Heater Controllers

[LizStreithorst]

All I want to do is set the heaters in all my tanks to 82 degrees and have them maintain 82 degrees.  I heat the room with a dehumidifier in the winter and vent it during the warmer months with fans.  I have a small window AC that I use in the heat of the summer.

Heaters are stupid.  Even though I use several in each tank and follow the 5 watts per gallon recommendation we Discus people use, I see fluctuations in the temp when the seasons change.  I have never liked that.  I'm considering buying heater controllers.  Some folks were high on them a few years back on Simply Discus.  These days everyone says they suck.

I'm open to suggestions.  It shouldn't be that hard to maintain a constant tank temp if I have the room temp fairly well under control.

[BillT]

There are several different options available Liz.

1) The normal heater: heater and theromostatic controller in one tube.

2) A single unit with a heater in a tube and a temperature sensor separate, usually with a control for setting the set point else where.

3) A heater and a separately purchased control unit which may be more or less expensive.

Assuming your set-point is stable and accurate, there are several factors that can lead to variability over time:
? The amount of heat you heater can put out versus the amount of heat your tank can loss:


rate of water flow with in the tank so that the added heat is rapidly distributed throughout the tank and the temperature in the tank is evenly maintained

[LizStreithorst]

Perhaps I'm thick headed.  I wouldn't put it past me.

Right now I just use regular heaters with the thermostat in the tube.  Years ago I spent a bundle on titanium heaters with a temp probe and controller.  They didn't do as advertised.

I use 5 watts per gallon.  That should be plenty.   During the warmer months the heaters should cut off.  They don't!  I have to crank them down during the summer and crank them up during the winter.  THIS SHOULD NOT BE.

I want to buy a controller, but I won't do it until someone here recommends one that will do the job that it says it will do.

My fish room always feels warm to be, but perhaps I need to make sure that the room is always a constant temperature.  That would do the trick.  Someone need to tell me what I need to buy.

[BillT]

Opps. Sorry, my post did not work right, nevertheless, I'll give you a shorter version of the rest of it (I realize I tend to be wordy):

I use the same air temperature controls that you are using.

A common flaw with heaters is they can stick in the on position. This happens more if the heater is turning on and off more frequently. A separate controller is usually better at dealing with this.

A separate sensor will generally do a better job of detecting the tank temperature accurately, however I usually use the #1 type, set the temperature value and then recheck it after a while with an independent thermometer (see below). I never trust the settings on these things and would check the temperatures in tanks with separate controllers also.

This a heater with a separate sensor and controller which we decided on for a rack system made by a company I work for. It is not cheap though.
True Temp Titanium Heating System Kit:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=23654
digital control to 0.5F
Keeps setting after power loss (many do not do this)
300 W
Ti heater
separate sensor
$130 (expensive)
also, can calibrate it

I have had a couple of these working for a few years without any major problems.

Seasonal Temperature Variation
Several factors that can lead to temperature variability over time:
? The amount of heat you heater can put out versus the amount of heat your tank can loss. If you heater can't keep up with the heat loss the temperature will drop.
     The amount of heat a tank can lose depends upon:
          ? the temperature difference between the inside and out side of the tank (probably the major cause of seasonal variation).
          ? the amount of water flowing in and out of a tank and their relative temperatures
          ? the insulation of valve of the bottom, sides, and top of the tank
          ? a tank with a cover will have a small atmosphere between the water surface and the lid which will have an increased level of humidity and will therefore reduce evaporation of more water. Water evaporation will remove a lot of heat from the tank. Aeration will also turn over this atmosphere and reduce that humidity as well as forcing out heated air, another heat loss. Differences in evaporation could also be a seasonal problem.
? Water flow within the tank will distribute heat throughout the tank and maintain a more even temperature. 
? If you have several tanks on a water system you could set the temperature (with a heater and sensor) in one place and have the heat flow through out the water system. There will be heat loses between the location of the central heater and the tanks and it will probably be different depending on the distances between them and other details. Labs often have heated rooms for keeping many tanks in with the air temperature heating the tanks (usually the water temperature is a couple of degrees lower due to evaporation). Of course the air has to be circulated also.

On the other hand, temperature variation is a normal thing in the wild environment in which the fish evolved. In some fish it promotes spawning.

Thermometers: I have a lot of thermometers. Most of those sold in fish stores are not very good. Put any two in the same tank and see how close their readings are. It is my feeling that most single piece tank heaters are even more inaccurate in their settings. Lab thermometers are too expensive to have in each tank. I now have an infra red (IR) thermometer. in general this kind of thermometer has several advantages:
A single thermometer can be used to measure all you temperatures. No variation between different tanks due to different readings from different thermometers.
The digital readout is easier to read than a standard thermometer.
They are non-contact, so you can take a temperature of a tank of sick fish and then of another fish without worrying about disease transfer.
You can also read the temperature of a bag of fish before you open it so you can figure which tank you want to put the fish into.
They read a temperature in a few seconds.

This looks like the one I got (about $60):
http://www.professionalequipment.com/metris-tn400l-professional-grade-infrared-thermometer-tn400l/infrared-thermometer/
This one reads 1/10 of degrees (C or F) and is accurate to 2%, has a laser for targeting, reads a wide temperature range, and reads a spot diameter 1/12th of the distance from the sensor. There are lots of similar products available, but these are the main features to for making comparisons.
I got this instead of getting a bunch of thermometers for many tanks and am quite happy with it. Can also use it to detect temperature leaks in your room. They will be cold spots.

It is also nice to play with with kids. It can detect the difference in a switch in the wall if a light is turned on and you can try to take your dogs temperature but aiming down its throat or at its butt...

Still wordy I guess.

[GeorgeG]

Liz this is the unit I switched all my large tanks to a few years ago. I had an electrician friend wire up the first one for me and I did the rest by using that first one as my template. These have never failed my and keep my tanks at an even temp. My 300 gallon cube stays at 85 that I have been growing out my Blue Diamonds in.

What I use: Ranco ETC-111000-000 Electronic Temperature Controller and comes with the sensor. Shop around I have seen them as low as $35.00 for a used one but $60.00 is average. All you have to buy is the wiring and the plug for the outlet and plug for the heater. My heaters on these are Aqua Medics Titanium that just have a plug on them and need the controller. Mine are 500 watts. Do not buy the AquaMedic Controller they are junk that is why I switched.

You can buy this same unit completely wired for $75.00 which I think is the best deal out there. No one has been able to beat this price.
http://www.etcsupply.com/ranco-etc111000000-prewired-digital-temperature-controller-p-87.html?gclid=CJSCqL2O8LYCFeU5QgodOAsA6Q

The one on my 300 gallon cube:


One of the Blue Diamonds:


Hope this helps everyone out.

[Mugwump]

Thanks, George.....looks like a nce rig.......and, those are some nice looking Discus too.....

[LizStreithorst]

Thanks, George.  And yes, very nice BD.

[GeorgeG]

Thank you. Follow the link to the pre-wired one so you can get all the data of this controller. Money well worth spending.

http://www.etcsupply.com/ranco-etc111000000-prewired-digital-temperature-controller-p-87.html?gclid=CJSCqL2O8LYCFeU5QgodOAsA6Q

[GeorgeG]

If you have any bad controllers from your Titanium heaters you can cut the cord and connect them to the new controller. A few years ago people were throwing out their heaters because the controller failed and I purchased as many of those units for $5.00 each. Some had blown fuses inside and I replaced them but you had to know what you were looking for or you would not know they were in there because it was just a small wire.