Help! I am frustrated with huge temperature swings

[jjw]

OK, I only have a small body of water - just a 10 gallon tank. I have a visi therm 50 watt, an ebo jager 50 watt, and another jager 75 watt. I started with the visi therm - dialed in 79 degrees, and observed it shut off at 77.4 , and then the tank temperature would drop to 74 degrees with the heater on. I decided to add the jager 75 watt for more horse power. I couldn't even calibrate this thing right. I dialed in 79 degrees again, it heated the tank from 77 degrees to 82 degrees and kept going, within 2 hours. While the visi therm shut off at 78.6 this time, then came back on at 79 (the Jager heater is on), and shut off again at 79.6. All within an hour. That was last night. This morning I unplugged the Jager and just left on the Visi Therm. Tonight, I came home to find out the tank temperature had dropped to 76 degrees while the heater was on.

My tank is in the basement with ambient temperature around 50-60 degrees. Seems like with ambient temperature so low the heaters have trouble keeping up with the temperatue drop. And the Jager, how do I calibrate that thing so it would shut off around 79 rather than keep going past 82? These temperature swings are killing everything on my LR. Someone please give me a lesson on how to maintain temperature stability. The tank is still cycling with no lights on. Thanks!

 

[showtime305]

<span style="color: black;">Those are probably 2 of the worse heaters you can run on your system. IMO they are poorly made and are not reliable enough to trust on such in such a small and unstable environment. You should upgrade to a better heater in the 100w range. Another thing that may help is a temperature controller. Most people don't run a temperature controller unless they are running a chiller and heater, but in your situation it would manage the swing better that those heaters will.</span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"> </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">I currently have a 10g tank setup that has a ReefKeeper 2 controller running the heating and cooling. A controller would be a great investment and ease your mind about the temperature swings.</span></span>

 

[jjw]

I thought about getting a temperature controller too. But what about all these people on nano-reef.com with 10 gallons and AP12's. How on the earth do they maintain their temperature stability?

 

[showtime305]

<span style="color: black;">Many of them use controllers or quality heaters. Considering the ambient temperature of your basement, I would say your heaters are undersized. Most people that are running small tanks aren't dealing with the same environmental variables you are dealing with. Having ambient temperatures in the 50's-60' is like running a chiller that has no off switch. The only way you are going to beat that is with a larger quality heater.</span>

 

[kwl1763]

You can easily do it with a fan and quality heater. I've had a 20G with VHOs for years with just a ebo jager 75W set on 78. It varies about 2.5 degrees and that's it. i have a PC fan that comes on and off with the light in the canopy. Now it's just a qt tank for me but it was a reef including SPS for 3 years.

Heaters are a real crapshoot and I have no faith in any of them honestly. If you find a good unit keep it! Even with brand Ebo Jagers are widely variable!

If it's that cold in your basement I would just oversize to like 150W. Realize though that your playing with fire as even a slight issue could wipe you out.

 

[chemically_balanced]

I was told that most of the cheaper heaters do not have a true thermostat in them. The way they work is more on a timer type set-up. If you set it to be a high temperture then the heater turns on for a longer time and shorter time frame between them. If you set it for a low temp the time it is on is shorter and longer between the time it turns off.

Just something I heard but never really checked out.

 

[glxtrix]

I'm a firm believer in a temp controller. I have your simple ranco temp controller on a fan that helps cool my 15g once the heat gets over 81. I think they make a model with 2 controllers so you can run your heater and a fan. Or you could step up to the more expensive RKII or acjr...which when I have the money, I'll definately be doing.

 

[FutureInterest]

Yah I use the ranco dual controller for fans/heater. I have a bunch of other controllers in the tank as well and when you add it all up... I should of gotten a reefkeeper2 . Anyways, I think the medusa is also a dual stage controller that's a lil cheaper than the ranco.

 

[jjw]

Dawgdude, here is what I found, hope this helps. Read the review:

 

[jjw]

it's a heater controller, so it will be on when the temp drops and shuts off when the temperature setting is exceeded - which is exactly the problem I am facing. Sorry that doesn't help your situation. What about you looking for a chiller controller? That will serve your purpose.

 

[FutureInterest]

Honestly dawgdude do your own seaches and find the items... I already gave you the name of two controllers that will suit your purpose. For a point of reference I got my dual stage ranco for 85 off a guy on reefcentral.

 

[jgoal55]

ok, this is advice coming from a rook and while those temp controllers and reef keepers sound awesome and I definitely want one......although not yet....I would seriously invest in a STEALTH Heater from Visi-therm first.....if that is the one you have then I guess you have no choice but to go for controllers....However, Visi therm does make some terrible heaters...one over heated my tank to about 97 degrees so make sure that you dont have one of their lower quality heaters first.

If you do, buy a 100W Stealth @ petsmart for like $20, use it, and if it doesnt work return it....the stealths are the best heaters I have ever had by far and they are black so they dont look as bad as some other ones in the tank.

Gluck.....

 

[FutureInterest]

Pm sent