Does anybody know how to actually get a heater to stay at a consistent temp? I have 4 different heaters, different brands and watts, in 4 different tanks, not one will keep a tank at a consistent temp. One day they are at 75 degrees, 2 days later, 80 degrees. If I get a controller will that actually solve the problem? Or is it more wasted money?
A decent temp controller can do wonders. I had similar problems, but now that my ReefKeeper is controlling my heaters, it's much more stable. It would be even more so if I ran a chiller.
the 1-2 degree swing is usually not problematic.. but, yes, a controller will help make it more stable. because the controller will be more sensitive that the built in thermostat in the heater
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Does anybody know how to actually get a heater to stay at a consistent temp? I have 4 different heaters, different brands and watts, in 4 different tanks, not one will keep a tank at a consistent temp. One day they are at 75 degrees, 2 days later, 80 degrees. If I get a controller will that actually solve the problem? Or is it more wasted money?
A 5 degree temp change sounds like you may have a heat problem, not a heater problem.
If your room environment stays at a constant temperature, and the heat transferred to your tank is low, most heater thermostats should be able to keep the temp at +/- 1 degree F. Eheim Jäger thermostats used to be +/- 1 degree, but I noticed that the one I bought last claims +/- 0.5 degrees. The Jäger seems to be a good choice.
I have a LED fixture lighting my 55g tank, and have a Vortech for circulation, so almost all my heat transfer to the water comes from only my Eheim 1250 skimmer and 1260 return pumps. The ambient temp of the room is between 65-74 degrees. I have a 200w Visitherm Stealth heater in the sump, and it keeps the temperature within 1 degree F.
I am now determining which temp controller I should get (to help guarantee against a "stuck" <$18 thermostat)., a stand-alone controller (dual-stage for heater/fan) or a multi-controller (such as a Reefkeeper or Aquacontroller Jr.). Entrusting my tank to a multi-controller is a bit of a leap of faith to me. I work intimately with computers, and know how fallible they can be. The more complex the functionality, the more complex the instruction code, the more chance for bugs and interference issues. Dedicated controllers, although not necessarily bullet-proof, offer lean-and-mean reliability.
I've not used a multi controller but I do use a dual phase Ranco from eBay My World - kooltanks and have been happy with it. I think that there are several brands out there and they probably all work about the same.
I have a LED fixture lighting my 55g tank, and have a Vortech for circulation, so almost all my heat transfer to the water comes from only my Eheim 1250 skimmer and 1260 return pumps. The ambient temp of the room is between 65-74 degrees. I have a 200w Visitherm Stealth heater in the sump, and it keeps the temperature within 1 degree F.
Ooops. I just double checked when I got home, and it seems my heater has not been keeping the temp within 1 degree F like it was in the (Southern California) Autumn.The difference is 2.25 degrees! Our house thermostat was reset at one point, so instead of keeping the ambient temp between 65-74, it is now set to 60-74. Nights have been cold (50's) here as of late, so I do not think that a single 200w Visitherm Stealth can keep up with a 20 degree differential.
This brings up a good point. I read somewhere that a properly sized heater cannot handle much more than a 12 degree difference between the tank's target temp and the ambient room temperature. This seems consistent with my current situation. Therefore, it would be prudent for me to either raise my house thermostat or get a larger (or second) heater. Food for thought on your heater problem.
I have a second Visitherm Stealth that I used to have in the DT for a while. I think I will be putting it back...
I too have LED's. My in tank circulation is from Korolias and I don't think that they add that much heat. But my cheap Jebo return and skimmer pumps (gotta replace them) run hot. We have our thermostat set at 65 and my 200 W heater easily keeps my tank at 79. In the summer we keep the thermostat at 75 and my tank runs at 80-81. Since I got my Solaris I've not used my chiller.
I too have LED's. My in tank circulation is from Korolias and I don't think that they add that much heat. But my cheap Jebo return and skimmer pumps (gotta replace them) run hot. We have our thermostat set at 65 and my 200 W heater easily keeps my tank at 79. In the summer we keep the thermostat at 75 and my tank runs at 80-81. Since I got my Solaris I've not used my chiller.
FWIW, I have an Eheim 1250 for the skimmer, and a Eheim 1260 for the return. They are not terribly cheap, but they are efficient(aka less heat transfer), very quiet, can be installed in or outside the sump and can handle a decent amount of head pressure. I just disassembled one for cleaning, and it is built very well and easy to take apart. I do not have much experience with pumps, but these seem like workhorses.
When spec'ing out heaters, I noticed that a 150w Eheim Jäger is rated for the same tank volume as a 200w Visitherm Stealth. I am not sure if this is an indicator of the efficiency of the Jäger, but it does seem like a plus.
One of my main reasons for splurging for a Solaris was so I did not need a chiller. I do not have anywhere to put one, and am glad to avoid the extra costs and noise. However, I may get a dual stage temp controller and have a fan just in case the AC should fail.
If I get a controller will that actually solve the problem? Or is it more wasted money?
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