# Do you find you have to adjust your heaters?



## RackinRocky

I have two Aqueon, 200 wt. heaters in my 55 gallon tank. They are very reliable, and I love them, EXCEPT when the weather changes. If it's pretty warm, I have to adjust the dials to around 72 on both heaters to keep the tank around 78-80. In winter, I keep the house around 62 degrees at night, as propane is very expensive. In this case, I have to adjust both heaters to around 78 to keep it in that range. I always thought I should just set it to the temp I want, and it would stay that way.

Sometimes if it's pretty warm (we don't turn the A/C on until it reaches 90), I'll notice the heaters will sometimes go on when the tank is* already* at 80. It doesn't stay on long, but still... this seems strange. Anyone else have this problem?


----------



## DKRST

I use the Aqueon pros and have not had any problems with them. Seem to hold the set points just fine all year round, but my room temp doesn't vary seasonally as much as yours does so I use two 100W heaters on my 55 from Oct-April. One option is to purchase a temp controller ($$ though) - may give you finer control of the tank temp.


----------



## thekoimaiden

I don't have to mess with my heaters as much as you do. In fact I don't use them in the summer. My tanks stay a constant 78F. If they are already warm enough, why use a heater? The art is figuring out when to turn them back on in the fall. 

I think you have to mess with them so much because your ambient air temp changes so much.


----------



## RackinRocky

Yep, I think you're right--my ambient temperature changes too much from month to month. And I don't have the Aqueon Pros, just the regular ones. The Pros are so expensive! And DKRST, I LOVE the beautiful marble (?) betta of yours!


----------



## RackinRocky

Sorry, I meant TheKoiMaiden for the betta, lol.


----------



## thekoimaiden

Thanks! He was a beautiful marble. Unfortunately he passed away a month ago, but he was just too pretty to take down. Probably the gentlest betta I ever had. 

Heaters are only supposed to maintain temps within like 10-15 degrees F of room temp. It sounds like the best idea here might be to control the room temp more if that is possible.


----------



## willow

hi everyone..
just my input here...going to say about the position of the heaters also,
there was another thread talking about heaters,and how by having
them vertical they came on more as the heat rising effected the thermostat 
in the heater head,so i've moved my heater horizontal and the temp
seems to be a little more constant, and not popping on and off as much.


----------



## RackinRocky

I don't blame you for not taking that avatar off! That marble is out of this world! It's so sad when we lose those that we're really attached to. Yes, my room temp does vary a lot more than 10-15 degrees difference through out the year. More like 25-30 degrees! So I guess I'll just have to keep an eye on it, like I have been.

Willow, I'd never heard that before, about keeping the heaters horizontal! Thanks for the input. It would be difficult for me to do though because of how my tank is set up. Again, thanks guys!


----------



## willow

i have the same problem in regards to the length of cable,
i have no drip loop...not good ! but i plan to sort it out tomorrow.
i also had not heard about the heater thing,but it's on this forum somewhere.


----------



## pop

hello:
I do not think the actual positioning of the heater has much of a effect. the way heaters in our tanks work by creating convection currents that move the thermal energy threw- out the water. placing the heat element in front of the filter uptake or filter output will disrupt the natural thermal process and function of convection currents.

there is a point about ambient air temp but if you have plants and light for the plants then the actual impact of ambient air becomes a moot point. think about water vapor created from 12 or more hours from high output lighting it creates a positive feedback loop raising the temp several degrees warming the tank. It works just like global warming trapping and raising the temp.

as for seasonal changes all i can say is i do not change the temp setting on the tank’s heater. the water temp remains consistent with only a few degree change.


----------



## jaysee

RackinRocky said:


> I have two Aqueon, 200 wt. heaters in my 55 gallon tank. They are very reliable, and I love them, EXCEPT when the weather changes. If it's pretty warm, I have to adjust the dials to around 72 on both heaters to keep the tank around 78-80. In winter, I keep the house around 62 degrees at night, as propane is very expensive. In this case, I have to adjust both heaters to around 78 to keep it in that range. I always thought I should just set it to the temp I want, and it would stay that way.


Heaters do not cool the tank. If the air temp stays over 72, then setting the heater to 72 is the same thing as unplugging it - which a lot of people do in the summer. In the winter, you have to set the heater to 78 in order to keep the water at around 78? Sounds about right.... ;-)


----------



## RackinRocky

The reason I don't unplug my heaters in summer is because sometimes it DOES get cooler than 72 at night. So I keep the heaters plugged in for that reason.


----------

