How many heaters??

[Charley75]

Setting up new 150 with 40 gallon sump.
Currently run just 1 300 watt heater on an inkbird controller for my 90. I’m in TX so it’s only truly cold for like MAYBE 2-3 wks out of the year. The inkbird does have an additional outlet. I’m I good with the single heater, or should I add another 300 watt.
TY

 

[kvansloo]

I used to run one myself. Then I bought the ink bird with 2 heater plugs and temp sensors. now I run one in the main tank and one in the sump. It comes down to preference. I also don't run glass heaters but the titanium instead. I have had the glass ones break too many times.

 

[SaltyWalty]

I have a similar sized system and I run two 300 watt heaters for safety reasons. That way one is not doing all the work, in my mind that means it will be under less stress and less likely to fail. however always keep back ups and possibly a second temp controller or warning system. Heater failures are one of the most common causes of tank crashes.

 

[BubblesandSqueak]

2 incase one fails and also lessens the work. I have two 350's on a 150 Total volume. don't really need the heaters in the summer though. stays at 76 degrees.

 

[dschuffert]

I have two: a 500W in the sump and an 800W in the tank.

 

[Cell]

If you need 300W, then use 2x 150W heaters so both would need to fail at the same time to cook your tank.

 

[PopBot16]

The best setup is going to be 2 half-powered heaters, each with their own controllers.

 

[Extremeengineer]

My case is a little different, I use 2, but as I am in MI, and in the winter ambient in house is 58 degrees normally, I have 2 large heaters on a Helio so that if I only have one, I can maintain 78 with a 20 degree delta. If I lived where you do with such a small delta between ambient and tank, I would probably have one heater, as it sounds like in an outage your tank will not move far off your set temp, and you'd have plenty of time to get a replacement.

 

[n2585722]

Setting up new 150 with 40 gallon sump.
Currently run just 1 300 watt heater on an inkbird controller for my 90. I’m in TX so it’s only truly cold for like MAYBE 2-3 wks out of the year. The inkbird does have an additional outlet. I’m I good with the single heater, or should I add another 300 watt.
TY

I am in Texas also and use 2 50 watt heaters on my 42 gallon tank with a 10 gallon sump. I have been doing it for 8 years and only replaced one of them about three years back. I run each on a different outlet on my controller. I also have the thermostats in the heater set 3 degrees above the controller settings as a backup off. The controller has power monitoring and it is set to send an alert if the power drops below 45 watts or above 55 watts on each outlet when the outlet is on. So if the heater cuts off for any reason I will get the wattage out of range alert. But you are right my heaters will start coming on late October and and stop in early april. Sometimes they are off for days even in the winter months. It does not normally take much to keep the temp at the setting as far as heaters since there is central air and heat in the house. My cooling fans run more than the heaters do.

 

[Dragen Fiend]

I run two. 1 for main and second for backup to kick on if the first fails.

 

[Charley75]

Thanks for all of the responses

 

[bobnicaragua]

I’m also in Texas, DFW. I run 2 100 watt heaters on my 135 gal.

 

[BryanM]

+1 for running two heaters. It’s a good backup strategy.

 

[allenk4]

Does it make sense to set the temperature on the back-up a few degrees lower, so that it does not come on until the primary fails in the Off position?

Seems like if the temp setting on both heaters is set the same, they would both run more often.

Probably over thinking this…as we do.

 

[landlubber]

2 smaller is better than 1 big one and stagger the engagement temp

 

[BryanM]

Does it make sense to set the temperature on the back-up a few degrees lower, so that it does not come on until the primary fails in the Off position?

Seems like if the temp setting on both heaters is set the same, they would both run more often.

Probably over thinking this…as we do.

Mine are set the same and staggered for 12AM-11:59AM,, and 12PM-11:59PM, so they both get used equally. Therefore they are also sized to heat the entire tank.

 

[landlubber]

Mine are set the same and staggered for 12AM-11:59AM,, and 12PM-11:59PM, so they both get used equally. Therefore they are also sized to heat the entire tank.

that's an interesting idea.

 

[anthonymckay]

I'm a firm believer in redundancy, as the likelihood of booth failing at the same time is pretty small. 2 heaters is a requirement for any tank I've setup.