# Heater not working properly?



## driftwoodhunter (Jul 1, 2011)

Hmm,
I'm trying to figure out if I need a new heater.
I have two 29g tanks set up, each has a 200w Tetra Whisper heater. One tank is now at 78.8, and I'm trying to raise it slightly (I'm treating ick). The light comes on every now & then, I imagine it's raising the temp gradually.
The other tank (and they are one above the other in a 2 tank metal stand) I can't get up past 74. It is still cycling and has no fish in it yet. I have cranked the dial open as far as it will go. The light comes on for a second, and much less often than the other heater. I am still waiting to see if I can raise the temp in either tank. I do keep my home at 60 degrees, could that be having such an impact? These are "new" heaters, meaning they haven't been in the tanks long - a few months - but they were also free and they came from the Tetra factory, they often give away items (I know someone that works there). These items always have the upc marked out so they can't be sold, now I'm wondering if they are bad - or is it feasible that my cold room temps are keeping the tanks from warming up?
If I do buy a new heater after payday, what brands do you all suggest? I only have a Petsmart, so Marineland, Aqueon, Top Fin (also made by Tetra, as I'm told Marineland is) the common brands are available to me. They carry other brands but I can't think of what just now...
74 is an ok temp, but come winter it may drop even more - is this a non-issue, or something to be concerned about?
Many thanks for any help!


----------



## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

The light should stay on constant till heating is done. They are not "smart" enough to heat it up slowly.


----------



## astex (Aug 13, 2009)

Most heater ratings are based on raising the tank temperature 10 degrees above room temp. I have the same problem in the winter when my house is 62 degrees. Google heater sizes aquariums or similar as there are some charts that list heater sizes required to raise temps 15 or 20 degrees above room temp. If I remember, it's a pretty linear progression i.e. if you have 25 watts for 10 degrees, then buy a 50 watt heater to get to the 20 degree above ambient.

HTH


----------



## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

200 w should be more than capable on a 29g tank. I use the aqueon pro heaters now. I am very happy with it, but I use a heater controller so I have no idea how the thermostat works itself.


----------



## driftwoodhunter (Jul 1, 2011)

Interesting.
I was just watching the heaters, and the warmer tank's heater light would come on & off fairly regularly. The colder tank's heater came on & off at about 1/3 the rate of the other tank.
Frankly, I have no idea what I'm setting them to since the heaters don't have any numbers or marks - just a dial on the top to turn. I think the warmer tank might be working correctly based on where the dial is tuned to. The colder tank is turned "open/on" to the max, and it has only warmed 1 degree all morning. Of course, it's warmer in the house now that it's afternoon, too, so the heater may not be effecting the tank at all. The lights certainly don't stay on, and I assume they flicker because they are holding/maintaining a temp.
I was fortunate enough to get a scientific thermometer fron DogFish this week - it is showing me a pinpoint reading for the tank temps.
I may be buying a new heater next week...we'll see!


----------



## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

What is water movement like in these tanks? Place a powerhead over the heater.


----------



## driftwoodhunter (Jul 1, 2011)

That's a good point/idea, but the water movment is good to all parts of the tanks, and I'm testing the temps with the scientific thermometer within 6" of the heaters. By comparison, the floating thermometers are on the opposite ends of the tanks, and they always read 2 degrees cooler than the scientific thermometer. Due to the distance, or not being accurate - most likely a combo of both. 
I'm stumped. It's been years since I've had fish, and I don't remember paying much attention to the temps as long as they were in the 70s!


----------



## driftwoodhunter (Jul 1, 2011)

Well! I just took the temp on my 40b (and the sticky strip was correct) and it's only 72! My poor fish! I haven't tried to turn that heater up, and it will be interesting to see what happens when I do. I realize it's common sense, but I never gave it any thought how the low room temps would effect the tanks...


----------



## JRMott (Jul 30, 2010)

Perhaps it isn't 'calibrated' correctly?

I have an ebo heater on my 30gal, I had to adjust the calibration knob on it to get it set to the correct temp. Not sure if the Tetra has the same thing, but worth checking to see if it's set right.


----------



## driftwoodhunter (Jul 1, 2011)

As it turns out, that heater (in the 40b) was dialed to 72. I just tuned it to 76. I can't remember what brand that heater is, but I bought it at Petsmart about a year ago. I really like it - it's solid black and has a clearly numbered dial on top - it also has a green light that stays on to show it's working and a red light that comes on while it is heating (which is on now). They probably don't sell it anymore, but I guess I'll have to take it out to see what the brand is...


