Don't forget to check your heaters.

[markl]

With cold nights coming soon make sure you check all your heaters peeps...Keep an eye on them as well...I fried my first salt water tank 9 years ago with a heater that got stuck on...:yes:

 

[hud3339]

My tank was down to 74 yesterday I had to plug my in

Edit: My tank was down to 74 yesterday I had to plug my in

 

[gnashty]

nice reminder, I unplugged mine months ago....

 

[john26]

With making the switch to LED on my 24 gallon nano, what is a good heater choice to go with?

 

[smallblock]

John26;685880 wrote: With making the switch to LED on my 24 gallon nano, what is a good heater choice to go with?

ehiem jager 100 watt

 

[jennm]

And if your heater is more than a few years old, you might just want to replace it, period.

Heaters, IMO are the "weak link" and their failure can be one of the more devastating events in a tank.

Jenn

 

[john26]

Would a 50 watt or 75 watt suffice?

 

[schwaggs]

Hehehe, my chiller is still running many times per day!

A 100W heater is WAY too big for a 24G tank. 50 should be fine...

 

[legalreefer]

What size heater for a 60ish gallon setup?

 

[grouper therapy]

JennM;686192 wrote: And if your heater is more than a few years old, you might just want to replace it, period.

Heaters, IMO are the "weak link" and their failure can be one of the more devastating events in a tank.

Jenn

Excellent advice:up:

 

[mcphock]

Even if it were to replace my heaters, I still dont trust them.

A new heater that i plugged in last evening was set to 79. When I woke up, it was over 90. Good thing it's just an experimental setup.

Are there cheap heater controllers? I really dont want to have to purchase 4 reef keeper lites just to guard for heater failures.

 

[smallblock]

I dont run mine untill the extreme winter Barb, I think I ran mine for a month or so last year when the temp was really low and my heat was having a hard time keeping up.

 

[smallblock]

I have a digital meat thermometer I was pretty anal about it and stay up pretty late too so I was monitoring it late at night.

Edit: I try to keep the house about 75 all year around, a lil cooler at night in the summer. I have a fan on a timer that comes on when the white lights come on. At the time I had 2 mag 7s in the sump which kept it pretty warm. I've gotton rid of one mag 7 so I don't know how its going to work out this year.

 

[rjrgroup]

Ranco makes ones that will control a single item or dual for heaters and chillers. I've seen them sell on Ebay for as little as $25 but I think they average around $40ish.

McPhock;686835 wrote:

Are there cheap heater controllers?

 

[jennm]

I think Rancos are more than that...at least for a dual stage one (for heater and chiller). Single stage might not be as much.

They used to be the way to go - but since the advent of the aquarium specific controller that also monitors pH, ORP etc., as well as timing other devices, the entry level controllers are a better value, IMO.

Jenn

 

[rjrgroup]

Just checked it out and there are many on Ebay in the $40 range. These things are industrial grade and very reliable.

 

[mcphock]

Ah, thank you. I'll have to pick up a couple of those.

 

[grouper therapy]

I use Rancos. I don't trust the relay switches used in aquarium controller power bars. IMO they are not heavy duty enough to handle the constant switching of a high amp resistive load like a heater. If I ever did use them I would use multiple smaller heaters to help with the amps pulled on each relay

 

[rjrgroup]

Bingo...have you had any problems with the Ranco controllers? I have never used them on my tank but have used them with industrial ovens and freezers.

grouper therapy;686926 wrote: I use Rancos. I don't trust the relay switches used in aquarium controller power bars. IMO they are not heavy duty enough to handle the constant switching of a high amp resistive load like a heater. If I ever did use them I would use multiple smaller heaters to help with the amps pulled on each relay

 

[grouper therapy]

rjrgroup;686942 wrote: Bingo...have you had any problems with the Ranco controllers? I have never used them on my tank but have used them with industrial ovens and freezers.

Not once have I had one fail.