Just Out Of Interest

[simonbrown403]

Just come up with this, not sure whether its a good or bad idea, but i'd thought i'd share

I'm on with a planted tank a the moment, and got to thinking about filters and heater cables, which give me this idea.

Basically its like a central heating system, which could be hooked up to an internal or external filter.
I'm thinking the water would create a gentle warming current in the substrate as it passes through the pipe's and it would also slow the flow a little which is not a bad thing for a planted tank.

The only concerns i have is the strain on the filter, especially as the pipe would be lined with bacterial growths over time which would be hard to clean
Also would the heat be enough to create the convection current.

Give me your honest opinion

 

[rowdyates]

Not sure how this would warm the substrate, wouldn't that be at the same temp as the rest of the tank, I don't see where there is a heat source in your plan.

Cheers,

Keith

 

[IovaykInD]

I agree with Keith. There is no heat source in your plan. You might be able to add a heater near the intake of the filter, but the wouldn't make anything different. The only thing that is different about your plan is that you have a longer output for the filter, which puts more pressure on the filter.

BTW..if you're thinking that when water goes through the filter, it gets warmer, well it doesn't. That's sorta what I thought you were thinking when I read it, but maybe not.

Isaac

 

[simonbrown403]

The idea was more for juew internal filters where the heater is in the filter, i thought there would be a slite diffrence anought to do something

Wel it was an idea, i thought it might make it cheaper to run, but like you said you would need something to generate some heat so you would end up with 2 extra plug in stead of one less

Better luck next time hay

 

[Dorkhedeos]

i dont see how this would make the substrate warm. wouldnt the whole tank be the same temperature anyways?

 

[simonbrown403]

i dont see how this would make the substrate warm. wouldnt the whole tank be the same temperature anyways?

Me nether it was one of them daft ideas that i didnt realy think through )

 

[littleimp]

Don't knock something till you try it!!

If as you say you have a heater in your outlet this would work a bit due to convection currents in the substrate that wouldn't normally be their.

I have a cable heater, the instructions says you can place it inside or outside the tank. When you switch them on their not like normal heaters, they only get warm to the touch & not boiling. They are only their to create convection currents, not to heat the tank. This is how they work, to stop the substrate water going stale.

 

[simonbrown403]

Don't knock something till you try it!!

If as you say you have a heater in your outlet this would work a bit due to convection currents in the substrate that wouldn't normally be their.

I have a cable heater, the instructions says you can place it inside or outside the tank. When you switch them on their not like normal heaters, they only get warm to the touch & not boiling. They are only their to create convection currents, not to heat the tank. This is how they work, to stop the substrate water going stale.

What i thought at first, there is already a small convection current in the substrate, where there's a slight difference in water temps between the upper and lower levels.

This idea was mainly for a juwel where the heater is in the filter, what i though is the water coming out of the filter would be slightly higher than that of the lower levels of the substrate, which might boost the convection current a little.
Or would it just heat the substrate up to the same temp and cancel it out all together.

 

[Rooster]

MMMMmmm, seems logical to me ! If the heater IS in, or near the filter inlet, then the substrate WILL be a major source of heat.... think about your central heating... the radiator is always hotter than the room it heats.... Seems a very good idea - cant understand why its not been tried before... maybe it has, I know there were under tank heaters- point is, why arnt we all using them ?

I would use a large bore tube - you will have problem at the bends with a flexible pipe.... maybe rigid tube with 90 degree fittings ?

Good luck, please keep us posted !

 

[Matty]

I think that it would work, all you would have to do is to use one of those hydor inline heaters that hook up to your filter return.