Help! Fish Temp Still Rising!

[moy]

Hey everyone! Need you help once again. Correct me if im wrong. Heaters; aren't they suppose to keep the water temp at a certain level. I believe i have the Regena Cal Excel which is suppose to be one the newest heaters with better technology, etc..
Anyways its has a dial which has the temperature you can set it too. Well when i set the temperature at either 74, 75, 76 or 77 it never really stays at that settings. Usually it rises the temp around the high 70's (78-80 C). When i disconnect the heater the water temperature drops back to room temp.
Once again, arent heaters suppose to keep the water at the temp you set??
DO i have a faulty heater??
Please help!!

 

[saltwater marauder]

Heaters;
When i disconnect the heater the water temperature drops back to room temp.
Yes, heaters that have pre-set temps should automatically turn off when the temp reaches the designated temp. or turn on when it drops below. My question is, you say that when you disconnect the heater it drops back to room temp. Why are you diconnecting the heater? If you remove power from the heater it will not run and, ofcourse, the water will cool to room temp becasue the heater is turned off.

 

[bobber]

I have a heater on my tank that almost never goes on. The temp stays stable(79 degrees) and come summer, it will probably never come on. I am not familar with the type of heater you speak of, but I would say it might be faulty. But, I would also say to leave it on. Everytime you pull the plug because you think it's getting too hot(and 80 degrees is not), then the temp drops, then you plug it back in, the heater never really has time to adjust. Plug it in and leave it for a few days, then see how the temp is(stable or unstable). Keep a close eye on the temp for those three days, then make a decision. Also, it's not a bad idea to keep a spare heater for that just in case situation. HTH--Bob

 

[saltwater marauder]

Two words....Ebo Jager!

 

[moy]

Thanks for responding guys. The reason i have decided to disconnect the heater is becasue of the temp rising, when i should not rise any higher than the temp i set it too, right!?
Ive left it on for several days at time and noticed the temp increase. So if i set it at 75C the temp should not rise unless the room temp is higer, correct??

 

[b_ball12_99]

That is correct. Place a thermometer on the other side of the tank and use it for readings. Ignore the preset marks. Get it so that the other end of the tank is at your desired temperature. That will make the area with the heater warmer than the other side of the tank. Just a general rule I follow.

 

[saltwater marauder]

Correct, the temp should not rise unless the room temp is higher than what the heater is set for. I dont know that placing the thermometer on the opposite side of the tank (eventhough thats where mine is) would make a difference in temp reading if you have adequate circulation. The only time temp will vary from spot to spot in your tank is if you have dead spots which you want to avoid. Same with water being cooler at the bottom than at the top, if you have good water circulation the temp should be constant throughout the tank, right?

 

[bobber]

That is correct. Good circulation is key for almost everything in the tank-temp, removing dead spots, oxygen exchange. The thermometer on the opposite side of the tank is the best placement for it. It will give you a better reading of the tanks temp. HTH--Bob

 

[sundog]

If your heater is making the temps go higher than what you have it set at, it's possible that the thermostat in it is taking an incorrect reading.
Unplug it for half an hour...then plug it back in. This will give the thermostat the opportunity to take a correct reading of the water and it will make the adjustments off of that.
Often times heaters are put in the tank and plugged in right away. This will almost always make the thermostat operate improperly.
This may not be the problem but it is worth looking into. You could also have a faulty thermostat on your heater.
[ April 17, 2001: Message edited by: Sundog ]