Question about heaters

[oct22baby]

So, I'm reading my book and wondering if I should use 2 heaters intead of one for my 46 gal bow front. The heater I do have on layaway is 200W, I believe, and is one that you set the temp you want, and it adjusts to that temp (preset) vs. one that you turn up or down manually. Would you get 2 100W heaters instead and put them on opposite ends of the tank to help heat more uniformly?

 

[scsinet]

You should do just that (two 100 watt units) for more reasons that you mentioned.
Heaters can and do stick "on," albeit rarely. Having two heaters reduces the risk of disaster because if one heater sticks on, it won't overheat the tank as quickly, giving you more time to catch it.
Another thing to pair this dual heater setup with is the Rainbow Lifegard "Big Temperature" (or something like that). It's about 40 bucks, but you can set it up to trigger an alarm if the tank temperature exceeds your programmed "alarm threshold"
Not to pry, but my guess is that if you have a heater on layaway, you are of limited tank budget. I'd strongly suggest saving for a thermometer like this despite the costs, because a failed heater can destroy your whole tank, and you'll be a lot worse off.

 

[oct22baby]

What I have on layaway is the "Marine Kit" that the LFS puts together to give you a discount if you commit to buying all at once, and I have absolutely NO qualms about changing that as my research progresses (or adding to it - another heater in this case). We decided we wanted to do a tank, and got a super super deal on a 46 gal bowfront w/stand and hood ($250 for them all together) and the "kit" I mentioned includes the live sand, heater, a filter and a bunch of other stuff, all of which are about $50 cheaper than if purchased separately. However, as I mentioned, I'd rather do it right (and thus do not mind waiting and am not in a super hurry to get it all paid off and home if it's not the stuff I want to use).
Would you suggest having 2 200w (so they don't have to work as hard and if 1 dies for some reason, I still have a heater capable of heating the whole tank until another "backup" can be replaced? The 200w isn't that much more than the 100w if I remember correctly, so if it's safe, I'd rather get two of the 200w. What do you think on that?
I'm bookmarking this thread, so that I know about that thermometer, too, when it comes time to set up.

 

[scsinet]

If you are concerned about being stuck while you wait for a new heater, then I would do this instead:
Stick with my suggestion of (2) 100w heaters, but get those in addition to the heater you are getting with the kit. Keep that heater (which will be a very basic, inexpensive model) on hand as a spare. You get the peace of mind (from a thermal runaway perspective) of two half sized heaters, but you have the extra one on hand to put into service if need be. The spare heater also has other uses.
You'll find that an extra heater comes in more handy that you realize. I have many tanks, and keep at least 4 or 5 various sized heaters around. I use them for heating quarantine tanks, preheating new water before introducing it, etc.
If you are purchasing new heaters for your tank, I'd recommend the Jager 100W heaters. They will set you back about $20 each. Buy online. In this hobby, you'll observe a dramatic difference between local and online prices. Some great suppliers are Saltwaterfish.com, Marine Depot, Salty Critter, Drs. Foster and Smith, etc. Can't link to them here, but you should be able to find them around.

 

[oct22baby]

$20 for a heater is less than I would have expected, that's not a problem at all. I don't have a bottomless wallet by any means, but I do have the patience to wait for the right setup before introducing fish that I can't take care of properly at the time... (plus, I get to read/research more and they'll have a smarter Mommy - yeah!)

 

[michaeltx]

what I do is have 2 heaters rated for the tank I haveone is set 1-2 degees cooler than the other so if one quits the other will kick in stopping the temp from dropping.
mike