penance

^ as my titles says ... would the water get too hot or should it be okay?

matt6765

I think it is to hot....i am not a heater pro. though

penance

I plan on using it for my red cherry shrimp and if they like cooler waters then perhaps I can adjust the temperature lower on the heater

matt6765

I think you should ask a pro. I dont know much about filters

penance

^ I think you meant to say "heater"

matt6765

Oh yea sorry

prairielilly

I'm not a 'pro', but IMO it's just overkill, although it shouldn't be dangerous. All heaters with thermostatic controls should do the same thing, go to the temp they're set at then shut off until the water cools down past that point. I'd think a larger wattage would just mean that wouldn't have to happen as often as it's a more powerful appliance. If it were me I'd test it out on an EMPTY tank with an accurate thermometer for a few days, and go from there.

Drew 43920

What is the make and model of the Heater ?
Can it be adjusted ?

penance

It's an adjustable heater but I'm not sure on the make/model - I can get that info to you when I get home from work

If most of the members think it'll be too much then I have no problem buying a new lower watt heater, I only thought of using my 100w heater because it's an extra that I'm not using

I think the heater that I'm using in my 12g nano is a 50w perhaps I can switch heaters then another question is, will the 100w in the 12g be okay?

prairielilly

The 'guideline', 'rule of thumb' etc etc is five watts per gallon. Like most rules of thumb it's just that, a starting point. Many members use different wattages than others and have no issues. Whether or not the temp in your house changes a lot throughout the day is another thing to consider.

I thought of something else too, Tetra makes a preset heater intended for a 5g tank that uses 100W of power.

I'd still try out the heater you have. You can always adjust it down, none of mine (regardless of brand) make the water the temp I actually set it at. For me the point is, Is the temp stable? can I keep it stable at the temp I want?

I had a 25W heater in a 3g, with a thermostat. When turned down to 69 F, the tank was still at 83. THAT to me is not something I want obviously. I had another 50W in a 10g that couldn't get the water warmer than 64 F.

penance

Thanks prarielilly I'll do the first test you recommended and see from there

prairielilly

good luck, let us know how it works out for you

grump

Hi penance any heater over 25w will work as long as it is reliable and set right... The bigger the heater the faster it will it the water when it comes on ... Hope this helps Rob

ccb04

If indeed you have a 50w in the 12 gallon ... prehaps switch it as you said and put the 50w in the 5 gal.

Otherwise, prairielilly gave you excellent advice.