# Tank Temp Keeps Dropping



## NooB1 (Feb 11, 2010)

My tank tempeture keeps dropping, the heater has always worked fine. One change i made was i moved my heater closer to the bubbler. Could the rising bubbles be extracting the heat produce by the heater as they rise?


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## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

Are you positive the heater still is working? If it came in a kit especially, it could have pooped out. That happened to us with our 10 gallon tank kit


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## NooB1 (Feb 11, 2010)

hXcChic22 said:


> Are you positive the heater still is working? If it came in a kit especially, it could have pooped out. That happened to us with our 10 gallon tank kit


Well the light is on that is the only way i can say its working. should i touch the actual heater? Also not sure if it came in a kit but it came with my tank, that i got from a buddy.


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## NooB1 (Feb 11, 2010)

Oh i should also add that i added another canister filter and have both spouts pointing in the same direction. Would that be a cause?

I noticed it started dropping when i moved it to place the other filter spout, and i moved it closer to the bubbler


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## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

Some info on heaters says they should be placed close to the filter so the heat is dispersed throughout the tank and other info says they should be placed at the opposite end of the tank from each other. I have tried both methods in my tanks and I don't see any appreciable difference. If the heater is working well the tank stays warm.
Is you tank near an open doorway where a cool draft comes in? this could make a diffence on how the thermometer reads especially if it is one that sits on the outside of the tank. I have a wall thermometer in my fish room that is near the doorway. There is a 10 degree diference in the fishroom and the hall. When I open the door and the colder air hits the thermometer it drops.
if you are using an in tank thermometer and the temperature won't stay constant get a new one.-heater that is 
better it won't hold the heat than it fuses and boils the fish.


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## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

Yes, touch the heater to see if it feels warm. If it doesn't, take it out, plug it in somehere else, then touch it after a little bit. If it's still not feeling warm, you've got either a completely broken heater or a crappy heater that goes in and out. 
I would recommend a Top Fin heater (at Petsmart, they are cheapest) like these http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752191. We've got several and they have been reliable so far.


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## NooB1 (Feb 11, 2010)

mousey said:


> Some info on heaters says they should be placed close to the filter so the heat is dispersed throughout the tank and other info says they should be placed at the opposite end of the tank from each other. I have tried both methods in my tanks and I don't see any appreciable difference. If the heater is working well the tank stays warm.
> Is you tank near an open doorway where a cool draft comes in? this could make a diffence on how the thermometer reads especially if it is one that sits on the outside of the tank. I have a wall thermometer in my fish room that is near the doorway. There is a 10 degree diference in the fishroom and the hall. When I open the door and the colder air hits the thermometer it drops.
> if you are using an in tank thermometer and the temperature won't stay constant get a new one.-heater that is
> better it won't hold the heat than it fuses and boils the fish.


I dont think its by a draft, my door is on the opposite end of the room. I have a little black strip that has the temp on it. It is stickered to the outside of the tank. I'll keep an eye on it for a couple more hours and see if it starts to rise. If not I'll just go buuy another one.



hXcChic22 said:


> Yes, touch the heater to see if it feels warm. If it doesn't, take it out, plug it in somehere else, then touch it after a little bit. If it's still not feeling warm, you've got either a completely broken heater or a crappy heater that goes in and out.
> I would recommend a Top Fin heater (at Petsmart, they are cheapest) like these http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752191. We've got several and they have been reliable so far.


The name on the heater says "All Glass" but thats it. I'll look into the top fin brand.



Also since i didnt buy this heater brand new i have a 100 gallon tank 60x18x22 i Belive are the measurements how big of a heater should i get, I seen some really long ones and then some small ones, do they have a chart at the store?


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## NooB1 (Feb 11, 2010)

Oh yeah thanks for the info guys i appreciate it.


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## DavidAl (Nov 17, 2009)

Buy two 200w heaters and put one on each end, 250w would be better. Lay the heaters sideways; rising heat may shut off the heater prematurely.

How's the evaporation in this tank? Are you constantly topping off? If so, heat is escaping through evaporation. I doubt this is the problem, however.

David


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## Cacatuoides (Feb 2, 2009)

if you want the top of the line, most awesome filter, get the Marineland Stealth heater. I use to have the top fine one, and I still do have one, but invested in the stealths and they are nice. I would agree, and go ahead and get 250w heaters, one for each end.


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## Guest (Mar 5, 2010)

did u say you have 2 canister filters with the nozzles pointed in the same direction? maybe you're have 2 much circulation and loosing heat....that and a malfunctioning/under functioning heater.


