Heating Dilemma

[musicman]

I've got a problem with my 10 gallon tank, and I don't know what to do. It currently houses two Gouramis and a Betta.

Last night, I noticed that the thermometer in my tank was reading in the mid 90's. This was alarming, as my heater was set at 79F. I took the thermometer out, and it promptly fell to the 68ish degrees that my dorm room was at. I have a spare thermometer to measure room temperature. ... My girlfriend suggested that the lights could be heating up the Tank... this morning after the lights had been off for several hours, the tank was still reading in the 90s.

I believe my heater is on the fritz... but I don't have much money to just go get a replacement. I was using a 50w "Stealth" Heater ... and my only spare is 150w. That's far too powerful for a little 10 gal. ... I could turn the heater off but then the tank is at the mercy of the room thermostat, which either blows really cold or far too hot air.

What would you do?

 

[Scouser]

Well I would promptly search for a new heater but first I would find a way to regulate the temp.

Maybe only having the heater on in short intervals? To heat the water as it cools?

And maybe using a blanket to wrap the tank to prevent heat loss?

Good luck!

 

[BigJim]

You can use the 150W heater in your tank temporarily. As long as the thermostat is working, you shouldn't have a problem. The reason we don't use huge heaters in small tanks is when they run away, like yours did, a big heater will cook the tank faster.

 

[Dale_I]

As long as the heater is working properly, you shouldn't have an issue using the 150W. It should cycle on and off at the temp you have set. It does have the ability to heat the water quicker, so once it comes on, it will be on for a shorter time period. But, this will be your best bet until you can grab a new heater.

 

[musicman]

Thanks. I've got the temporary heater in place. The fish have returned to taking air from the surface at a normal rate.

This is the second heater I've lost. What causes heaters to loose their ability to regulate themselves? Can they be fixed?

 

[Dale_I]

They usually aren't worth fixing since new ones are so inexpensive. I'm sure you could if you wanted to. But, taking it apart, diagnosing the problem, buying whatever piece broke and soldering onto a board, then sealing it back up water tight... for the $20 or so that a new one will cost, I would just get a new one.

Why they break? Probably just cheaply built. I find it better to spend a bit more on a quality heater and have it last forever than to try to save a few bucks and end up replacing it. A couple of the Jager heaters I'm using are pretty old.

The oldest ones I picked up at a yard sale, 2 for $5. I wouldn't have purchased any other heater that old, but I knew they were probably still good to go. And, they were.

 

[BillD]

What happens when you turn the heater down? Does it still keep the temp in the 90s or does it drop? I really don't trust the gauges on a heater and rely on a thermometer to set the temp.

 

[mfdrookie516]

I'm pretty sure all the stealth heaters were recalled. But... I would agree with Bill that you can't rely on the heater setting... you have to find what works for you. Some of mine are spot on, some are off as much as 6 degrees. If you can turn it down and get it where you want... and it stays there... there's no problem.

 

[Dale_I]

Any of the better heaters are indexed, meaning that you can change/adjust the scale. Ex: if your thermometer reads 79 and your heater is set to 81, you can keep the pointer of the heater where it is and change the scale down 2 degrees to match the thermometer. Never trust the heaters scale. They can be close, but rarely are they correct.