# Heating requirments for tanks



## fish_luva (Nov 24, 2009)

Hi everyone,,,, sorry i'm asking a lot of questions, but i'm hoping they will help others as well..... and i still have lots to learn

I've started setting up a fish room and been purchasing a lot of tanks and so forth. i just set up a racking system and put tanks on there, 2 45's and 2x65 tall's.....they all came with heaters. 

I have several more tanks that i want to set up soon with no heaters at this point. I have done some reading on this so for and this is what i have found. My question(s) will follow: 
1. some people say that you should use about 2 watts per gallon for heating requirements.
2. Some people say that you should use a higher power heater then your tank requires as it will cost less to run that way and easier to maintain required temperatures.
3. I have read also that it's better to use two lower powered heaters then one large powered heater. 
- good in cases if one fails
- i heard it could be bad if a higher powered heater fails as it could overheat the water and kill the fish.

Hoping for some good experience or some good links that can clarify some of this for me, or help me to make an easier decision based on pro's and con's.....
Thanks to everyone in advance in case i can't individually thank you.
Hoping for some good civil debate!!!!!  
Cheers & tanksssss !!!!
Sheldon


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## trailblazer295 (Mar 7, 2010)

Most manufactuers list what size of tank there filters can handle. IIRC tanks over 5ft long you would definantly want 2 heaters just because the heat may not distribute evenly. Going a bit above the requirements is ok but don't go to big because problems will be worse a lot faster.


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

How many watts you need really depends on how much above ambient you are trying to heat. Most of the people I know that have fishrooms, heat the nroom, usually with one of those small ceramic heaters. Then if you need to have a tank at a higher temp, you put in a heater. 
It is better to be under powered than over, in case of failure in the on position. The forums are full of stories about stewed fish. It is not cheaper to use a bigger heater.


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## fish_luva (Nov 24, 2009)

trailblazer295 said:


> Most manufactuers list what size of tank there filters can handle. IIRC tanks over 5ft long you would definantly want 2 heaters just because the heat may not distribute evenly. Going a bit above the requirements is ok but don't go to big because problems will be worse a lot faster.


Thanks Trailblazer, yes your right about the manufacturer specs, but i was then thinking about the shape of tank, height, length and other things... but that is a good guide to go bye for sure.



BillD said:


> How many watts you need really depends on how much above ambient you are trying to heat. Most of the people I know that have fishrooms, heat the nroom, usually with one of those small ceramic heaters. Then if you need to have a tank at a higher temp, you put in a heater.
> It is better to be under powered than over, in case of failure in the on position. The forums are full of stories about stewed fish. It is not cheaper to use a bigger heater.


Thanks bill, yes i will be doing that once all is complete. I just built one rack last weekend which has 2 65 gallon tanks and 2 45's.. but it's not enclosed via a wall yet, so i can't heat up a specific room forawhile, wish i could do all i want right away but it has to be done in stages.. God i was up till 5 am 1 night completing it.....
Thanks for the tip on that for sure and i will be doing this eventually.. hopefully sooner then later. Appreciate your tips and i especially don't want to cook my fish


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## bae (May 11, 2007)

As BillD says, it depends on the room temp and how far above it you need to raise the aquarium water. We keep the house thermostat down in winter, and my tanks run on 3-8 watts/gallon. And as BillD also says, if you have a lot of tanks in one room, it's more cost-effective to heat the room.

Two lower power heaters instead of one is a good practice, since you have much more time to detect and correct the problem if one of the heaters fails either on or off.

You should read up on fish rooms to avoid making expensive mistakes. It's a good idea to put GFI outlets in all your electrical boxes. Insulating outside walls can help maintain temperatures. Covering all your tanks will reduce humidity, but you can do a lot of damage to the structure of your house if moisture condenses in the walls -- you need a really good vapor barrier. If it condenses on walls inside the house, you can get grotty mold growth and musty odors in closets and other closed areas. In that case you may have to buy a dehumidifier or increase air circulation with the outdoors. You can buy heat exchanger units to do this to save heat.

You should also be sure your floors can take the weight. You aren't likely to bust right through, but you can get plaster cracks and your floor may go off-level. Putting the tanks near bearing walls, across the joists will help spread the load, and bolting the racks to the wall will help prevent them from overbalancing and increase stability. Also, think about what will happen if a tank breaks or you have some other big spill, as well as the smaller spills that are inevitable when working with tanks.

Of course, if your fish room is in the basement, a lot of these problems are less serious.

I've got a bunch of higher wattage submersible heaters (200-300watts) that I've accumulated over the years and don't use. Not all of them work. If you want to buy some for maybe half what they cost new, I'll test some out for you, assuming I can find a place cool enough, this time of year! Or I can give you a bunch to test yourself, and you can pay me for the ones that you want to keep.

Hope this helps!


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## fish_luva (Nov 24, 2009)

bae said:


> it's more cost-effective to heat the room.
> Two lower power heaters instead of one is a good practice,
> 
> You should read up on fish rooms to avoid making expensive mistakes.
> ...


Definitely helps, Yes i'm leaning towards 2 heaters instead of 1 as that appears to be a safe practice, but of course once i'm done my room, will heat the room. 
The room is located in the basement so that helps with many of the things you mentioned. 
sending you a PM Regarding the rest of your comments. 
tks
Sheldon


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