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## Cacatuoides (Feb 2, 2009)

Yeah, two canisters can circulate a tank hard core. What size tank? What are the inhabitants? (You may need to diffuse the circulation)


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## NooB1 (Feb 11, 2010)

DavidAl said:


> Buy two 200w heaters and put one on each end, 250w would be better. Lay the heaters sideways; rising heat may shut off the heater prematurely.
> 
> How's the evaporation in this tank? Are you constantly topping off? If so, heat is escaping through evaporation. I doubt this is the problem, however.
> 
> David


No problems with evaporation, i havent noticed any at least. I do notice teh temp going back up though so it could have just been do to me moving it. But i will state that, the top of the heater was in the water and i freaked cause it isnt a submersiable (sp) one and the tank was like at 84. I'll llook into another heater, Thanks for the response I appreciate it.



Cacatuoides said:


> if you want the top of the line, most awesome filter, get the Marineland Stealth heater. I use to have the top fine one, and I still do have one, but invested in the stealths and they are nice. I would agree, and go ahead and get 250w heaters, one for each end.


I will look into that brand, thanks for the info.



Zakk said:


> did u say you have 2 canister filters with the nozzles pointed in the same direction? maybe you're have 2 much circulation and loosing heat....that and a malfunctioning/under functioning heater.


I was wondering if the circulation was too much, but reading on this board i thought it was ok. I thought we wanted the water to move? Is there a such thing as too much circulation? 



Cacatuoides said:


> Yeah, two canisters can circulate a tank hard core. What size tank? What are the inhabitants? (You may need to diffuse the circulation)



I have a 100 gallon tank. 60x18x22

3- chinese algae eaters 1-2 inches

5-Danios 2-2 1/2

1-Pleco 4-5 inches

1-Pictus Catfish 2-3 inches

2- Wolf Cichlids the biggest one is 1 inch

How would i diffuse the circulation?


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## NooB1 (Feb 11, 2010)

Also the canisters are fluval 405 and a cascade 1200, fluval rated for 100 gallons and i believe the cascade is rated for 150 gallons cause i was reading here we want more filtration. Thats correct right?


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## Cacatuoides (Feb 2, 2009)

Okay so, I'm not sure with most of those fish on if they like the circulation or not. I would research on whether they like it. I have heard of someone on here using a part of a water bottle to diffuse the water.


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## NooB1 (Feb 11, 2010)

Cacatuoides said:


> Okay so, I'm not sure with most of those fish on if they like the circulation or not. I would research on whether they like it. I have heard of someone on here using a part of a water bottle to diffuse the water.



Also the cascade came with a spray bar, i bet i could get my filtration but wouldnt have such a current. Although i will say the water doesnt look very choppy at all.


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## Guest (Mar 6, 2010)

the only fish that enjoy the circulation from your stock list are the danios. to diffuse it, i would suggest getting rid of your canisters and go for 2 HOBs on opp sides each rated for 500GPH.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Don't mess with swapping out your canisters, they are fine. Keep them on the spray bar options because those are a softer flow. Chances are you don't have too much circulation. Watch your fish... are they playing around the filter? Are they finding spots that are quiet and staying there (not like sleeping, just there a lot even when awake and active). If they hang in slower areas of the tank as opposed to using the whole tank when they are awake then you can look at messing with your flow. 

The biggest clue to if your fish are having a problem in their tank, is to just sit back and enjoy watching your tank 

Also I do not ever recommend taking an aquarium heater and plugging it anywhere but in water. One post had talked about taking it "somewhere else" to feel if it got hot. As long as that "somewhere else" is in a body of water then that's should be fine. But I would not ever turn it on outside of the water.


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## Cacatuoides (Feb 2, 2009)

I would agree, some good heaters won't even turn on outside of water.


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## NooB1 (Feb 11, 2010)

Zakk said:


> the only fish that enjoy the circulation from your stock list are the danios. to diffuse it, i would suggest getting rid of your canisters and go for 2 HOBs on opp sides each rated for 500GPH.


I appreciate your advice, but i really dont want to get rid of the canisters. Thank you for taking the time to reply though!



Obsidian said:


> Don't mess with swapping out your canisters, they are fine. Keep them on the spray bar options because those are a softer flow. Chances are you don't have too much circulation. Watch your fish... are they playing around the filter? Are they finding spots that are quiet and staying there (not like sleeping, just there a lot even when awake and active). If they hang in slower areas of the tank as opposed to using the whole tank when they are awake then you can look at messing with your flow.
> 
> The biggest clue to if your fish are having a problem in their tank, is to just sit back and enjoy watching your tank
> 
> Also I do not ever recommend taking an aquarium heater and plugging it anywhere but in water. One post had talked about taking it "somewhere else" to feel if it got hot. As long as that "somewhere else" is in a body of water then that's should be fine. But I would not ever turn it on outside of the water.


Oh what i ment by moving the heater was moving it somewhere else in the tank, as far as the fish go and the current they do not limit themselves anywhere in the tank even the algea eaters they all kind of go where they want right now. Even where the current is.

Thanks for the info i appreciate it!



Cacatuoides said:


> I would agree, some good heaters won't even turn on outside of water.


Thats good to know.



As far as the temp, after i have moved it from the bubbler and the tanks temp has already risen (sp)

Thank you all for your advice and opinions, it is much appreciated!


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