 watt heater get three 100 watt ones, then if one goes bad it will not cause your temp to fluctuate as much as one going bad will.

How do your heaters get controlled my your aqua controller ?

Originally Posted by melev

For a 240g tank, you'll be wanting 3 watts per gallon. That adds up to 720 watts. If I were you, I'd have three 250w heaters in the system hooked up to a controller.

For my new 400g, I have four 300w heaters. The benefit of multiples (smaller heaters) is that none of them have the juice to cook the tank if one sticks in the on position. I like Ebo Jager, and have used them for years. They are glass, and controlled by my Aqua Controller III.

They are plugged into x10 controllers, but if you have a DC 4 or DC 8, that works just as well. The AC3 tells them when to turn on and turn off.

Originally Posted by melev

They are plugged into x10 controllers, but if you have a DC 4 or DC 8, that works just as well. The AC3 tells them when to turn on and turn off.

At this time I do not have any kind of controller. I have two 300 watt, and 1 250 watt heater and they do not seem to be working all that well. I have to set them on 86 just to keep the tank to temp. it is still dropping to 78 degrees at night. only 1 degree but it still tells me they are having trouble keeping the tank to temp.

On the Ebo Jagers I had heard the new ones are difficult to use and need to be calibrated and such. Are yours the old or new ones?
is your new tank up and running? do you have a link to the new tank site?

-Steven

Steven, I have a feeling your heaters are working more than you know. Setting them to 86F is a bad plan. Are they on around the clock? Are you unplugging them each day?

To test a heater, turn it on to a higher degree so the light comes on, and hold it in your hand underwater. It will get hot. Check all three.

Here's what you need to consider:
What is the ambient temperature of the room all day?
What is the ambient temperature of the room all night?
What is the ambient temperature of the room in the very early hours (3-5am)?
What is the tank temperature you want it to be?
Do you have 3w per gallon currently? It sounds like it because you have 850w.
Is the power on to the heaters? Are they plugged into a powerstrip that has to be reset because it tripped?
Feel free to answer all of these question in a reply, as it gives us more information to help you.


A controller is the best choice you can make when it comes to stable temperature control.

Never ever believe the numbers on the heater dials. To set it, put it in the tank and let it acclimate, normalizing the temperature. With it plugged in, twist the dial to turn on the heater and make the light come on. Now turn it off again. Back and forth until you find the exact spot that matches your tank. While your tank is 78F, it may read 72F on the heater's dial. It doesn't matter what that number is, as long as you know what that number is. Do the same for all three heaters.

Now that they are all set to match the current tank temperature, if you want to bring up the water temperature 2 degrees, each heater needs the dial twisted to 2 degrees higher than the current setting. When the tank warms up, they will turn off again.

Marc,

Here's what you need to consider:
What is the ambient temperature of the room all day? early morning about 66-68 when the halides come on it goes up to 80 then the air conditioner comes on.
What is the ambient temperature of the room all night? drops to as low as 65
What is the ambient temperature of the room in the very early hours (3-5am)? 66-68
What is the tank temperature you want it to be? 79
Do you have 3w per gallon currently? It sounds like it because you have 850w. yes
Is the power on to the heaters? yes
Are they plugged into a powerstrip that has to be reset because it tripped? no

Now that they are all set to match the current tank temperature, if you want to bring up the water temperature 2 degrees, each heater needs the dial twisted to 2 degrees higher than the current setting. When the tank warms up, they will turn off again.

This part confuses me. can explain? am I bringing the tank 2 degrees higher than I want the temp? ( from 79 to 81?)

-steven

Did you verify that all three heaters are in fact working? Warm to the touch? Indicator light on?

With the room dipping down to 65F at night, 3w per gallon isn't enough to keep the tank at 79F. And when your home reaches 80F, it is too hot for the tank. Are you cooling the tank down? Do you use cooling fans? Are these fans running all the time, or only during the 80F period of the day? Do you have heaters trying to heat a tank that you are cooling off with fans at the same time?

If the heaters are set to match the current tank temperature of 79F (the light isn't on, but if you nudged the dial slightly the light comes on and feels warm to the touch in about 60 seconds), it is set correctly. If the tank drops below 79F, the lights on all three will come on and they will warm up the water. They should turn off when the tank is 79F.

Do not believe the numbers on the heater - trust your thermometer and the indicator lights on the heaters to tell you want is going on.