How To: Scale-Less Heaters

[Blubble37]

Recently, i purchased a new tank, that came with a heater with no temperature scale. The first thing running through my mind was
 
"Oh."
 
So, if you find yourself with a scale-less heater, here's a way to get it working properly.
 
Give yourself a week to get it optimised, it shouldnt take that long though.
 
What you'll need is a digital thermometer, preferably to 0.1 degrees, an alcohol thermometer i found not to be quite accurate enough
 
fill the tank up and make sure the water is about where you want it, say, 26 degrees, then put the heater in the tank and wind it down to it's lowest setting. After doing this, slowly wind it up until it activates, then back down until it just turns off.
 
Leave it for a day and see what it settles at, mine settled at a cosy 26.3C
 
if, after a day it isnt where you want it, raise/lower the temperature on the heater slightly, and repeat the waiting process. It took about a day for mine to stabilise at the temperature set.
 
comment how you got on c:

 

[l_l_l]

I have two heaters and even if they have a scale it took me 1 full week of getting them to complement each other.
 
My goal is that they take turns in heating the water, making the water temperature the same everywhere.
 
 
I did about the same thing than you to get the temperature right, but also had to look at which heater was on the most often.
Then tweaked the temperature in 0.5 up on one heater, 0.5 down on the other, until they are "synced".
 
I'm at 25.5, but plan on going down to 24C once my fish no longer have ich.
 
Hopefully it doesn't take me another week!

 
Edit: I tend to be extremely paranoid about my heaters, thinking I might mess it up.

 

[Blubble37]

I have two heaters and even if they have a scale it took me 1 full week of getting them to complement each other.
 
My goal is that they take turns in heating the water, making the water temperature the same everywhere.
 
 
I did about the same thing than you to get the temperature right, but also had to look at which heater was on the most often.
Then tweaked the temperature in 0.5 up on one heater, 0.5 down on the other, until they are "synced".
 
I'm at 25.5, but plan on going down to 24C once my fish no longer have ich.
 
Hopefully it doesn't take me another week!

 
Edit: I tend to be extremely paranoid about my heaters, thinking I might mess it up.

i've run a similar system, with two heaters, a 50 Watt and a 150 Watt. when the water is cooler, say, after a water change, the 50Watt kicks in too to help raise the temperature
 
i solved the heat distribution problem fairly easily, having a powerhead to blow over the heater or having a filter inlet over it helps push the heat around the tank