# Good 100W heater for 20L



## adamxatomic (Oct 6, 2011)

I'm going to be setting up a 20L divided Betta tank and need a good 100W heater that can maintain temps between 76°-80°.
The only requirements that I have is that it cost between $15-$22, be kind of stealthy, and be no more than 10ish inches long.

I was looking at the Marineland Visitherm.


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## Guest (Oct 30, 2011)

stay away from marineland heaters.
dr. frost n smith hydo heater is on sale for 10 buck.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

the absolute minimum wattage heater i would use for a 20 gallon tank is a 150 watt...but i prefer a 200 watt....the les your heater has to work , the longer it will last and the less likely it is to malfunction..
take 2 identical full sized cargo vans..everything is the same except for the engines..in one there is a 400 cu. in. V8 with 325 hp.....in the other is a 2.0 L 100 hp 4 cylinder engine....
set them out to carry the exact same loads and travel the exact same miles every day.....
which one will break down more often ??? which one will die sooner ??

oh yeah..................and why ????


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## Guest (Oct 31, 2011)

All my heater r 100watt, 2 of them 50, 2 of them r 300.
For every 10 gallon I add another 100watt heater, so 2 100watt in my 20.


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## adamxatomic (Oct 6, 2011)

lohachata said:


> the absolute minimum wattage heater i would use for a 20 gallon tank is a 150 watt...but i prefer a 200 watt....the les your heater has to work , the longer it will last and the less likely it is to malfunction..
> take 2 identical full sized cargo vans..everything is the same except for the engines..in one there is a 400 cu. in. V8 with 325 hp.....in the other is a 2.0 L 100 hp 4 cylinder engine....
> set them out to carry the exact same loads and travel the exact same miles every day.....
> which one will break down more often ??? which one will die sooner ??
> ...


That does make a lot of sense. Thanks for the advice!


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

ForMany said:


> All my heater r 100watt, 2 of them 50, 2 of them r 300.
> For every 10 gallon I add another 100watt heater, so 2 100watt in my 20.


Adding more than one heater to a tank increases the chance that one will fail.


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## Guest (Oct 31, 2011)

I like the idea of having 2 heater in 20+ gallon, just in case I'm away from home this way I know if one fail I got the other one heating my tank.

Better then sorry.

2 100w heater work the same as 1 200w.


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## nagonokami (Oct 13, 2011)

lohachata said:


> the absolute minimum wattage heater i would use for a 20 gallon tank is a 150 watt...but i prefer a 200 watt....the les your heater has to work , the longer it will last and the less likely it is to malfunction..
> take 2 identical full sized cargo vans..everything is the same except for the engines..in one there is a 400 cu. in. V8 with 325 hp.....in the other is a 2.0 L 100 hp 4 cylinder engine....
> set them out to carry the exact same loads and travel the exact same miles every day.....
> which one will break down more often ??? which one will die sooner ??
> ...




While that does make sense to a point, he's looking for a heater for a 20 Liter tank. I use a 50watt heater in my 5 gallon tank. I do agree that hydor is a pretty good heater.


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## blindkiller85 (Jan 8, 2011)

ForMany said:


> I like the idea of having 2 heater in 20+ gallon, just in case I'm away from home this way I know if one fail I got the other one heating my tank.
> 
> Better then sorry.
> 
> 2 100w heater work the same as 1 200w.


I want to beat my head against the wall, because of your absolutely horrible grammar. It drives me nuts.

EDIT- Well, it's just one of those things we have to put up with in our modern world. Too many people are posting from their phones these days, and of course we have folks from around the planet who don't use English as their primary language. Toss is good old laziness and stupidity, and we're gonna have problems. It's just the way of things.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

ForMany said:


> I like the idea of having 2 heater in 20+ gallon, just in case I'm away from home this way I know if one fail I got the other one heating my tank.
> 
> Better then sorry.
> 
> 2 100w heater work the same as 1 200w.


Unless one starts heating uncontrollably. It is more likely that a failed heater that is stuck heating the water will kill your fish, than a failed heater that does not heat at all. If a heater just shuts off the coldest it will go is slightly below room temperature. A heater that gets stuck on can heat the water to 100F which will kill your fish for sure.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

nago......read.....20 gallon tank....not 20 Litre...lol

if your heater fails and shuts down ; the water just cools...ok ; if you have a second heater in the tank it "should" take over and maintain temp...but cooling down isn't normally so critical...
but....if your heater fails and sticks in the on position your backup is worthless...

2 heaters is fine for those that only have 1 or 2 tanks or are making $30-$40 an hour and have no bills......but a waste of a huge amount of money for those that have 50 or 100 tanks....


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## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

Woah I wish I made 30-40 a hour and didnt have any bills..Of course if I did then my house would be...probably like yours lohachata (full of tanks)


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## Guest (Oct 31, 2011)

...................................


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## nagonokami (Oct 13, 2011)

lohachata said:


> nago......read.....20 gallon tank....not 20 Litre...lol
> 
> if your heater fails and shuts down ; the water just cools...ok ; if you have a second heater in the tank it "should" take over and maintain temp...but cooling down isn't normally so critical...
> but....if your heater fails and sticks in the on position your backup is worthless...
> ...


Well, I dont see 20 gallon anywhere in the original post, but I suppose I should have read it as 20 "L"ong.... but in my defense L is in fact the abbreviation for liter. 

Ok, I use a 50 watt heater in my 5 gallon and a 200 watt heater in my 20 gallon tanks. Choose whichever is relevant. Both are Hydor and have never given me problems.


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## Guest (Oct 31, 2011)

Hehe, since ppl have problem with the way I type ill type more unknown. Kakakaka
Me no no bout u guys but I run heater in tanks that need to be in the 80+ only.
Other tanks is run by house heater which is 75-78f.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

well nago ; you would be quite right about L = litre...but when it comes to liquid measure of aquarium capacities in the United States it is Gallons...and 20L means that the tank is a 20 Gallon Long...there is also a 20H which is 20 High..
20 L = 12"Deep X 12"High X 30"Long
20 H = 12"Deep X 16"High X 24" Long

i own only a couple of 50 watt heaters because i got them with a box of other stuff i bought at an auction..i will most likely need to buy about 20 more heaters fairly soon...i plan on setting up about 15 or 20 more 10 gallon tanks along with 20 or so 15 gallon tanks...and hopefully i'll have room for a few 40 longs and 55s....
i'll be moving sometime in the next 4 weeks...at which time i will do inventory of all of my working heater so i will know what i need.....i am on social security so almost all of my income goes to rent and bills....very little to spare......hmmmm...anybody want to contribute to the cause...


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