Is it necessary to have two heaters?

[dark_spell]

There are two heaters currently running in my tank (1 Fluval e200 and a 250 watt Marineland Stealth Pro). I just read the bad reviews of the stealth pro so I'm thinking of getting it out of my tank. So is one heater gonna be ok?

[waters10]

There are two heaters currently running in my tank (1 Fluval e200 and a 250 watt Marineland Stealth Pro). I just read the bad reviews of the stealth pro so I'm thinking of getting it out of my tank. So is one heater gonna be ok?
Not necessary, but it's safer that way. If you have 2 heaters with none of them capable of overheating the tank on its own, and then one of them fails, it won't boil your fish.

[2wheelsx2]

What bad reviews did you read? They don't keep their temps? If that's the case, every heater brand has its problem. I run a Ranco temp controller on my 125 gallon hooked up to 2 250 W Stealths and have not had a single problem. Those cheap controllers in the heaters are all prone to failure at one point or another. The bonus of running a controller is that you can sync your heaters so that not only one is doing all the work.

[dark_spell]

Here's the link:
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=77930
I guess it's the old modeLs?


I like the idea of having that controller! I'll get one! :p

[Darrell Ward]

There are two heaters currently running in my tank (1 Fluval e200 and a 250 watt Marineland Stealth Pro). I just read the bad reviews of the stealth pro so I'm thinking of getting it out of my tank. So is one heater gonna be ok?

Do you need 2 heaters? It really depends on the size of your tank. The bigger the tank, the more watts needed to heat it to discus temps. Some people run 2 lower watt heaters on the theory that if one sticks on, and it is lower wattage, it won't cook your fish. In truth, any heater can cook fish if it doesn't shut off at some point. I prefer a quality heater like a Jager 250 watt, from a 55 to around 100 gals. Over 100 gals, I use 2- Jager 250s. I use to swear by controllers as well, but I've had a couple of failures even with high dollar Ranco units. When the circuit board goes in them, they are trash. I've found nothing more dependable than Jager heaters, so I now use them without the extra expense of controllers.

[mmorris]

You want roughly 5 watts per gallon total, and I prefer to use two heaters in case one won't turn on or off.

[MRQuad]

it's really not necessary.. as long as you are keeping an eye on the temperature.. and making sure the heater are reading accurately..

but to be in the safe side, just like the other said, two is good..

[Wahter]

Two is good for redundancy if one fails. Using one is fine if you can trust it - otherwise, you're putting all of your eggs in one basket.



Walter

[Keith Perkins]

Not necessary, but it's safer that way. If you have 2 heaters with none of them capable of overheating the tank on its own, and then one of them fails, it won't boil your fish.


You want roughly 5 watts per gallon total, and I prefer to use two heaters in case one won't turn on or off.

What they said. I've had the misfortune of having a single heater capable of cooking my fish stick on...and it did.

[Eddie]

Used to use 2 but now just a single Jager in each tank, works like a charm.


Eddie

[alpine]

The reason you want to use two heaters is because of the posibility of the one high wattage heater getting stuck on and " COOKING " your fish just like it happened to me on my return from my three day vacation with high tech WON titanium heaters and D58 controlers . Lost my three best females in one 75 gallon tank . From now on I use two 200 watt heaters in my 75 gallon tanks . Yes, I do use Marineland Stealth Pro heaters . No, I do not use thermometers , I have a laser thermometer I check temps daily.

Roberto.

[gwrace]

I use two 150 watt heaters in my 75 gallon tanks for redundancy. But then I'm in the disaster recovery business. I've had good luck with Marineland and Jager heaters.

