Heater in sump

[Hilltopreef90]

I have my heater in the sump and my thermometer is in the display tank, the digital read out says it’s 78 but it always feels cool to me and I can’t help but wonder if the heater being in the sump can heat my entire tank and if it’s reliable?
I have a 90 gallon tank, sump is 30 gallons.
Any suggestions on how to be sure my temperature is accurate and the water is the same temp throughout the tank?

 

[Waters]

What wattage heater are you using? It might be a degree different between the sump and tank depending on how far away they are but that shouldn't affect anything. If the sump sits under the tank, then I am sure they are the same temperature. Only way to verify what that temp is, is to double check with another device. I use a digital probe to double check temps in my tanks.

 

[Yates273]

I think your fine. My heater is in my sump and my sensor is upstream from the heaters in my sump so I get a reading as the water enters the sump

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Use a thermometer, or the hanna salinity checker also has the temp reader if you have that.
Or you can get a small in-tank thermometer that you can stick on the inside glass somewhere.
Or you can get 2 different temp probes and put one in the sump and one in the DT.

 

[Pntbll687]

Double check with a different thermometer. I use a digital surface thermometer, like one you would use on a persons head for taking temps.

But there will probably be some loss of heat from the sump to the display. I have my heater set at 78, and the display is 77.

 

[ZoWhat]

.............

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Whats that? Mad calf strength? Does she even lift bro

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Already pointed out, put sensor just up stream of heater..

I have inkbird with two sensors: one up stream just before heaters and one in overflow box

And a ranco controller as a bottom line heater with sensor just before heater chamber. It never activates until the inkbird fails..

 

[blaxsun]

I run 5 sensors: two from the Inkbird in the sump after the heaters, two Apex in the post-filter chamber in the sump and after the returns in the tank and a manual digital thermometer stuck in the corner of the sump.

 

[ak10up]

Do you get a heater for the size of your sump or for the size of your DT?
I have a 120 gallon I am setting up and first time using a sump.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

Get two undersized (for the entire system water volume: display plus sump minus rocks/sand/etc). Put them in the sump. Having two underpowered will decrease the risk of one malfunctioning and cooking your tank.

To the OP: the tank water always feels cold to me. But that’s because I’m not a fish. The fish think it’s perfect.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I dont get two under powered heaters i know allot of people do, i started out with one 300w and did fine i added a second one later on, still have both running its been probably 3yrs ... I have two 300w brs titanium heaters that run all the time and one 600w as a back up that never runs. This is on a 120g w/36" sump (idk actual gallons) .

Now I have two rancos for this tank but the one main one is controlled by a hydros controller, and I still have the backup ranco with one 600w brs titanium heater that never gets used unless others fail and temp drops
( they are one degree apart)

 

[Sean Clark]

the digital read out says it’s 78 but it always feels cool to me

I would trust the display before I trusted what it feels like.