# Newbie Heater Questions?



## tokerblue (May 22, 2008)

First post! I'm a newie to aquariums. I currently have a 150 Gallon tank with African Cichlids and noticed that my heater seems to be broken. The temperature of my tank is around 72 right now, but after reading a lot of posts, it seems my tank should be 78-80.

I read various posts and opinions seem to be divided on heaters. From what I've read, I should be using at least 300W of heaters, either one 300W or two 150W. Any suggestions on reliable brands and whether one would be better than two to avoid overheating?


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## gotaOscar (Aug 18, 2006)

250 watt stealth heater. They are unbreakable and are becoming the standard aquarium heater around my circle of fish keeping freinds.

2 heaters is usually recommended for reduncency but with a stealth i have never found a reason for this. 7 tanks and 7 stealths running with no problems, and doing there jobs well is all the proof i need.

Rob


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## tokerblue (May 22, 2008)

I ended up buying a Marineland 300W Visi-Therm Deluxe from the LFS. I couldn't find the 250W heater. One quick question though. Is the on/off light supposed to be on all of the time? Mine seems to go on for long stretches of time and turns off for stretches of time. My tank isn't up to 79 just yet. I just want to make sure it's not defective before I can't return it.


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## MightyM (May 15, 2004)

yes the heater light is suppose to turn on and off...visi therm stealth 250W is top of the food chain right now, you should get one before they raised the price or re-design it :thumb:


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## zoyvig (Oct 27, 2006)

I still use the same old formula that I've used for over fifty years -

*2 watts per gallon for a 5 degree rise in temperature*.

Large tanks (>75 gal) in my unheated garage or basement I use two to four heaters. One at each end of the tank with plenty of circulation to prevent zoning.

Give your heater time. If you don't have adequate circulation, the zone around your heater may heat up and shut the heater off prematurely.

Good luck!!

P.S. - I have both the Marineland Visi-therm Stealth and Deluxe! Flip a coin!!!


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## tokerblue (May 22, 2008)

MightyM said:


> yes the heater light is suppose to turn on and off...visi therm stealth 250W is top of the food chain right now, you should get one before they raised the price or re-design it :thumb:


- Is the Visi-Therm Stealth better than the standard Visitherm Deluxe? I thought it was just the casing that was different.


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## tokerblue (May 22, 2008)

zoyvig said:


> Give your heater time. If you don't have adequate circulation, the zone around your heater may heat up and shut the heater off prematurely.


- Thanks for the advice. I just found an older 300W Visi-Therm (VTH300) laying around that I forgot I had, so I'll place it in the tank to get everything back up to temperature. Do I still need two heaters in there if I get the tank back up to 79? The reason I ask is because there isn't a place to put one on the other side of the tank since there isn't an outlet near there.


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## moneygetter1 (Jan 8, 2006)

8) I know many who are successful w/ just 1 heater & good circulation. I prefer to split the difference w/ 2 because of efficiency & safety. The heat will be more evenly distributed throughout the tank (especially long tanks). In the event of failure (on or off) you gain an advantage of time before temp. reaches critical (+ or -). This extra time could be the difference between life & death depending on your fishes sensitivity to temp. A temp. controller is another aid in safe temp. distribution.
As to the heater itself, choices are many. The VisiTherm Stealth by Aquarium Systems seems to be the most popular on this & a few other sites but there are others. Some choose the in-line ETH models from Hydor or Ebo-Jager (now Jager made by Eheim). My choice a few yrs. back (& still working) was Rena Cal Excel by A/P. The model has since been replaced by the Rena SmartHeater which can be used in-line w/ Rena filters or stand alone. (I believe Foster & Smith has Excel clearance sale). There are still others that members will swear by (too many to list). Bottom line is a stable temp. is necessary for tropical fish to thrive in most closed systems. The choice & set-up will vary from aquarist to aquarist depending on tank size, inhabitants & region. "T"
:dancing: :thumb: BTW Welcome to CF & good luck, "T"


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## MightyM (May 15, 2004)

delete this


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## MightyM (May 15, 2004)

> zoyvig said:
> 
> 
> > . Do I still need two heaters in there if I get the tank back up to 79? The reason I ask is because there isn't a place to put one on the other side of the tank since there isn't an outlet near there.


extension cord :thumb:


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