Ep14: Best heater strategy for stable reef tank temperature - The BRS/WWC System
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.ย. 2024
- Did you think reef tank temperature could be so important? Actually, this seems to be a commonly overlooked factor in a simple and stable reef tank and today Ryan discusses ways to manage tank temp, build redundancy into protecting the tank from high or low temps and building a temp management strategy for creating a successful tank in your home.
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This is going to be one for the books and we look forward to you following along as we attempt to re-create WWC's unbelievable success they've had with the stunning tanks in their Orlando shop, as well as show you how you can do it at home!
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Nice topic. I also have two heaters on different controllers running in my sump. Main controller is a GHL Profilux 4 which controlls a titanium heater and the cooler fans. The second one is a Aqua Medic twin controller with a second titanium heater. This one is configured with lower heating levels. So if the GHL fails and temp falls this one jumps in and heats up and also give alarm on lower limit. If the temp is too high and the GHL does not shut of or does not give alarm the Aqua Medic jumps in on upper limit with an alarm. Hope that redundancy prevents from any failure.
I want to share something that happend to me last week. Luckily I had both sized my heaters properly (as to not heat my tank two fast, one heater just barley maintains temp).
I had the neptune ATK which ended up switching from auto to off. It did this because I use a direct solenoid from my RO system. The reason was I filled a bucket of RODI to make salt, thus when the tank went to fill it took longer than 5 minutes.
I got an alarm and I just ignored it as I was around the tank anyways and would check on it soon. Well I forgot.
The water level dropped and my temperature probe was higher than the water level, this caused my tank temp to drop turning my heaters on.
Now, normally I would be getting an alarm if my tank temperature drops below x temp for x minutes. However, when my tank temp drops I turn off my skimmer as it is pulling -30c air from the outside. This reset my alarms, and then gave the tank the proper temp as the probe was now covered.
This in turn turned my skimmer back on (10minute delay).
Once this happend my heaters again turned on.
Eventually I got my high temp alarm which is 2 degree higher than normal.
I'm glad I had a controller to alert me (also part of the problem but that is the ID 10 T behind the keyboard) and I had hard limits set on my heaters as well.
I run my tank at 78 on, 78.5 off. Alarm 80.
Thank you for the videos.
Never had this issue, crazy. I use aqua tops lol, have had a 200w in a 55g for 7 years now. A nano also has a 75w aquatop and its been there for 4 years. Been keeping fishing for 20 years, been scared of heater failing for the past 2 weeks lol
I thought this was a mythical issue...until a month ago... I had my heater fall full on 300w. I was very very fortunate it cooked inside my salt mixing bucket and not inside my redsea max130d. Just got back into reef keeping again this year. Now I am a believer!!! That would have taken me out of the hobby for sure! Secondary heat heat controller is a must. Ryan THANK YOU!!!
Glad to hear that this issue didn't affect your display tank!
Thanks for the video
Stumbled on this channel while researching RO/DI for use in hydroponics and finding all of these videos super informative. Thanks dude!
Your amazing Ryan, I respect you and am great full for the abundance amount of knowledge you have taught me from watching your videos that seem to cover anything I got a question about.
To address the dual half power heater caveat, use the same strategy that we use in large hard drive arrays. Don't put the devices in service at the same time. Stagger them half way through their life cycle so if you're going to replace them every 12 months, replace one in january and the other in july to reduce the likelyhood of them failing at the same time.
I use schego heaters with the schego temp controller and the apex as backup. Schego titanium heaters are also grounded so work as a grounding probe and they don’t have any parts that corrode like some have experienced with the finnex/aqua medic titanium heaters.
Scrap that. Had an EB6 outlet relay fail, leaving the apex outlet stuck ON despite fusion saying it was off. Will now sort a similar level of redundancy but will not use the apex to do it.
Also this is probably the most nuanced video on aquarium heating I’ve seen. *clap clap*
My first heater failed within a year. It exploded(it was glass) and electrocuted and killed everything in the tank. It almost killed me too. I came so close to reaching into the tank when I saw it that morning when I woke up but something warned me instinctively. I unplugged everything and discovered what it was. Since then I use power supplies with circuit breakers and stopped using heaters made with glass. I never thought the heater would do that. It was in the back area of the tank(all in 1) and nothing was touching it. This video has shown me the best way to keep heaters from destroying my hard work and money. This is definitely not an area I will ever be cheap with again. I didn't know any better when this happened to me.
I had my first heater failure less than a week after putting fish in my first tank. Failed 'on', and cooked 2 tiger barbs. I caught the issue before anything else died.
Never thought I would like a video about heating an aquarium, but I was pleasantly surprised. That said a couple bullet points
-Why no love (or even mention) of something like a Ranco temp controller? Those have been around for a while and I have literally never heard someone with a bad story about them.
