Frickin wires

[D&M]

Ok, so here I am, three filters, air pump, heater and light, all on one
tank. There's also a UV sterilizer.

I separate the UV from the rest as this was the only company to realize that
the equipment they produce, is used in an aquarium filled with WATER.

The UV has a 9' cord, made by Coralife.

Here's a funny one, Hagen 48" light. Cord is 5' long. Light is 4" from the
floor, hmm, designers didn't think of that one.

Marineland... Emperor 400... 5' cord. This is a filter designed for 55g+
tanks. Don't know to many of people with 55g+ tanks only a couple feet from
the floor.

Half the equipment you fing these days, forget the drip loops, not enough
cord.

Either way, I'd pay the extra buck or two if companies would add a few extra
feet of wire to their electrical equipment. Would be much safer for users to
set up a "circuit center" even a few feet away from the tank, rather than
directly under it. Haven't got zapped yet, but getting close. Have to wrap a
towel around the power bar before doing work, just to protect it.

Another nice feature.... fricken power switches. I'd kill to have a power
switch on my Fluvals, rather than unplugging them with wet hands.

there... I'm done ;)

[Jon C Rupert]

In the beginning, marketing and engineering decide the length of the cable
based on what they find out in the field. Cord needs to be a certain length
because it needs a drip loop in it and some aquariums are not necessarily
close to the outlet. Over the years everyone quits and goes to a new
company. Some newly hired overpaid idiot that has to prove his worth comes
up with a cost savings idea that shortens the cord by a foot so they can
keep their price the same and increase the margin. "Can't believe" it was
that long in the first place. "No one before him knew what they were
doing". They all slap him on the back and telI him what a great job he did.
Never bother to check why the cable was as long as it was in the first
place. Now all the customers are scratching their heads because they have
to have tons of extension cords and the end of the extension cord happens to
fall at the low end of the loop you would like to have.

I agree. I would pay a little extra for the increased length of cable.

"D&M" > wrote in message
...
> Ok, so here I am, three filters, air pump, heater and light, all on one
> tank. There's also a UV sterilizer.
>
> I separate the UV from the rest as this was the only company to realize
that
> the equipment they produce, is used in an aquarium filled with WATER.
>
> The UV has a 9' cord, made by Coralife.
>
> Here's a funny one, Hagen 48" light. Cord is 5' long. Light is 4" from the
> floor, hmm, designers didn't think of that one.
>
> Marineland... Emperor 400... 5' cord. This is a filter designed for 55g+
> tanks. Don't know to many of people with 55g+ tanks only a couple feet
from
> the floor.
>
> Half the equipment you fing these days, forget the drip loops, not enough
> cord.
>
> Either way, I'd pay the extra buck or two if companies would add a few
extra
> feet of wire to their electrical equipment. Would be much safer for users
to
> set up a "circuit center" even a few feet away from the tank, rather than
> directly under it. Haven't got zapped yet, but getting close. Have to wrap
a
> towel around the power bar before doing work, just to protect it.
>
> Another nice feature.... fricken power switches. I'd kill to have a power
> switch on my Fluvals, rather than unplugging them with wet hands.
>
> there... I'm done ;)
>
>

[CanadianCray]

Frickin amen!!!

--
Craig Williams
_________________________________

www.Canadiancray.tk
"D&M" > wrote in message
...
> Ok, so here I am, three filters, air pump, heater and light, all on one
> tank. There's also a UV sterilizer.
>
> I separate the UV from the rest as this was the only company to realize
that
> the equipment they produce, is used in an aquarium filled with WATER.
>
> The UV has a 9' cord, made by Coralife.
>
> Here's a funny one, Hagen 48" light. Cord is 5' long. Light is 4" from the
> floor, hmm, designers didn't think of that one.
>
> Marineland... Emperor 400... 5' cord. This is a filter designed for 55g+
> tanks. Don't know to many of people with 55g+ tanks only a couple feet
from
> the floor.
>
> Half the equipment you fing these days, forget the drip loops, not enough
> cord.
>
> Either way, I'd pay the extra buck or two if companies would add a few
extra
> feet of wire to their electrical equipment. Would be much safer for users
to
> set up a "circuit center" even a few feet away from the tank, rather than
> directly under it. Haven't got zapped yet, but getting close. Have to wrap
a
> towel around the power bar before doing work, just to protect it.
>
> Another nice feature.... fricken power switches. I'd kill to have a power
> switch on my Fluvals, rather than unplugging them with wet hands.
>
> there... I'm done ;)
>
>

