big problems
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Forum Name: General Discussion
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URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=29982
Printed Date: July 30 2025 at 8:07am
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Topic: big problems
Posted By: braydog
Subject: big problems
Date Posted: December 09 2008 at 8:27pm
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OK......Im having big problems with my tank. I came home yesterday to find it at 86.8 degrees so i went into panic mode and worked on lowering the temp. I come home today and BAM 87 degrees. Could it be that my heaters thermostat is gone haywire?? The heater is only 6 months old??? The temp in the house is only 64 so its not the temp in my house.
Any info or suggestions. ------------- 34 Gallon Red Sea Max It aint over till the fat lady sings!! |
Replies:
Posted By: BobC63
Date Posted: December 09 2008 at 8:33pm
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The heater thermostat is probably stuck open, which means the heater is N/G. Have you touched the water to make sure it is actually that warm and it's not just your thermometer that is bad? What wattage heater?
------------- - My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) - * Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 * |
Posted By: john hill
Date Posted: December 09 2008 at 8:39pm
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unplug the heater and get a thermometer to duble check the temp do you have any fans that you can blow across the water ------------- out with the large and in with the nano |
Posted By: Cameron
Date Posted: December 09 2008 at 8:58pm
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Id say take the heater out and watch it closely. Remember to lower the Temp Slowly! ------------- [COLOR="Red"](801)664-4240 |
Posted By: Mike Savage
Date Posted: December 09 2008 at 9:00pm
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The heater is suspect but verify the temperature too.
Mike -------------  |
Posted By: spidermom
Date Posted: December 09 2008 at 11:45pm
| I had the same problem with a brand new heater I bought from my work, it wouldn't shut off, I used a frozen ice pack in a ziplock to bring the heat down, from 106! some heaters can be defective, some brands just suck! |
Posted By: Dion Richins
Date Posted: December 10 2008 at 1:05am
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106??????????????????? Holy **** I would have died on the spot!!!!!!!!!!!! ------------- http://www.customaquariumfurniture.com" rel="nofollow - Bad "censored" Cabinets Best quality in the valley! He is one sexy bald guy, even with out a finger!(MAC) |
Posted By: spidermom
Date Posted: December 10 2008 at 8:26am
| yeah it was amazing, one of my pipefish and a few of my corals survived, not a fan of Hydor heaters anymore |
Posted By: DeepFriedOprah
Date Posted: December 10 2008 at 9:04am
I agree with Mike. My thermometer say my tank is at 66 degrees, but I know it is not. Double check your temp with another thermometer. ------------- "So, Just right in half? I have a very large one, Like 4" that I would like to frag, as well as a few smaller ones" Cameron |
Mike Savage wrote:Posted By: Jake Pehrson
Date Posted: December 10 2008 at 9:38am
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Double check you temp.
That is why many people recommend 2 underpowered heaters so if one gets "stuck" it won't be able to heat the tank up too much. ------------- Jake Pehrson Murray http://coralplanet.com" rel="nofollow - coralplanet.com http://utahbeeranch.com" rel="nofollow - :) |
Posted By: Dion Richins
Date Posted: December 10 2008 at 9:57am
You mean my 1000 watt heaters are too much. ------------- http://www.customaquariumfurniture.com" rel="nofollow - Bad "censored" Cabinets Best quality in the valley! He is one sexy bald guy, even with out a finger!(MAC) |
Posted By: spidermom
Date Posted: December 10 2008 at 4:28pm
| I agree totally....I just usually don't put more than one in a 28 gal |
Posted By: spidermom
Date Posted: December 10 2008 at 4:30pm
| But if your heater won't shut off another one won't help anyway LOL |
Posted By: BobC63
Date Posted: December 10 2008 at 6:42pm
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WHat I have seen is that most of the time when a heater fails "on" it is usually because it was too small (too few watts) for the tank is was trying to heat. The heater stays "on" for too long of a time period trying to heat up too much water and the thermostat contacts fuse together and the heater cannot shut itself off. IMO:
A 50w heater should be used only in a 5g tank
75w heater 10g tank
100w heater 15g tank
150w heater 20g tank
200w heater 29g tank
250w heater 30g L tank
(2) 150w heater 40g tank
(2) 200w heater 55 - 90g tank
(2) 250w heater 100 - 125g tank
(2) 300w heater 150 - 180g tank
(2) 400w heater 210 - 240g tank
Above that add 1 additional 400w heater per 150g of water volume
For some reason larger tanks actually require a lower watts / gal ratio than a smaller tank does; something about the surface area of the tank relative to the gallonage is greater on smaller tanks, thus they cool (lose heat) faster than a larger tank does, relative to room temperature being lower than the tank temp.
For the OP - who I believe has a 34g tank - I'd bet the heater that "broke" is a lower wattage than the 250 - 300w that should be used...
------------- - My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) - * Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 * |
Posted By: spidermom
Date Posted: December 10 2008 at 7:12pm
| I always go to a higher watt heater and always tell my customers that ,at my work at Petsmart, I agree with you to a point but there some crappy brands and even defective heaters, I see it all the time, I've worked there for 12 years |
Posted By: BobC63
Date Posted: December 10 2008 at 7:25pm
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Yeah, I'm just surprised you had a problem with a Hydor...
I had (2) 250w on my 125 for maybe 5 years w/o a problem
I have (2) 400w on my 225now, no problems
I got rid of an old 250w that I had had on a 29g that was over 15 yrs old and didn't realize until I got rid of it that it was a Hydor.
Did you have your heater located anywhere near a Mag Drive pump or Maxijet? Crystal pointed out that something in the Mag Drive pump can wreck the electronics in a Hydor heater, which is something I did not know before...same thingapparaently with MJ p-heads...
------------- - My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) - * Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 * |
Posted By: spidermom
Date Posted: December 10 2008 at 7:30pm
| I don't have a mag drive in that tank, it's not near anything like that, I've never heard of any problems with that brand of heaters either, I prefer ebo jager. |
Posted By: bgreenlee
Date Posted: December 10 2008 at 9:20pm
After burning a tank I moved to this idea.
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