-I get the whole "replace before it breaks" mentality but I just can't use a warranty as a guide for that, there are a number of reasons why companies don't warranty a product for too long I mean if you look at something like Ecotech Vortech pumps those only have a 1 year warranty, so by default they must be junk after 1 year? I think this hobby simply has too small of a customer base for companies to risk one accidental manufacturing defect from decimating their bottom line, I'm sure Marineland survived the Stealth heater issue only because they're a huge company, if that happened to a heater only company maybe not so much.
-My biggest issue with using an aquarium controller as a heater controller is that my experience has shown that long term the plugs on the power bar every company from Neptune (preApex) to Digital Aquatics are made of plastic, and if you use a heater of any significant wattage (300+) it will eventually melt the plug out, even though the relay or triac may be rated for that particular current there's almost invariably going to be some issue that causes extra heat and the piece of plastic will fail.
Very informative video. Thanks!
Great topic Ryan. Heaters are probably the most important element of a successful tank. Great vid 👍
Thank's for the info again. : )
Thank you for the information.
Great video! Did I miss WWCs actual system and what they use? I'm in Woodland Hills california and it gets freaking hot. I'm sure Florida is similar.
Good video thanks brs Pretty explanatory
I wouldn’t recommend the lifeguard digital thermometer, it’s has been off by 6 degrees since I bought it . I realized that today after I received the Hanna thermometer and I tested my temperature.
Thanks for another great video Ryan. But I have to ask the stupid question. If 2 heaters are better than 1, then is 3 heaters better than 2? :D
I calculated my heater needs, split in half and bought 3. If one goes out, I still have full capacity. Fortunately in south Louisiana, I need them so infrequently.
Just going to give you guys a hook up on Cobalt Neotherms. Order them on Amazon lol. Can get a 100w heater for $42. That's what I paid lol.
you guys are awesome thank you
Good video, again😉
Apex is one amazing piece of equipment it is a must-have for Reef keeping. shake and bake
Interesting topic, I keep one half size heater in the dt (135gal) and one half size in the basement sump (also 135gal) they are on separate dedicated circuits, inkbirds and apex energy bars. I then have one heater able to heat the entire system in the dt hooked directly to the apex but set much lower. So two fluctuating 77-78 and full powered set to come on should the tank ever drop to 74.
Heater just failed on my 10 g nano. 2 1/2 months old Aqueon with a "lifetime" warranty. Been using Ebo-Jager for dozens of years and just change them out after 3 years and have never had one fail but they are way too big for the nano so the plan was to do the same at 2 years...I mean 2 months...
BRS please work out a deal with GHL for their Profilux line of controller and modules!
BRS ❤️
Hey BRS. Would you consider quarantining corals before they go in the main tank as unnecessary? I quarantine all fish that go in and treat them with copper. But should i quarantine the coral (in a different tank to the fish q tank) and if so, would i need to get a fancy light for the little q tank as well? Big fan and thank you for your brilliant videos
BulkReefSupplyCom ok that’s great advice thank you. How long would you quarantine it for? And after dipping it and putting it in the q tank. Are we just observing to see if any nasty pests come off it?
Did someone suffer a hand injury (cut) at 16:30? 🚑
Why not in those large tanks, just run heaters in auto-top offs? There is going to be evaporations and then small amounts of warm water will just be added to tank more frequently.
Wait a minute... the Reefkeeper is gone? And whatever happened to the Cerebra?
That is unfortunate. Thanks for the reply though.
👍
I really need this apex systems.... it's really hard to buy this type of equipment in india, this is my first time reef... I am already having some problems because of office timing....
@BulkReefSupplyCom
BulkReefSupplyCom thank you for reply...
Yup, i need 220v version
If you can, please find a dealer or just give me that giveaway lol (I will manage a 220v to 120v converter)
@Ryan Batcheller Can you guys please start carrying the Ranco temp controllers? They are the best quality(Industrial grade) temp controllers for the price. They are leagues ahead of the inkbird. I personally run mine as a second level of redundancy between the APEX and the built in heater thermostat. I don't trust the built in thermostats in the heater at all so I don't consider is a second layer of redundancy.
I noted in your other video that you mentioned that they cost $150 so you don't carry them. However, on their website here: www.rancoetc.com/ranco-etc-111000-000-prewired-digital-temperature-controller they are only $75 now. If you can get a good deal on them in bulk they would be a huge improvement over the inkbird for less than the $120 price tag for the old controller that said was a great deal at $120.
My first heater that failed is when I dropped it and broke the glass 😂😂😂
Never ever use a cobalt heater!!! It will explode in ur sump,happened to me
Two heaters, twice the chance of one of them failing in the ON position.
No thanks...
@@BRStv Can we trust any heater, working to it's max heat most days? Idk.
I do know that I had a Stealth heater fail on once. It almost crashed my reef.
Isn’t that a good indication and tells you something about a company if they give warranties on anything that is short. Anything from any company that has a 1 year or less warranty is not a company you want to buy anything with. Look carefully at reviews of a company from other aquarists.
Never use a STEALTH heater.