[NetMax]

"D&M" > wrote in message
...
> Ok, so here I am, three filters, air pump, heater and light, all on one
> tank. There's also a UV sterilizer.
>
> I separate the UV from the rest as this was the only company to realize
that
> the equipment they produce, is used in an aquarium filled with WATER.
>
> The UV has a 9' cord, made by Coralife.
>
> Here's a funny one, Hagen 48" light. Cord is 5' long. Light is 4" from
the
> floor, hmm, designers didn't think of that one.
>
> Marineland... Emperor 400... 5' cord. This is a filter designed for
55g+
> tanks. Don't know to many of people with 55g+ tanks only a couple feet
from
> the floor.
>
> Half the equipment you fing these days, forget the drip loops, not
enough
> cord.
>
> Either way, I'd pay the extra buck or two if companies would add a few
extra
> feet of wire to their electrical equipment. Would be much safer for
users to
> set up a "circuit center" even a few feet away from the tank, rather
than
> directly under it. Haven't got zapped yet, but getting close. Have to
wrap a
> towel around the power bar before doing work, just to protect it.
>
> Another nice feature.... fricken power switches. I'd kill to have a
power
> switch on my Fluvals, rather than unplugging them with wet hands.
>
> there... I'm done ;)

I feel your pain. At work our aquarium display islands are powered by
single ac outlets in the floor. Each island has about 6 aquariums (3 dry
and 3 running). That's 6 cords for lights, 3 or 4 heaters and 4 or 5
filters (with a variety of manufacturers and cord lengths). The solution
is cheap ($5) power bars, each with their own switch. Power bar #1 is
the main, running #2 (filters & heaters to turn off for tank
maintenance), and #3 (marked lights, to turn on/off daily). When I run
extra lights for planted tanks, I have another powerbar #4 hanging off of
(and controlled by) #3. On one setup (with lots of filters & lights) I
have 5 powerbars (main, 2 lights, 2 filter/heater).

Your home installation would work with 2 powerbars (3 if your UV has no
switch, and you would have it off the filter/heater powerbar). I
sometimes run a light power bar #2 off a timer plugged into powerbar #1.
Just check your timer's wattage rating.

To protect them, I'd ty-rap the powerbars to a lower horizontal stand
bracket so they are facing downwards and are off of the floor. Cord
loops then touch the floor before turning up to the powerbar. At home, I
screw them into the underside of my aquarium stands, or the cabinet sides
near the top. Leave enough room so lights can be run off of timers.

Many powerbars have surge protectors with a reset button (it can't hurt,
but won't save you from a shock). Ideally your power circuit is GFI
protected. This is most easily done by changing the wall receptacle
(which the power bars plug into) to a GFI receptacle. This is (imo) your
smartest protection.

NetMax

[Dave S]

"D&M" > wrote in message
...
> Ok, so here I am, three filters, air pump, heater and light, all on one
> tank. There's also a UV sterilizer.
>
> I separate the UV from the rest as this was the only company to realize
that
> the equipment they produce, is used in an aquarium filled with WATER.
>
> The UV has a 9' cord, made by Coralife.
>
> Here's a funny one, Hagen 48" light. Cord is 5' long. Light is 4" from the
> floor, hmm, designers didn't think of that one.
>
> Marineland... Emperor 400... 5' cord. This is a filter designed for 55g+
> tanks. Don't know to many of people with 55g+ tanks only a couple feet
from
> the floor.
>
> Half the equipment you fing these days, forget the drip loops, not enough
> cord.
>
> Either way, I'd pay the extra buck or two if companies would add a few
extra
> feet of wire to their electrical equipment. Would be much safer for users
to
> set up a "circuit center" even a few feet away from the tank, rather than
> directly under it. Haven't got zapped yet, but getting close. Have to wrap
a
> towel around the power bar before doing work, just to protect it.
>
> Another nice feature.... fricken power switches. I'd kill to have a power
> switch on my Fluvals, rather than unplugging them with wet hands.
>
> there... I'm done ;)

I'm amazed in this day and age of technology, why there's a need for cables.
Surely there must be a method of transferring power without the need for
ugly wires!

Just my two-pennies worth!

Dave
>
>

[Acgelok]

>I'm amazed in this day and age of technology, why there's a need for cables.
>Surely there must be a method of transferring power without the need for
>ugly wires!
>
>Just my two-pennies worth!
>
>Dave
>>
>>
There is. It's called a laser. You wouldn't want to stick your hand in between
accidently :-( It is also called broadcast-power my $.02 worth Art