Can I use 2 heaters?

[Madaboutdiscus]

Im switching my tots from a 40 g tall to a 56 column. I already have a 200w heater brand unknown that came with the 40 and works fine. We bought one called an aquanest off ebay to use to set up the new tank. 200w also. Im curious if I can run both heaters on the 56 or if itll get too warm. The new one is working well despite it being an unknown brand. But I thought if I put both in then id have a backup if one or the other fails. Both I have to set a little lower temp than what I want to get the desired temp. I just worry about one failing while im at work and killing my fish.

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[JERRYKEVIN]

I always run 2 heaters in case one fails. But I would only run two of the same brand and the same wattage

[Keith Perkins]

Having a heater out for 8 hours won't kill a healthy discus. I doubt there are many of us here that haven't done a WC and pulled the heater plug out of the outlet and forgotten to plug it back in until the next day. I use to run a single heater in a tank, then switched over to 2 thinking sort of like you are now, but I've gone back to just one good one.

[Madaboutdiscus]

Well when they arrived theyre water had cooled considerably since it was 2 day shipping. They were all alive and well I did lose 2 I guess the weaker ones but I lost one that day and the other the next day. It didnt seem to bother them much and as I had to get to work I didnt have time to acclimate them much so they pretty much got dumped in there lol. But they were less than dime size then couldnt even make out their eyes much and other than the 2 they all survived theyre about 3 or more inches now.

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[jmf3460]

I have a tank with two heaters. There aren't discus in there but there were discus in there. I bought a heater that was rated for the tank size but it just didn't do the trick I think it was because I keep my house so cold in the summer time, so instead of buying another larger heater, I just added a small one that was only rated for like a 10-20 gallon tank as an auxiliary heater. The two combined keep my tank where it needs to be. No problems so far. I think you will be fine.

[Madaboutdiscus]

Both of these are 200 w. One new one not sure how old.

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[jmf3460]

I would use them both because if you don't, I fear you will worry.If you set them both to the same temp, they will turn off when that temp is reached. This would be the same I would assume if you had 2, 8 or 50 functioning heaters in a tank.

[Madaboutdiscus]

Im hoping thats how itd work. The one theyre in just has the one but thought itd be a good idea. Just gotta get em set right because like I said the old one is on around 82 to get the temp at 87 so the thermostat is a little off. Likewise with the new one. Temp set at 86 and its 90 in there. Plus I got two thermometers both new but diff brands and they say 2 diff temps in each tank. So im going crazy here lol.

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[k7prz]

I often don't know if the heater is working. The pilot light sometimes is on when the heater is not heating. So I
bought one of those Kill A Watt meters you connect in line before the heater. Often the heater is upside down and I don't
see the light anyway. I have found the calibrated dial on the heaters NOT very accurate. You know when and if the heater is
working and the true wattage it puts out. This link describes it---but may not be the cheapest place to obtain it.
http://www.amazon.com/P3-International-P4460-Electricity-Monitor/dp/B000RGF29Q

Dave

[mee]

One heater may be more likely to fail and leave your water cold, but with two heaters you are twice as likely to have one shoot up and boil your fish. The only heaters I have had completely fail (as in shut off) are cheap ones, or overly priced mainstream cheap ones. Ebo Jaegers (now Eheim Jaeger) have never failed me one way or the other.

[WaterDog]

lol, yes you can use 50 heaters. Whatever temperature you set their thermostat to is the temperature they will hold in the tank. It doesn't matter wattage of the heater unless you have too little for tank size or ambient temperature.