Is it safe to hide the heater in a plastic tube on the inlet flow ?

[Alan Silver]

Hello,

I'm planning a new tank and am trying to work out how best to hide the
heater. I am intending on building a polystyrene background and was
wondering about adding a wide-ish plastic tube to the filter tube and
inserting the heater inside this. This would then be placed flat on the
back of the tank, behind the background. At the end of the tube would
either be something to deflect the water 90 degs into the tank, or I
would just have it near on end so the jet of water hit the end of the
tank.

Any comments ? My main concerns are safety and being able to get at the
heater in case I need to. This idea would allow me to get at the heater
as it would be up at the top of the tank where I could reach it. It
should be effective as the water flowing into the tank would flow
directly around the heater. What concerns me is if there are any safety
implications in this.

Any and all comments welcome as usual.

--
Alan Silver

[RedForeman ©®]

probably not, because the heater gets SO SO hot, and will probably melt the
plastic... My heater made a spot on the side of my CO2 reactor before I
realized it and moved it... went to grab it and nearly singed my finger on
it... that's how I know how HOT it got...

"Alan Silver"
> wrote in
message ...
> Hello,
>
> I'm planning a new tank and am trying to work out how best to hide the
> heater. I am intending on building a polystyrene background and was
> wondering about adding a wide-ish plastic tube to the filter tube and
> inserting the heater inside this. This would then be placed flat on the
> back of the tank, behind the background. At the end of the tube would
> either be something to deflect the water 90 degs into the tank, or I
> would just have it near on end so the jet of water hit the end of the
> tank.
>
> Any comments ? My main concerns are safety and being able to get at the
> heater in case I need to. This idea would allow me to get at the heater
> as it would be up at the top of the tank where I could reach it. It
> should be effective as the water flowing into the tank would flow
> directly around the heater. What concerns me is if there are any safety
> implications in this.
>
> Any and all comments welcome as usual.
>
> --
> Alan Silver
>

[>]

Tetra makes a Hang on Back filter with an integral heater. The PF500 can
have a heater placed in the pump compartment. The only draw back to this
heater is that it is SOOOOO noisy. Not motor sounds, just water trickling.
Our 12 had two PF500's and we had to turn up the TV so loud it hurt. We
took them to our showroom tank and replaced them with two Bio-Wheels. Peace
at last.

JOhn :-)


"Alan Silver"
> wrote in
message ...
> Hello,
>
> I'm planning a new tank and am trying to work out how best to hide the
> heater. I am intending on building a polystyrene background and was
> wondering about adding a wide-ish plastic tube to the filter tube and
> inserting the heater inside this. This would then be placed flat on the
> back of the tank, behind the background. At the end of the tube would
> either be something to deflect the water 90 degs into the tank, or I
> would just have it near on end so the jet of water hit the end of the
> tank.
>
> Any comments ? My main concerns are safety and being able to get at the
> heater in case I need to. This idea would allow me to get at the heater
> as it would be up at the top of the tank where I could reach it. It
> should be effective as the water flowing into the tank would flow
> directly around the heater. What concerns me is if there are any safety
> implications in this.
>
> Any and all comments welcome as usual.
>
> --
> Alan Silver
>

[Alan Silver]

In article >, AQUATIC-STORE.
COM > writes
>You would need something to circulate water around the tube and create
>a flow.

I was thinking of using a tube just a bit wider than the heater. That
way, the water is forced to flow past the heater as it goes down the
tube.

Something like ...

============================
In _________________________
--> |___heater_________________ --> to tank

============================


Where the two == lines are the wide plastic tube and the __ lines are
the heater. The water flows from the filter (just to the left of this
e-mail !!) along the plastic tube, ie around the heater) and out of the
right hand end into the tank.

NetMax suggested having the heater on the water going into the filter
rather than out of it, but the principle is the same.

--
Alan Silver

[Alan Silver]

In article >, NetMax
> writes
>It would depend on the heater's wattage.

