300 watt heater on max

[megatrev62]

Just a quick question. I have a 90 gallon and a 300 watt heater. The heater is up on max and the water is at 82 degrees. I would like the water to be a tad warmer. I know it is good practice to have another backup heater, but should I get another 300 watt and adjust that as well to see what temperture I reach. I would like the water to be 84-85. Thanks

[magplate]

If your heater is maxed out you can do a few things to help it out. You can cover the tank or tighten up the cover you have, insulate the back and/or sides and reduce the volume of air you pump into it.

A backup heater is always a good idea. If you are overworking the one you have it will likely fail prematurely (and usually at the worst time). I would recommend that you get a 500 watt heater and use the 300 as the backup. I have a 110 gallon tank with 2 - 500 watt heaters.

[megatrev62]

Thanks , I'll look into a higher wattage.

[pitdogg2]

What kind of heater is it? What is the room temp? 82 is a good temp why the need to have it higher? Some heaters are just not very good if you google the brand you may find it does not do as good at higher temps than others yet others go to 94* with great success and others have a hard time above 80* yet are rock solid at 77*

[megatrev62]

It's a marina brand and I don't really like it. About 5 months old. Room temp varies but usually around 73 or so. I really miss the old ebo jagers but they went and screwed with them. The current heater should at least reach 85 degrees I figure, but that's it. I'm going to look for another heater around 400 watts.

[pitdogg2]

It's a marina brand and I don't really like it. About 5 months old. Room temp varies but usually around 73 or so. I really miss the old ebo jagers but they went and screwed with them. The current heater should at least reach 85 degrees I figure, but that's it. I'm going to look for another heater around 400 watts.

I went back to Aqueon from My Ehiem -Jagers. After too many 6 failures where the light was on but the element itself was not too risky. The aqueon for me has been rock solid over many years. I keep my house 68* in the winter and my 250 does just fine keeping the tanks at 83*

[magplate]

Heaters that do not have separate temperature probes tend to turn on and off because, by necessity, their "probe" is inside the heater tube. So when they approach their limit they are not putting out their full power at all times.

Personally I like the Ranco ETC's and other controllers that have probes that are separate from the heater tubes and indicate the temperature of your tank. As a nice touch the newest Ranco I just got illuminates the digits when you press the button making it easier to see in dim light and odd locations.

[DISCUS STU]

What kind of heater is it? What is the room temp? 82 is a good temp why the need to have it higher? Some heaters are just not very good if you google the brand you may find it does not do as good at higher temps than others yet others go to 94* with great success and others have a hard time above 80* yet are rock solid at 77*

These are the right questions as not all 300 watt heaters are the same or do the same job at 300 watts. I used to keep a 90 gal. at 86, now at 82, with an Ebo-Jaeger. The tank was covered with a hood and the room was an average temp. of about 72. When treating I could get the tank to 90 or a little higher with no problem so it's absolutely possible.

[Kyla]

i blew heater after heater (literally a dozen or more) trying to keep my 180g and 210g tanks warm in the cold basement with all sorts of brands of junk heaters.

finally, i picked up a jbj tru temp titanium heater with a controller and my tank's temp stays exactly where i want it now, i love it

http://www.jbjlighting.com/prod-true-temp-titanium.html

[donnacona]

2 heaters controlled by a temperature controller then you don't have to worry about one heater working overtime and the other not working hard because they will come on and go off at the same time.
Stu

[DJW]

2 heaters controlled by a temperature controller then you don't have to worry about one heater working overtime and the other not working hard because they will come on and go off at the same time.
Stu

This is what I would do, add a second 300w heater (I like Eheim-Jagers) and put them both on a STC-1000 controller. On some tanks I have a temp alarm that goes off at a low of 79 and high of 85. The controllers keep the temp between 82 and 83.

Kyla's JBJ titanium heater looks like the top-notch Cadillac of heaters and I'd like to try one but they aren't cheap.

[Kyla]

Kyla's JBJ titanium heater looks like the top-notch Cadillac of heaters and I'd like to try one but they aren't cheap.

yes, it sure was super expensive!! but i was just so fed up with other heaters... i spent literally hundreds on dollars on all the brands of heaters at my lfs and every single one broke. and even when they were working they never kept the temp where i wanted it, i was constanly readusting them, and the settings on the dial rarely produced the posted temperatures... it was so frustrating! and i was worried that one of them would fail in the "on" position and boil the fish. the longer the jbj lasts, the more $ i save, with way better temp stability along the way + a controller for peace of mind against boiling the fish.

[DISCUS STU]

My heaters, various varieties, generally keep the temp. at 82, though I fall back on the Ebo-Jaeger (now Eheim-Jaeger) the most.

While the Eheim-Jaeger dials/gauges aren't completely accurate or let's just say "accurate", with a little bit of noodling they will hold a consistent temperature. This is a bit of a PIA, but they do work.

[donnacona]

This is what I would do, add a second 300w heater (I like Eheim-Jagers) and put them both on a STC-1000 controller. On some tanks I have a temp alarm that goes off at a low of 79 and high of 85. The controllers keep the temp between 82 and 83.

Kyla's JBJ titanium heater looks like the top-notch Cadillac of heaters and I'd like to try one but they aren't cheap.

I have 2 breeding tanks with STC-1000 controllers and a third controller on the way they are cheap I paid $17.68 for it on amazon.

[chuckiesmalls]

Just a quick question. I have a 90 gallon and a 300 watt heater. The heater is up on max and the water is at 82 degrees. I would like the water to be a tad warmer. I know it is good practice to have another backup heater, but should I get another 300 watt and adjust that as well to see what temperture I reach. I would like the water to be 84-85. Thanks


I think I have heard from a vet on this site, 4-6 watts per gallon should do it.