# heating a 135 gallon tank



## ssondubs (Nov 16, 2008)

I am considering two 250 watt heaters with a controller but I am confused on which controller to use...jemco's website confuses me. Which one would you guys suggest?


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

The ETCI-1R. It has the power cord. The ETC1-1 is meant to be hard wired. I've always found them helpful when I've called them.


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## ssondubs (Nov 16, 2008)

prov356 said:


> The ETCI-1R. It has the power cord. The ETC1-1 is meant to be hard wired. I've always found them helpful when I've called them.


Great, thanks!
I have that and their safety siphon on my must have list :drooling:


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## ptoSYG27 (Feb 16, 2010)

This may sound dumb but i have never used one,how does a controller work.


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## mg426 (Nov 24, 2009)

I use a Ranco controller. It is an electronic device that reads your tank temp via a temp probe. You preset the temp at which the heater comes on at. When the tank falls below that setting(as measured by the probe) The controller switches the heater on with a relay and keeps it on untill the temp increases back to the set point. I just turn my heaters all the way up and let the controller turn them on and off.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Ranco-ETC-111000-Te ... ltDomain_0?


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## ssondubs (Nov 16, 2008)

ptoSYG27 said:


> This may sound dumb but i have never used one,how does a controller work.


Copy and pasted from Jehmco's website. Long but worth reading through!

Large aquariums or Central Filtration systems with Sumps can benefit from using heaters with a separate controller. Considering an average of 4 watts per gallon minimum requirement, one 300 watt heater would not be adequate to keep a 90 gallon aquarium at 80 degree F. In fact any aquarium 48 or longer can benefit from having 2 smaller heaters on opposite ends. 
Perfectly synchronizing both heatersÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ thermostats can be problematic at best, if not impossible. Conventional aquarium heaters are made primarily for low cost sales appeal. The integrated thermostats are not very accurate nor reliable, but the primary problem occurs with regards to the setpoint and the differential built into all thermostats. The differential is the difference between the turn on setting and the turn off setting. This prevents the heaters from turning on and off rapidly (cycling), in response to small changes in temperature. This setting can be between 1/2 and 2 degrees and when installing multiple heaters within the same body of water it becomes impossible for both these thermostats to operate identically.
As an example of problems related to setpoint variance: An 100 gallon aquarium with (2) 200 watt heaters on opposite ends of the tank. One heater senses the temperature drop to 77 F and turns on, beginning to heat the water. Meanwhile the other heater has not yet turned on and may not since the turn on temperature setting may not be exactly the same. Or the water could be very slightly warmer where this heater is, preventing this heater from Ã¢â‚¬ËœseeingÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ its turn on temperature. As the first heater begins to heat the water, the second is much less likely to turn on now, since the turn on temp setting is slowly being exceeded. This leaves the first heater doing most of the work to bring up the tankÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s temperature and reach its turn off setting. It most likely will have difficulty just maintaining the tankÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s temp., since one 200 watt heater may not be adequate for an 100 gallon aquarium. The second heater may eventually turn on, but not before the first heater has been on for an extended period. 
An example of thermostat differential problems: Consider a situation where 2 heaters manage to be on at the same time, then one heater reaches its turn off setting first either due to slightly different differentials, inaccuracies in the thermostats, or slight water temp fluctuations. The remaining heater is now doing all the work trying to reach its turn off setting. It is struggling to maintain temperature in the tank. The second heater does not turn on yet since the required differential has not been reached. (turn on setting is below what the second heater, by being on is allowing the tankÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s temp. to fall to) it may stay on for hours in this mode before the desired temp. is reached or the other heater switches on!
The larger the aquarium, the more heaters required, the more problems with synchronizing occur. Many larger aquariums with multiple heaters will have at least one heater operating at long intervals, sometimes always on. This puts a lot of wear on the heater, increasing the likelihood that it will fail at some point. With all heaters properly synchronized, the service life of aquarium heaters will be much longer. This is only possible by using a separate controller. All of the heaters are adjusted to their highest setting, (permanently on) and all plugged into a power strip type adapter. This is then connected to the output of the controller, thereby effectively bypassing the heatersÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ thermostats. 
The problems with synchronization can be exacerbated when multiple heaters are placed in a sump, as is common on larger aquariums with Wet-Dry filtration systems. Consider the high wattage requirements of a 180 gallon aquarium with a sump size of maybe 30 gallons. Even with a flow rate of 1200 GPH through the filter the proximity of the heaters to each other is so very close that the likelihood they all operate concurrently is even more remote than if they were placed directly in the aquarium. The need for a separate controller is strongly indicated in this configuration.
With properly synchronized heaters, the actual on time for heating the aquarium is much less, thereby providing less wear on individual heaters. The cost savings in electricity usage alone may pay for the price of the controller in a short time. 
The use of a Temperature Control device with a remotely mounted sensor, provides much better aquarium temperature maintenance. The sensor can be mounted unobtrusively anywhere needed in the aquarium. (Near the filter intake or even within the overflow box.) Adjustments to the tankÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s water temperature is done much easier than without a controller. (Imagine trying to raise the settings equally on 4 or 5 individual heaters) By using this controller in conjunction with higher quality Aquarium heaters such as Ebo-Jager or our large Titanium Heaters will provide the aquarium with a reliable system for maintaining proper temperature control at a fraction of the cost of other set-ups such as Industrial type Immersion Heaters and high wattage inline heater modules. This controller can alternatively operate a chiller or be wired in series with the chillerÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s control to prevent both from operating at the same time 
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