yet another heater question

[MPETERS]

Hi All,

Well you sure can tell winter is comming, quite a few questions about heaters.

As many of you know I am setting up a 280 gal tank with a 75 gal sump/filter. I am running two Eheim jager 300 watt heaters in the sump, both are set to 86 degrees and have been running for about 2 weeks. The temp in the tank is running between 81.4 and 82.6. The heaters seem to be on most, if not all of the time. I would like to get the tank temp up to between 83-85. I have another jager that I can add to the sump, I know that will help but I was wondering if anyone has any other suggestions to get the current heaters working a little better.

A little more information. I live in AZ. in an older trailer, I have never turned the heat on in the house in over 18 years. I do use a pellet stove to take the chill off when needed. I will be running LED lighting and am running two mac 18 in the sump as return pumps. This might seem like a lot of return, however, when I figured out the head pressure I am returning about 1000 GPH from each pump which is where I want to be.

Does anyone have any suggestions.

Thanks,
Mike

[chrisb01]

For the size tank you have, two 300 watts are not enough to heat the entire amount of water in the tank, not to mention the other 75 gals. in the sump.

Also, by the time the water circulates back up to the tank, the little help those two heaters are providing is lost. Water cools when it circulates.

What I would do, is get two 500 watt heaters, put one in the sump and one in the tank. Or put them both in the sump, and adjust them a little higher so by the time it comes up to the tank it will still be warn enough to make the tank water 84 degrees.

Another idea would be inline heaters with enough wattage. 1000 watts can handle 300 to 600 gals of water.

[MPETERS]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the answer. The 2 300 watt heaters brought the temp from about 64 up to about 82. I think I will add the other 300 watt heater into the sump and see if that brings the temp up to where I want it. I hate to buy new heaters as the three I have are new. I brought them from Ken's and he isn't showing any 500 watt jager heaters on his web page.

Thanks again.
Mike

[chrisb01]

Go for it man, give it a shot. I think that will work, it will make it 900 watts which is plenty.

[MPETERS]

Hi,

Thats what I thought. I will throw it in after I get back from taking Jerry Lee for his afternoon walk.

Mike