Heater Problems

[brightstorm]

So I got an 100 W heater that was reccomended to me in the pet store, and says it is good for tanks up to 40 gallons. So anyway I have a 20 gallon tank and I put it at 77 degrees, and in the morning I checked on it and the temperature was all the way up to 82. I turned it down to 70, and waited another day, but the temperature wont change from 82. Any suggestions?

 

[BBradbury]

bri...

You want 5 watts of heat for every gallon of tank volume. So, 100 watts is just right for a 20 gallon tank. You may simply have a defective heater and you need to return it. In the mean time, turn down the dial on the heater until you reach the desired temperature. If this doesn't work, return the heater. I like those that are preset to 78 degrees and have no dials. More moving parts, just means more that can go wrong.

B

 

[SherLar]

I changed all my tanks over to titanium heating rods with external digital thermostats because standard tank heaters just never seem reliable or consistent. They cost quite a bit more, but in the long run, I think the expense was worth it. I've never tried a pre-set heater, so can't comment on them. One thing I have noticed with heaters that have only a +/- dial instead of a thermostat is that the water temp fluctuates in accordance with the room temp where your tanks are kept.