sump question. regarding heating.

[bigcucumber]

DO i have to set the heater up to a higher degree to get proper heat in tank?

i've had this same tank planted not drilled and with 1x 250w ebo.. and it sat at 78 degrees..

now i have the sump and all the running and i have 2 x 250w EBO's running.. for last 8 hours and the tank is at 68 degrees. lol..

is it just taking longer due to amount of water be rotated?

just wondering.. also trying to learn as i go..

my tank is 75gal with 38g sump and a mag 9.5 return.. (dual returns)

Thanks..

i filled my tank with my RO/DI which is dam cold when it comes out lol.. froze my blood arm while playing with stuff in tank lol..

[prodman]

you most likley need a bigger heater. The extra water volume from tour 30 gallon sump. I have a 65 with a 30 gallon sump and use 2- 350w heaters.

[JF]

I have some fairly expensive heaters (and no, price doesn't necessarily equate to quality, but I say expensive to suggest that there was -some-research and thought put in to their purchase).

I have a 125g with a 50g Rubbermaid sump, and I put two heaters in the sump. I don't think I even paid too much attention to the actual dial settings on the heater. I think you just have to play around with them. Check your temp, and if it's too low and the heaters are off, crank 'em up a notch. I kept doing this until the tank read 78. Might take several days, though, with cold water and a big tank.

HTH

[shealygg]

hey bigcuke...I think your heaters are fine. I have a 125g w/ sump and I have 2x250w heaters in my sump and they keep my temps fine. Where are your heaters...in the tank or in the sump? Both of mine are in the sump so they're heating a smaller volume of water. I would think that if 2x250w could handle 125+sump fine that they should be able to handle 75+38sump fine. Any livestock in there yet? If not, maybe bump the temp up until things catch up, then back them off to a maintenance level. HTH

[prodman]

I did not notice that you have two heaters. That should be fine. I set my heaters based on the tank temp not the temp on the heater dail.

[chriscobb]

Hey JF what type of heaters are u running?

[JF]

chriscobb - I'm guessing they're EBO's. I'm embarrassed to admit I don't know without looking at them! Like I said earlier, I set them, they work, and that's about the last interaction I had with them.

I think it's important to note the theme of this thread - set the heaters based on the water/tank temp, not what the heaters say.

JF

[bigcucumber]

Ok.. Plus my water source is a ro/di unit that is tapped right near my main water pipe.. and the dam tepuratures are probably in the 50degree mark.. lol..

so it might take a few days to heat up.. but i will turn on my VHO's to heat main tank too lol..

Thanks..

[shealygg]

I agree....keep bumping the dial up on the heaters until you hit the right temp in the tank, make a note of that, and then monitor.

[JF]

bigc - I'm getting ready to add a RO/DI unit, and one thing I had read was to run your input line through a 5 gallon bucket of water that has a heater submerged in there with it, this will help two ways.

One, it will ease the problem of cold, cold water entering your system, and two, your RO system will work much more efficiently.

It's to explain, but I gathered you simply fill a 5g bucket with water, put a heater in it, then coil your RO line into this before it hits your RO unit.

Do a search, I'm sure you can find more details if interested.

JF

[bigcucumber]

Thanks JF

[chriscobb]

JF I understood the topic of the thread just curious as to what type of heaters you were running due to the fact you state "expensive"

[sjm817]

I run a 90G with a 30G sump with (2) 150W Jager heaters and a Mag 9.5. They are set for 78 and the temp in the display is 78. You are fine. It will just take a bit to warm up that much cold water.

[JF]

chriscobb - sorry - that second part of my note wasn't directed at you, but rather for people tagging along or finding this thread in the future.

And no, I don't consider $20 per heater 'expensive' as compared to, say, my car, but compared to the numerous $4 heaters you can find at the pet store I'd say they qualify as 'fairly expensive'.