I haven't worked out if this configuration would be more or less
efficient than the normal way. That would influence the wattage of
heater I would need. It is to be a 220 litre tank, so I guess I would go
with the standard rating for that size (yet to be confirmed) and see how
it goes. I guess if it is too much, the heater just won't come on as
often as it might. I doubt that this method would be less efficient at
heating the water than just having the heater sitting around somewhere
in the tank, but if it were, I could always either replace it, or buy a
second small heater to sit somewhere else in the tank.

> This configuration is usually with the heater in the input to the
>filter. I guess that mixes the heat better, heats according to tank's
>temperature and not filter's temperature, and is a bit more fail-safe
>if the filter should fail. I think 200W is getting high enough to melt
>plastic.

I only suggested the outlet from the filter as that would be easier in
practice, but I see your point. It would be harder to work out how to
fit it in to the inlet, but it could be done.

>I think your idea will work. Test it by turning off the filter for a
>few hours, while the heater is running. In this mode, it will not
>provide any significant heat to the aquarium. Note that your filter's
>pump becomes a heater component, as any interruption in flow causes the
>heater to be inadequate. Considering the likelyhood, ymmv.

I'm not planning on switching off the filter for any long periods. Eheim
reckon you only need to clean them every 3-6 months !!

> Riskier with planted tanks where leaves can clog the filter's intake,
>slowly compromising your ability to heat uniformly. If your intake had
>a large grid to capture debris before the siphon, then this is less of
>a concern.

Malawi tank, so little or no plants (unfortunately)

Thanx for the reply

--
Alan Silver

[Doug]

Alan,
A while back, I added a sump (DIY wet/dry trickle filter) to one of my
aquariums. I highly recommend it as it gives you a place to put all
that stuff like thermometers, heaters, etc. Since I inject CO2 on the
return line, I've got nothing in my tank except the spray wand for the
return and an overflow skimmer! Using clear poly for these makes for
nearly nothing to detract from the aquascape and the fish! Just my
$0.02 worth!! Best luck!
-Doug

Alan Silver wrote:
>
> Hello,
>
> I'm planning a new tank and am trying to work out how best to hide the
> heater. I am intending on building a polystyrene background and was
> wondering about adding a wide-ish plastic tube to the filter tube and
> inserting the heater inside this. This would then be placed flat on the
> back of the tank, behind the background. At the end of the tube would
> either be something to deflect the water 90 degs into the tank, or I
> would just have it near on end so the jet of water hit the end of the
> tank.
>
> Any comments ? My main concerns are safety and being able to get at the
> heater in case I need to. This idea would allow me to get at the heater
> as it would be up at the top of the tank where I could reach it. It
> should be effective as the water flowing into the tank would flow
> directly around the heater. What concerns me is if there are any safety
> implications in this.
>
> Any and all comments welcome as usual.
>
> --
> Alan Silver

--

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[Alan Silver]

In article >, NetMax
> writes
>> Malawi tank, so little or no plants (unfortunately)
>
>There is still a modest assortment of plants possible with mbuna. Just
>have the plants in there first, protect the roots (ie: Amazon Swords)
>or have water column feeders (Pennywort, Hornwort), and try bad tasting
>plants (Onion bulbs) or less destructable plants (ie: Anubius) and
>introduce the fish as juveniles.

I was going to use plants, but my idea of "little or no plants" means
only a light covering, ie where you can still see the back of the tank
!! My idea of a planted tank is where you have to hunt the fish !!

I got a good list from Tropica's site. You can choose fish-proof plants
to suit low light conditions. I was going to try some in there.

>The best reason to try something is sometimes because someone says it's
>impossible ;~)

;-)

Thanx as ever

--
Alan Silver

[Alan Silver]

In article >, Doug
> writes
>A while back, I added a sump (DIY wet/dry trickle filter) to one of my
>aquariums. I highly recommend it as it gives you a place to put all
>that stuff like thermometers, heaters, etc. Since I inject CO2 on the
>return line, I've got nothing in my tank except the spray wand for the
>return and an overflow skimmer! Using clear poly for these makes for
>nearly nothing to detract from the aquascape and the fish! Just my
>$0.02 worth!! Best luck!

Is this like a small tank underneath the main one ? I've seen these on
marine tanks, but never worked out how you stop the lower one
overflowing.

How is yours done ?

TIA

--
Alan Silver