Metalpossum

So, the temperature crept up to 27.3 degrees before I went to bed. I left my bedroom heater on a lower setting overnight, and the aquarium only dropped to 26.3 degrees. The tank lights were off overnight. My last tank was a set-and-forget type affair, never gave me this much anxiety. Perhaps I'll just go sink a few dollars into a couple of Eheim Jagers, I know if I use heaters that are too big, the only problem is when the things stick on, but another 100 watts per heater only costs an extra $6 total, and that should be suitable for the wintery fluctuations in my sleepout. I've got the tank lighting on today, but I'm at work so can't monitor it. I'm growing some Eleocharis Pervula (Dwarf Hairgrass) so I decided to risk it. It's the stock lighting system supplied by Juwel, 2 x 45w "Nature" tubes (warmer colour than the originals), so I wouldn't suspect it to be the problem. Thanks for all the help.

I've set them both to 28 degrees now, and the thermostats cut off at a measured 26.3, my lights are on too. I suppose the heaters just did need to be turned up a bit. I suspect last night's temperature was lighting related, interesting to see how it works out for me in the morning. These 3 guppies I have in there aren't complaining, they were a bit slower in the morning, but they've always been slow in the mornings.

Well, before going to bed the temperature was at 26.5 degrees, with both heaters set to 26. The cold of the wintery nights here in Christchurch obviously got the better of it. That said, the heaters didn't seem to care this morning, as if the thermostats are lazy. I've got two 45w T5 tubes in place (built into the hood) and I think they're partly to blame too. I've read plenty about the Eheim heaters, and I'll probably just go and get a couple, perhaps in 300w since the price difference is minimal. I would have thought 2 x 200w heaters would be sufficient. My heaters are at the back corners, my thermometers are at the front corners. I like to keep some distance, so that I know it's a tank-wide temperature and not just localised.

It reaches 26 degrees fine, actually reaches 26.5, but overnight since it is winter, the temperature drops to 23 degrees or so. The thermostat in the heater doesn't seem to care, because it doesn't switch back on unless I set the temperature higher, which I find odd. I suspect my T5 lighting (45w) is also part of the temperature issue. My current solution for this is probably Eheim Jager heaters, I've been doing plenty of reading about and somebody noted that the Jager kept consistent temperatures, whereas his Juwel did not. I shouldn't need it, especially with two heaters in use, but perhaps 300 watts instead? My other idea is to neatly use some foam on the back of the tank for minor insulation, if anything it'll probably only help the power bill by 10 cents or so. As for swapping the media, my last tank didn't really have "media", it was a "toy" fish tank with overhead filter. I think it had carbon pellets built into the filter trays and some coarse sponge.

I've just begun migrating everything to a Juwel Rio 180 aquarium, I bought it used, equipped with a 200w Aqua One heater due to the previous owner frying the included Juwel heater (Easily done, apparently). The first night with the heater on, the temperature wouldn't budge past 23.9 degrees when set to 26 (which I prefer for the Guppies, Tetras, etc that I have). I didn't know the heater I was supplied was 200w and stopped by the pet store and picked up a 200w Juwel heater, only because I enjoy matching brands up, for OCD reasons. Upon discovering the Aqua One heater was 200w, I decided to use both heaters, one at each end of the tank. My room isn't warm during the winter, getting especially cold after I turn my own heater off before bed. (Which could be the beginning of my problem). But when I woke up this morning, the temperature had dropped the 26.5 degrees it had reached last night, down to 23.9 degrees. The Aqua One heater, which is visible, has the LED off to show the thermostat is complacent (yet set to 26 degrees, and nowhere near). Any suggestions to keep the temperature stable? Doing it cheap isn't a priority. PS: I've been using two thermometers, one is digital and the other is mercury or spirits. Both show similar figures. I only have 3 Guppies in there, I'm going against the grain and trying some fish-in cycling, but I'll probably give my other filter a good squeeze to hurry things up a bit. The previous 38 litre tank and 50w (Aqua One) heater never had any temperature troubles.