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what size heater to get for 150 gallon tank
We are just starting up an indoor system with an IBC tote with @ 150 gallons of water in it. Just wondering how many watts we need in a heater? The water seems to have settled around 61.5 and we plan to have tilapia. The room we have it in is kept at a pretty constant 68 deg. F year round. Thanks!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Glenn on
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Hi Christina, what is the total system volume? Are you circulating the whole volume hourly? Can you easily insulate the tote and cover the surface area of your system where it makes sense to help prevent heat loss? And do you intend to strive for the 70+ deg. f. water where tilapia show their best growth?
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Oops, total system volume (total gallons ?) is 125. We could prob. Insulate tote but were hoping not to, no cover and yes on the 70+degrees. Someone just sold us a 300 watt heater....think that will work
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Yes on circulating, at least, hourly and prob. Every 15-20 minutes unless somebody tells us otherwise
thanks!
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Assuming that your home and the 68 deg. room this is in is as well insulated as most homes in Longmont, then yes 300 watts should work ok for keeping125 gallons circulated per hour at or above 70 deg. It will require a reliable thermostat with a tight enough differential between turn on and turn off points to prevent wide swings. If for instance the thermostat doesn't turn on until 65 degs, then by the time the first 30 gallons is pumped past the heater, the other 90 could have fallen further causing a delay or a swing in temp. Then if the thermostat doesn't shut off until 75 ( a 10 deg. differential) temps could begin to swing high.. I would shoot for no more than a 3 deg. differential.
I would also provide a back-up high temperature shutoff and a low flow or pump fail switch that would shut off the heat if there was not proper circulation.
More insulation around tanks, plumbing, and grow beds/troughs can only help. Any heat lost may seem like it just helps heat the room but that's not completely true and the heater that does it now probably does it cheaper as designed. and it costs more energy to raise temperature than it does to just maintain it.
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