Heater Placement

[Derek]

It's that time of year again. It is getting cold outside and it is time to heat the tank. I am wondering what the best placement would be for the heater. I am thinking about putting it in the overflow box. Would that be okay?

[caferacermike]

Would probably be fine.

However, do you really need one? Do you let your house get so cold on the inside that it could drastically reduce the temp within the tnak? I ask this because I refuse to use them. I have not ran a heater in the last 10 years. To often I hear about how somebody cooked their tnak due to a faulty heater, or electrocute something. In fact you can even read to replies from many of us in previous threads about this issue as many people here on ARC have had tragic heater malfunctions. Personally I have heard so many bad things about a heater, yet I've yet to hear anyone tell me that their tnak froze. Check it out, you may end up changing your mind. Even more so when I see your size is 185g. You would probably buy some of the largest heaters and when big heaters go bad....bad things happen more quickly.

[Elizzy]

Along this same questioning, my house is colder in the summer than in the winter, and I have always used a heater...I'm afraid the temperature fluctuations would be too great without one...how much of a fluctuation is acceptable? Thanks!!

[diabeetus]

i think a seasonal temperature change would not be bad seeing how the ocean, which is outside , is coldER in the winter and warmer in the summer. i think a daily temperature would be more devastating. i have even seen light fixtures that are supposed to simulate seasonal temperature changes and even storms (clouds and what not)

correct me if im wrong about the seasonal temperature thing.

[GKarshens]

Generally in the tropics there is not a huge shift in seasons. That being said I don't think a small change seasonally would hurt. I use a heater on a controller. That way both the heater temp. control and the controller would both have to malfunction to cause an issue. Not impossible, but not likely. I also use a heater undersized for my tank. That way there is also less chance of it overheating.

[JimD]

It's that time of year again. It is getting cold outside and it is time to heat the tank. I am wondering what the best placement would be for the heater. I am thinking about putting it in the overflow box. Would that be okay?

Anywhere theres a reasonable ammount of flow, if you can hide it, all the better..

[Timfish]

I'd reitterate Caferacermikes question,"do you really need it?". I don't use heaters as most tanks run warmer than the rooms they're in and you hear a lot more horror stories about heaters making soup or cracking and shocking somebody than you do about die offs from tanks getting to cold.

[chrisfowler99]

Those of you that do not use heaters, what kind of temperatures would make you think about using one? ie: how low are you willing to let your tank get before you'd be concerned?

(my heater pops on at night year round at 78 degrees...we keep the house cold at night.)

[Derek]

During the winter I have my heater in the house set at about 68º. The past week my tank has been at around 76º and the house has been at about 70º. I just do not want the tank water to get too cold.

I had a friend who did not have a heater in his tank and the heater in his house went out. His water dropped down to 58º and he lost most of his fish and corals.

[Tallspawn]

I've had the same ebo jager running fully submersed in my 55 for 10-12 years. I'm like you Derek, I keep my house pretty cool and those temps can drop pretty quick at night. IMO if you buy a decent quality heater it's no different than any other component that could fail on you and cause major problems.

[Elizzy]

I've got a digital thermometer that reads 76.5 at night and 77.5 during the day -- is a 1 degree fluctuation something to be concerned about?

Thanks!!!

[GKarshens]

1 degree is well within an acceptable swing. I have heard of some people with as big as a 4 degree swing. I try to keep mine within 1 though.

[chrisfowler99]

I swing 78-82, using a heater at night and a fan during the day...I'd like it to be less, but until I add a chiller to the system it won't be during the summer months.

[Timfish]

Those of you that do not use heaters, what kind of temperatures would make you think about using one? ie: how low are you willing to let your tank get before you'd be concerned?

(my heater pops on at night year round at 78 degrees...we keep the house cold at night.)

I think the textbook answer is 72 degrees. Last year the coldest one of my tanks got was 73 during that freeze we had in December. In the last 15 years of doing maintenance to support my habit I've seen 3 systems have die off from getting too cold, all three houses were empty due to vacations or remodeling and had the heat turned off when cold fronts came through. Heat's a much bigger issue, every summer someone loses their AC.

[chrisfowler99]

every summer someone loses their AC.

Lost my AC a couple of weeks ago...luckily I was home that day and was able to get someone out to repair it...lots of ice in the sump, though.

[+cyrus]

2 Heaters in the sump, heats a larger area thus less strain on the heater. Heaters help control the swing for sure.