Acrylic Tanks

[nixkerrigan]

Hi

I apologise if this is the wrong place to ask this, or if its been asked before, but can regular heaters be used in the larger acrylic tanks? I wouldnt want to melt a hole in the side of a tank...

Im sorry if thats a dense question!

Also, how does one go about heating smaller tanks? Assuming room temp is too cold and the water needs heating in a hospital tank or nursery tank, I would imagine a regular heater would dwarf a small tank, or melt right through if it is a plastic one!

Thanks
Nicola

 

[jamespond]

i have an acrylic tank with a heater and its fine. Just make sure the element of the heater isn't resting against the tank (they normally come with a separator) and it should be fine.

 

[Bullrock74]

Also, how does one go about heating smaller tanks? Assuming room temp is too cold and the water needs heating in a hospital tank or nursery tank, I would imagine a regular heater would dwarf a small tank, or melt right through if it is a plastic one!

Thanks
Nicola

Having a larger than necessary heater is not a problem, so long as you can find a temperature setting that suits your needs. In other words, a larger heater just needs to be turned down to a lower temperature setting to produce the desired water temperature. You just have to experiment with the tempereature setting.

 

[andywg]

Having a larger than necessary heater is not a problem, so long as you can find a temperature setting that suits your needs. In other words, a larger heater just needs to be turned down to a lower temperature setting to produce the desired water temperature. You just have to experiment with the tempereature setting.

Almost all heaters sold have a built in thermostat which turns the heater off when it reaches the required temperature. Therefore you leave a larger heater at the same setting as you would a smaller heater, it will just heat the water to that temperature quicker. The only problem with having a larger heater is that if the thermostat malfunctions and locks on then the water will heat up quicker than with a smaller heater.

 

[nixkerrigan]

I see! Thank you for all the info, I was having a bit of a blonde episode about this! I've always had glass tanks before but am looking at investing in a few smaller ones for fry and juveniles. Didnt want to cook them, freeze them or end up with them all over the floor. Although Im sure my cats would have enjoyed that.

 

[Bullrock74]

Almost all heaters sold have a built in thermostat which turns the heater off when it reaches the required temperature. Therefore you leave a larger heater at the same setting as you would a smaller heater, it will just heat the water to that temperature quicker. The only problem with having a larger heater is that if the thermostat malfunctions and locks on then the water will heat up quicker than with a smaller heater.

In my experience, they claim to have built-in thermostats, but they don't. I have tried multiple heaters and I have to lower the setting in the summer time, and raise the setting in the winter time. If they truly had a functioning thermostat, it wouldn't matter what season it is.

 

[andywg]

In my experience, they claim to have built-in thermostats, but they don't. I have tried multiple heaters and I have to lower the setting in the summer time, and raise the setting in the winter time. If they truly had a functioning thermostat, it wouldn't matter what season it is.

I leave mine on the whole time. The tanks get a little warmer in summer, but that is due to ambient temperature, not the heater or thermostat. Also, if you are turning them down in summer because of ambient room temperature then it will hold that you will have to turn them back up in winter.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

aye, it always makes me laugh when people turn heaters off/down in the summer, if it's got a thermostat then it'll only come on when nescessary, i'm sure ours didn't come on for weeks when we had our summer heatwave this year.

 

[andywg]

I have heard people say that even when the temp is well above the level set that heaters still tend to turn on for short periods every so often, though have never witnessed it myself (all my heaters are buried in sumps so are never seen).

 

[mr.dark-saint]

If you're worried about the heater melting the tank put the heater in a sump . I don't think the heater gets hot enough to melt but I suppose if it freaks out I suppose it could. I haven't seen this happen (yet) but then again all my heaters are in the sump. The cool thing about acrylic is that it retains heat better than glass so one can get away by using a lesser watt heater than required to keep the temp at 80 (at least for me).

 

[Bullrock74]

I have heard people say that even when the temp is well above the level set that heaters still tend to turn on for short periods every so often, though have never witnessed it myself (all my heaters are buried in sumps so are never seen).

That is it exactly...the heater still comes on even when it shouldn't. I would bet yours does, too. I live in a very temperate area, so I cannot just leave the setting on my heater in one spot.

 

[Bullrock74]

aye, it always makes me laugh when people turn heaters off/down in the summer, if it's got a thermostat then it'll only come on when nescessary, i'm sure ours didn't come on for weeks when we had our summer heatwave this year.

I keep my aquarium at 78 degrees Fahrenheit, but my house never gets hotter than 74 degrees. Tell me how the tank's water would get hotter in the summer and colder in the winter if the heater truly has a thermostat? They don't have them, they just have timers and the timer tells the heating element to turn on even when it shouldn't and tells it to turn off even when it shouldn't.

 

[T1KARMANN]

you are worried about your tank but not your fish getting burnt

put a hearter gaurd on the heater like all fishkeepers should do

if you had a open fire in your house would you let a 2yr old child play near it

 

[andywg]

I keep my aquarium at 78 degrees Fahrenheit, but my house never gets hotter than 74 degrees. Tell me how the tank's water would get hotter in the summer and colder in the winter if the heater truly has a thermostat? They don't have them, they just have timers and the timer tells the heating element to turn on even when it shouldn't and tells it to turn off even when it shouldn't.

Maybe you are buying cheapo heaters? None of mine run on a timer. Most of mine detect when the temperature goes up too quick (as in in lifted from water) and shut off to prevent catastrophic failures. The few I used to see in teh tanks would spend more time on in winter than summer.

 

[T1KARMANN]

aye, it always makes me laugh when people turn heaters off/down in the summer, if it's got a thermostat then it'll only come on when nescessary, i'm sure ours didn't come on for weeks when we had our summer heatwave this year.

I keep my aquarium at 78 degrees Fahrenheit, but my house never gets hotter than 74 degrees. Tell me how the tank's water would get hotter in the summer and colder in the winter if the heater truly has a thermostat? They don't have them, they just have timers and the timer tells the heating element to turn on even when it shouldn't and tells it to turn off even when it shouldn't.

that is the biggest load of crap i have ever read when you do a water change and add colder water my heater ALWAYS CLICKS ON TO WARM THE TEMP

go and take a few buckets of water out of your tank and replace it with some cold water if the heater doesnt click on then yours is broken