McMurray
Fish Fanatic
All this is my first article and i had help by Author withheld (IF you would like to know who made this PM me)) tell me what you think and should it be pinned.
Aquarium Heating.
People who keep tropical aquarium systems, both freshwater and Marine, seek to replicate a real aquatic environment as faithfully as possible.
The environment in which a particular variety of fish has evolved regulates the conditions in which the fish must live. One of these environmental parameters is temperature. In the wild seasons influence dictate the natural living environment of the fish. This means that most fish species have quite a high tolerance to temperature fluctuations within a broad band; it is desirable in the aquarium, to keep temperatures as stable as possible. To achieve this stable environment an aquarium heater needs to be used for fish from tropical locations.
What Is An Aquarium Heater?
An aquarium heater is a device that generates heat and maintains temperature within a pre-set zone. With most modern heaters, It can do this because the heater is a two in one unit that incorporates both the heating element and a thermostat control device.
Thermostat (inbuilt)
The thermostat can be set to a pre-determined temperature and this will activate the heating element if the temperature falls below the pre-set target. Conversely, the thermostat will cut off the heating element if the temperature rises above that set. The combined heater / thermostat unit is housed in a glass tube shaped like a long cigar with the heating element in the bottom section and the thermostat above.
Thermostat (Computer)
This thermostat is a device which is separate from the heater. It is usually a computerised box with an electrical sensor. The electrical sensor sits in the aquarium whilst the box sits on the out side. The Box usually houses some sort of digital output reading and a variable knob which sets the temperature. This box then controls an electrical socket that is connected to the wall socket. The Heater is then connected to the computerised socket which turns the heater on and off at the desired temperatures. With this type of system you can house several heaters in the aquarium but all controlled from one location.
Heater (Glass/Stainless steel Tube)
As said above the heater is a coil of wire that is housed in a glass tube which then heats up and radiates out from the glass tube. This in turn then heats the water around the heater. With this type of heater it is important to have a good circulation of the water so the heated water is distributed evenly. This type of heater is the most common heater on the market but it is of fragile construction. It is very important that this type of heater doesn’t sit out of water or that the water level is allowed to run below the recommended line on the heater. Because of the nature of these heaters they can overheat and the coil will actually glow red once out of the water. This could then cause the heater to burn out.
Heater (Inline)
These heaters are fairly new to the aquatic life. These heaters sit outside of the aquarium and connect to the outlet pipe of an external filter or pump. How these heaters work is that in the same way as the glass heater above there is a coil that coils around a tube inside the housing. Water passes through the tube which then gets heated by the heated tube. This is a very efficient type of heater as it directly heats the water as it is passing and it doesn’t need a current flowing around it. Also the chance of this heater breaking is very minute due to the flowing nature of the pump. The only way that this could be damages is if the line was able to run dry.
Heater (Under gravel)
An Under gravel heater is a heater which sits under the aquarium substrate. This type of heater heats the water and the substrate around it. This causes the tank to warm from the heating of the substrate which then heats the water. This type of heater can be very tricky to work with as the time it takes the gravel and the water to heat up, it could over heat the gravel trying to get to the required tank temperature.
Once the required tank temperature is reached, once the heater switches off the temperature of the water still raises due to the stored heat in the substrate causing the tank temperature to fluctuate, causing the fish stress.
However it has been proven to be a good heating system for plants and several people have reported extra high amounts of growth from planted tanks.
When used in conjunction with an internal type heater this system could be a very useful for planted aquariums.
Heater (Filter)
Filter heaters work on the same principle as the inline filters. They heat the water in a moving environment as the dirty water is being processed in the filter the filter heater is warming the water up. Once the filter has cleaned the water it passes the heating elements and returns to the tanks clean and heated. This type of heater is a favourite of people that want a minimalist tank. However the down side of this type of heating is that if the filter or heater breaks then you will be left without both a heater and a filter. So it is always best to use this in conjunction with an inline or an internal glass filter if you want fault tolerance. However this is not really necessary but advised..
Which heater is best for your tank?
Aquarium heaters are available in a range of wattages and sizes, the wattage will determine the heat output of the unit and therefore the size or volume of the aquarium for which it will be suitable.
The following is a Very basic guide to which heaters to choose for various aquarium sizes.
• 25 Watt Mini Aquariums & small water volumes.
• 50 Watt Aquariums to 18“ (45 cm)
• 100 Watt Aquariums to 24†(60 cm)
• 150 Watt Aquariums to 30†(76 cm)
• 200 Watt Aquariums to 36†(90 cm)
• 300 Watt Aquariums to 48†(120 cm)
The way to work out the amount of watage required is to work on a ratio or 5 Watts per 1 US Gallon 3.78 Liter or 1 UK gallon = 4.5 Liter
For larger aquariums use more than one heater unit. It is important to choose a good quality heater as if it fails the aquarium could either over heat or chill off with disastrous consequences for the inhabitants.
Where to house your heater?
For internal glass heaters it should be positioned on the rear glass of the aquarium at roughly an angle of 45 degrees. This will allow the heat to rise and dissipate from the heating element without adversely affecting the thermostat unit. However with modern glass heaters they are designed to be fitted vertically without affecting the thermostat reading.
The heater is attached to the glass with suckers or sits in the reservoir area of an internal tank that is usually supplied with it. Plastic Guards are available to cover the glass heating element so avoiding burns to fish that may come into contact with it and to avoid damage if whilst cleaning it gets with by internal decorations.
