What size and brand of heater will I need?

[kfennell]

I am planning on setting up a 3 tank system with a display fuge, FOWLR, and Reef tank, the total volume will be ~490 gallons and will be split up 65 fuge, 75 sump, 125 fowlr and 225 Reef. The tanks are all glass except for the reef.

If I plan on keeping my house at around 64 at the coldest what heater do people recommend using? A Calculator online said that I would need 600 total watts but that was not 100% accurate because I just put in random sizes to make a single 500 gallon tank, mine will have more surface area, and some longer runs of tubing between sections that Im sure will cause losses in heat. On the other hand I am sure that there will be alot of heat added to the system. At a minimum there will be 3 external pumps, 3 internal and about 6-10 powerheads plus say 1000w of lights total, so all this will add some heat.

What heater should I get (I am thinking 2x 300W) and what brand? (ebo-jagr?)

Thanks
Kevin

[areze]

I have 550w in a similair volume. during the day of course, no problem. but I lose 1-3degrees over night depending on ambient temp/humidity.

I need another 300 or 400w heater I think.

[pjf]

There is a helpful user survey of 14 heaters at: http://www.cichlid-forum.com/reviews/category_display.php?CatID=701

I personally like the Jager because it can be calibrated. Here are the calibration instructions: http://www.boroniaaquarium.com.au/newsletter/cms_files/Jager%20heater.pdf?NewsletterSession=7c5a8ab1545a1745e6514e6d836edb6f

[kfennell]

So according to that the stealth is best. That is what I have in the 65 right now because I was able to get them used from a local guy. I think that I have 1x 250 and 1x 150 in there. I guess I could keep these two and add another stealth 250 and be pretty much OK?

[the2ofus]

On the safe side...use more lower wattage heaters so if one fails (on as they allways seem to do) it wont fry your tank and if one does quit, the others will keep up, just work a little harder.

[pjf]

I personally think that you will be happier with a heater that has an LED indicator. The indicator tells you whether the heater is ON or OFF.

[kfennell]

Yeah I will, and I also plan on having them on a controller so that this can't really happen, one can still fail I guess.

Also I know about them not having an LED, that is kind of a pain, Looks like Ebo-Jagr is the best submersible that has an LED, then there is the hydor flow through heaters. I wonder if they are expensive.
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14087368#post14087368 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by the2ofus
On the safe side...use more lower wattage heaters so if one fails (on as they allways seem to do) it wont fry your tank and if one does quit, the others will keep up, just work a little harder.

[moondoggy4]

Maybe get a Ranco controller