[Jhhnn]

I use Jager heaters exclusively, because they're arguably the best available. After setting the calibration, I adjust them to 88-90F, plug 'em into finnex hc0800 controllers, both from kensfish. I then use the controller to regulate temperature at a lower value. If the controller sticks on, the heater's internal thermostat should take over to prevent cooked fish. The controllers will handle 800W, so multiple heaters can be plugged into a single controller for larger tanks using a power strip or splitter like this-

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00399700000P?vName=Computers%20&%20Electronics=&cName=ComputerAccessories&sName=Desktops&psid=FROOGLE01&sid=IAx20090815x000001&aff=Y

I too had a stuck heater cook a tank of young discus years ago while away on a 3 day weekend... kinda broke my heart...

Heaters are probably the least reliable aquarium hardware, and a lot of cheap ones can't be set high enough for discus. Buy the best- they're worth the little bit extra, and more...

[nc0gnet0]

Jhhn,

How accurate is that finnex contoller? I ask because I have a titanium finnex heater (500W) that has its own external controller. While I love the heater, I still get some temperature drift of +/- 3 degrees as the ambeint room temperature changes. I am wondering if there is any difference in controllers. On the other hand I have a controller I purchased from fleabay that keeps things within +/- .3 degrees celcius, regardless of room temp.

[nc0gnet0]

If the controller sticks on, the heater's internal thermostat should take over to prevent cooked fish.

I do the same thing, trouble is, what if the controller sticks off? :mad: Assuming the mechanics of the controller is based on a magnetic relay in the normally off position, this is a more likely scenario in case of failure. An audible alarm helps retify this, but your still kinda fubared if your gone for an extended amount of time. Not criticising your setup at all, I just keep trying to make up my mind which setup is the safest, one such as yours with two heaters connected to one controller, or an underpowered heater connected by itself set at 82-84 degrees and the second more powerfull heater connected to the controller.

[2wheelsx2]

I do the same thing, trouble is, what if the controller sticks off? :mad: Assuming the mechanics of the controller is based on a magnetic relay in the normally off position, this is a more likely scenario in case of failure. An audible alarm helps retify this, but your still kinda fubared if your gone for an extended amount of time. Not criticising your setup at all, I just keep trying to make up my mind which setup is the safest, one such as yours with two heaters connected to one controller, or an underpowered heater connected by itself set at 82-84 degrees and the second more powerfull heater connected to the controller.

That's why John suggested to set the temps on the heaters too instead of maxing them out. So if the controllers fail, the heaters will cut out after when they hit their preset. I set my heaters 3 or 4 degrees (F) higher than my controller.

No system is foolproof and anything is bound to fail, but the redundancy sure helps to ensure that if something fails, it's a not a total disaster.

[nc0gnet0]

That's why John suggested to set the temps on the heaters too instead of maxing them out. So if the controllers fail, the heaters will cut out after when they hit their preset. I set my heaters 3 or 4 degrees (F) higher than my controller.

:confused:

I do exactly the same thing John does, so I certainly wasn't being critical, I was pondering another means that maybe safer. I don't think you understand how a controller operates, if it is stuck in the off position, the heater will not go on, regardless of how it is set.

[2wheelsx2]

Ah...sorry, I misunderstood. In the case you're describing, your house heating system is the redundancy. I just don't think of those cases, since I assume most people have their tanks inside the house. But if you have a fish house, I suppose the answer is an external heater.

[Jhhnn]

I do the same thing, trouble is, what if the controller sticks off? :mad: Assuming the mechanics of the controller is based on a magnetic relay in the normally off position, this is a more likely scenario in case of failure. An audible alarm helps retify this, but your still kinda fubared if your gone for an extended amount of time. Not criticising your setup at all, I just keep trying to make up my mind which setup is the safest, one such as yours with two heaters connected to one controller, or an underpowered heater connected by itself set at 82-84 degrees and the second more powerfull heater connected to the controller.

You make an honest point. I figure the fish would do better longer if the aquarium heating system fails off in a warm house than if they get cooked. Having a backup heater at a lower setpoint can't hurt. Not a bad idea at all.

Everybody needs to find their own point of diminished returns, balance all the different factors to suit their own circumstances, trying to move away from catastrophic failure.