Current Driven By Air Pressure.

[denis coghlan]

This is the scenario.
I have been setting up a fry tank for my African labs brood that I am going to strip next week. I made the fry tank from a single sheet of glass that I had lying around, which I am rather impressed with. The tank is about 5 uk gallons, for filtration I am using one of the “five minute sponge filters from the DIY” section. I don’t want any of the fry to become damaged by an internal filter, plus I am trying to do this as cost affective as possible so I am not getting one for the moment. I am using a 100w spare juwel heater; this leads me to my question.

The heat within the tank seems to be very unevenly dispersed and I am thinking that I need an addition current in the tank to solve this problem. Does anyone know how to use Air pressure to generate addition circulation in the tank other than what the air filter is providing and the convection current caused the heater.

thanks

 

[bobf]

This is the scenario.
I have been setting up a fry tank for my African labs brood that I am going to strip next week. I made the fry tank from a single sheet of glass that I had lying around, which I am rather impressed with. The tank is about 5 uk gallons, for filtration I am using one of the “five minute sponge filters from the DIY” section. I don’t want any of the fry to become damaged by an internal filter, plus I am trying to do this as cost affective as possible so I am not getting one for the moment. I am using a 100w spare juwel heater; this leads me to my question.

The heat within the tank seems to be very unevenly dispersed and I am thinking that I need an addition current in the tank to solve this problem. Does anyone know how to use Air pressure to generate addition circulation in the tank other than what the air filter is providing and the convection current caused the heater.

thanks

Hi Tanks - are you talking about atmospheric air pressure or do you mean from an air line or from the sponge filter?

If you have a spare air pump, why not get one of those long air stones and position it either beneath or opposite your heater (not sure which would create the best circulation - guess opposite would as this should create a circulatory flow?).

I shouldn't have thought that there would be much difference in temp accross such a small volume of water anyway, unless the thermostat on the heater is a bit ropey. Alternatively, it may be that the heater is too powerful for the water volume anyway - when it switches off the latent heat retained in the heating element may mean that the temp is up and down like the proverbial.... I think most 100w heater are rated 10-20 gals?

All of that being said probably not a big deal anway so long as the variation isn't more that say 4 deg C, as the fish would face more variety than that in 'real life' anyway. Maybe put a guard over the heater to be on the safe side tho!