Thoughts on heater configuration

[vessxpress1]

I'm wondering how most of you run heaters for safety and adequacy? I've got a frag tank in the basement I'm going to start up and frankly my basement is fairly chilly most of the year. Air temp usually runs at around 62 degrees. If I wanted to maintain a short 20 gal tank with quite a bit of surface area and keep it open, what size heater or heaters do you think I should go with? I've got a 75w cobalt in there right now but the tank is still dry. At minimum I'll probably get another 75w cobalt and run them off a controller but I"m starting to think that maybe I should go with two 100 watt heaters. I'd like to order a custom acrylic top but I'd kind of like to keep it open for the light too. I've even thought about wrapping the sides with insulation and maybe just leaving the front open. Does anybody do anything extra to retain heat? This isn't a display tank so I can live with ugly modifications if it helps retain heat. The LED light won't give it much. I want pumps that put off heat for this set up. lol

 

[W1ngz]

A pair of 75s would do it. One 75 would too but with that room temperature if it fails the temp will drop fast.

With such a temperature difference youll have above average evap also which is where most of your heat will go if its open.

Use some plexi and it will act like a diffuser for the light.

 

[Greg P]

I'd go with wrapping the 3 sides with pink styro
I don't know how accurate this chart is but looks OK

Tank Size	Raise temp by 5-9oF	Raise temp by 10-14oF	Raise temp by 15 – 27oF
5 gallons	25 watt	50 watt	75 watt
10 gallons	50 watt	75 watt	75 watt
20 gallons	50 watt	75 watt	150 watt
25 gallons	75 watt	100 watt	200 watt
40 gallons	100 watt	150 watt	300 watt
50 gallons	150 watt	200 watt	2 x 200 watt
65 gallons	200 watt	250 watt	2 x 250 watt
75 gallons	250 watt	300 watt	2 x 300 watt

 

[Greg P]

Using a glass top will not cut much light penetration and drastically reduce heat loss/evap