I thought my 150watt Ebo Jager heater(in the 55) bit it.... My hang-on-the-side little themometer keeps showing 70degrees, too cool for the tropicals, right?

So I dug out the 100 watt (Ebo Jager also) I have for the 29 gallon and cranked it.  I noticed that the 150 watt was actually warm to the touch, but yanno, obviously must not be working...  So tonight, as I start to post a heater question I realize I have one of those thermometer strips on the side of the tank & I should check that too. THAT one is reading 78 degrees, while the hang-on one still says 70, and the heater was set much higher due to my thinking it was still only at 70 degrees in there. EEK!

I'm very glad I caught that before I cooked the little buggers.  God what an idiot.  I mean, I know from my igs that you can't just rely on the one thermometer and you have to double check things.  Not sure why it didn't occur to me until the next day to do the same with the tank.  DUH.

Ok, so my question.  How many watts per gallon is considered standard in a heater?  I used to know this, but for the life of me(or more accurately the life of my fish) cannot remembr.

I want to bring home some black lace veil angels and maybe some killies, and need to get things right before I bring 'em home.  (like which fish like what temps and what water parameters etc.)

I also need to get new water test kits, mine are all over 4 years old and I know they go bad. I had very good luck with the black lace veils before, but that's all it was, luck.  This time around I want to have more of a clue.

Mary

I found this link may be helpful            www.bestfish.com/tips/091098.html

I was going to type up a chart, but RJ's link sums things up well

Normally 5w per gallon. I run a 200w on my 40g just because my fish room is the coldest room in the apartment. Temp swings, I don't like.

If you can afford it and your tank is a 55 or larger, buy two smaller heaters.  Say you need a 300 watt heater, buy two 150's.  That way if one sticks on, and they occasionally do, it shouldn't cook your fish before you catch it.  Heaters are so expensive, I don't know how many people actually do it.  My biggest tank with a heater is 29 gallons, and I only have one. 

I'm not good at actually checking the thermometers, I usually find heater problems when I stick my hand in the tank.  Luckily for the fish, that's pretty often. 

A lot of the heating calculations were based in the days of cheap energy, when everyone heated their home to 70 or more during the winter. Now it's common to set the house as low as 60, or have a timed thermostat to set the temp back when you're away. We're still using the same watts per gallon calculations from the 60's!

Those liquid crystal thermometers don't seem to be a good guide to temperature!

RJS8540 said :

I found this link may be helpful            www.bestfish.com/tips/091098.html

Thank you RJ for th link, and thank you to all of you who responded.  I think the 150 watt IS working, so WHEW(I don't have to buy one for the 29, this is a relief!).

In searching for it though I realized that although I still have the package for the 25 watt heater I bought for my 5 gallon, I can't actually find the heater itself. ::: shaking head::::

Mary

pundam said :

In searching for it though I realized that although I still have the package for the 25 watt heater I bought for my 5 gallon, I can't actually find the heater itself. ::: shaking head::::

Mary

Sounds like something I'd do! 

schambers said :

Sounds like something I'd do! 

See?  I'm sure we must have been best friends in another life. Or maybe twins or something.

Mary

Maybe!