----------



## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

driftwoodhunter said:


> As it turns out, that heater (in the 40b) was dialed to 72. I just tuned it to 76. I can't remember what brand that heater is, but I bought it at Petsmart about a year ago. I really like it - it's solid black and has a clearly numbered dial on top - it also has a green light that stays on to show it's working and a red light that comes on while it is heating (which is on now). They probably don't sell it anymore, but I guess I'll have to take it out to see what the brand is...


Aqueon pro


----------



## driftwoodhunter (Jul 1, 2011)

JRMott ~
The only thing on the tetra heaters is the temp control dial, and it isn't numbered. There is a starting point, an ending point, and an image of a wedge or triangle in the middle where 72 or 74 (I can't remember) degrees is supposed to be located. Nothing to indicate what you have the temp dialed to. Since I have one dialed all the way to the end and the light won't stay on & the tank won't get any warmer than 75, I'm thinking that I might need a better heater... they are so danged expensive!


----------



## driftwoodhunter (Jul 1, 2011)

OverStocked said:


> Aqueon pro


 LOL! Isn't that what you just said you have & like? Yes, I think I'll be looking to get more of those!


----------



## driftwoodhunter (Jul 1, 2011)

OverStocked, what is the heater controller you mentioned? I'm not familiar with that.


----------



## GraphicGr8s (Apr 4, 2011)

Remember when you could replace the heater element yourself? 

Personally I like to use 2 heaters at a little more than half the wattage. Do that in all my tanks.


----------



## driftwoodhunter (Jul 1, 2011)

Replace a heater element? I'm lucky I can replace the paper towel roll! lol


----------



## driftwoodhunter (Jul 1, 2011)

I am so thrilled! I just went to the Petsmart website, and they still carry the Aqueon Pro, and yes indeed, it's the same thing I have in the 40b. Thanks, OverStocked!

GraphicGr8s, I have read of others that like to use two lower watt heaters. I don't have a large enough surge protector on the 29s (and they are such small tanks), but I think that my be a good idea for me with the two 55g tanks I'll be setting up this winter...


----------



## GraphicGr8s (Apr 4, 2011)

driftwoodhunter said:


> I am so thrilled! I just went to the Petsmart website, and they still carry the Aqueon Pro, and yes indeed, it's the same thing I have in the 40b. Thanks, OverStocked!
> 
> GraphicGr8s, I have read of others that like to use two lower watt heaters. I don't have a large enough surge protector on the 29s (and they are such small tanks), but I think that my be a good idea for me with the two 55g tanks I'll be setting up this winter...


I run 2 heaters for the protection factor. If one fails open I still get a little heat. If one fails closed it's not powerful enough to really overheat the tank. If both fail.....

You run your stuff through a surge protector? I live in the lightning capital and don't run my tanks on surge protectors. So far no problem.

Interestingly enough I had to buy a heater yesterday for a tank that had none. Went with an Aqueon 200 watt. It's for my 55 gourami tank. First time I will be using just one heater in about 25 years. Hopefully it will work out.

I've got about 10 heaters that I will one day fix and at least get 5 working.


----------



## driftwoodhunter (Jul 1, 2011)

I like your explanation of why you use two heaters. I've never had one fail before, but I have a friend that I gave one of these free heaters to, and hers has spiked over 86 degrees (as high as her thermometer will go) three times in two months. I think it won't be long before it fails closed. I keep telling her to get a new heater but she hasn't yet. Maybe these heaters are all seconds! I'd hate to have her fish cook from a heater I gave her...
I'm trying to get surge protectors on everything. I live in a mobile home park on top of a leveled mountain/hill. Too big to be a hill, too small to be a mountain. We've had direct lightning hits here three times in the years I've lived here. Usually it hits the mailbox clusters, about 300 feet from me. Once the trailer next to me had it's electronics fried, once the trailer diagonally across from me had the same. If lightning every hits me directly, no surge protector will help, but when it's close...I like the mental sense of a measure of safety, even if it may not be real - lol


----------



## GraphicGr8s (Apr 4, 2011)

Not really sure how the new heaters work and if they're electronic or not since I've not taken one apart. The old heaters I have were a bimetal strip to sense temperature and had a make and break system. In other words the heater had contact points. (Just like my old 69 Catalina Convertible). Those points arced every time and eventually would stick closed. Every so often the bimetal would fail and it wouldn't turn on. But the most common cause of fried fish was the contact stuck closed. That's why I use a 2 heater program.

I can't believe how bloody expensive those heaters are. $40 for a 200 watt heater?

BTW I have learned the only way to be sure of lighting protection? UNPLUG!.

Down here every home has a lightning suppression on the panel. I remember some of the houses in NY had a system that had lightning wire tied to a ground rod system. Doubt it really worked though. Have a feeling none of it _really_ works.


----------