Heaters have a type of light indicator that illuminates when it is giving off heat so ensure that this is facing in a direction that you can view it.
Adjustment and Maintenance Of Aquarium Heaters.
Adjustment of a glass heater and setting of the desired temperature is done by gently twisting either the very top part of the unit or a protruding cylindrical knob. Twisting clockwise will increase the temperature setting and anti-clockwise decrease. As part of the standard four weekly aquarium maintenance the heater should be wiped gently with an algae pad to remove algal and other deposits. Always isolate the heater from the mains supply before attempting any adjustment or cleaning.
Initial installation or replacement of the heater.
It is import to make sure that the heater is functioning properly before installing it into your tank.
It is advisable to place the heater into a container filled with water and turn on the heater. Using a glass mercury or alcohol thermostat check the temperature that you have set reads correctly. The last think you need is to install a new glass heater and find the next day that all your fish are cooked due to the heater not working correctly.
Warranty
Make sure you send off any warranty documentation that you have with your new heater as several companies will guarantee the heater for a period of 1 – 5 years. If you can prove that it was the heater that caused the whole system to boil then most companies will cover the cost of the damage. Make sure you read the fine print.
Aquarium Heating.
People who keep tropical aquarium systems, both freshwater and Marine, seek to replicate a real aquatic environment as faithfully as possible.
The environment in which a particular variety of fish has evolved regulates the conditions in which the fish must live. One of these environmental parameters is temperature. In the wild seasons influence dictate the natural living environment of the fish. This means that most fish species have quite a high tolerance to temperature fluctuations within a broad band; it is desirable in the aquarium, to keep temperatures as stable as possible. To achieve this stable environment an aquarium heater needs to be used for fish from tropical locations.
What Is An Aquarium Heater?
An aquarium heater is a device that generates heat and maintains temperature within a pre-set zone. With most modern heaters, It can do this because the heater is a two in one unit that incorporates both the heating element and a thermostat control device.
Thermostat (inbuilt)
The thermostat can be set to a pre-determined temperature and this will activate the heating element if the temperature falls below the pre-set target. Conversely, the thermostat will cut off the heating element if the temperature rises above that set. The combined heater / thermostat unit is housed in a glass tube shaped like a long cigar with the heating element in the bottom section and the thermostat above.
Thermostat (Computer)
This thermostat is a device which is separate from the heater. It is usually a computerised box with an electrical sensor. The electrical sensor sits in the aquarium whilst the box sits on the out side. The Box usually houses some sort of digital output reading and a variable knob which sets the temperature. This box then controls an electrical socket that is connected to the wall socket. The Heater is then connected to the computerised socket which turns the heater on and off at the desired temperatures. With this type of system you can house several heaters in the aquarium but all controlled from one location.
Heater (Glass/Stainless steel Tube)
As said above the heater is a coil of wire that is housed in a glass tube which then heats up and radiates out from the glass tube. This in turn then heats the water around the heater. With this type of heater it is important to have a good circulation of the water so the heated water is distributed evenly. This type of heater is the most common heater on the market but it is of fragile construction. It is very important that this type of heater doesn’t sit out of water or that the water level is allowed to run below the recommended line on the heater. Because of the nature of these heaters they can overheat and the coil will actually glow red once out of the water. This could then cause the heater to burn out.
Heater (Inline)
These heaters are fairly new to the aquatic life. These heaters sit outside of the aquarium and connect to the outlet pipe of an external filter or pump. How these heaters work is that in the same way as the glass heater above there is a coil that coils around a tube inside the housing. Water passes through the tube which then gets heated by the heated tube. This is a very efficient type of heater as it directly heats the water as it is passing and it doesn’t need a current flowing around it. Also the chance of this heater breaking is very minute due to the flowing nature of the pump. The only way that this could be damages is if the line was able to run dry.
Heater (Under gravel)
An Under gravel heater is a heater which sits under the aquarium substrate. This type of heater heats the water and the substrate around it. This causes the tank to warm from the heating of the substrate which then heats the water. This type of heater can be very tricky to work with as the time it takes the gravel and the water to heat up, it could over heat the gravel trying to get to the required tank temperature.
Once the required tank temperature is reached, once the heater switches off the temperature of the water still raises due to the stored heat in the substrate causing the tank temperature to fluctuate, causing the fish stress.
However it has been proven to be a good heating system for plants and several people have reported extra high amounts of growth from planted tanks.
When used in conjunction with an internal type heater this system could be a very useful for planted aquariums.
Heater (Filter)
Filter heaters work on the same principle as the inline filters. They heat the water in a moving environment as the dirty water is being processed in the filter the filter heater is warming the water up. Once the filter has cleaned the water it passes the heating elements and returns to the tanks clean and heated. This type of heater is a favourite of people that want a minimalist tank. However the down side of this type of heating is that if the filter or heater breaks then you will be left without both a heater and a filter. So it is always best to use this in conjunction with an inline or an internal glass filter if you want fault tolerance. However this is not really necessary but advised..
Which heater is best for your tank?
Aquarium heaters are available in a range of wattages and sizes, the wattage will determine the heat output of the unit and therefore the size or volume of the aquarium for which it will be suitable.
The following is a Very basic guide to which heaters to choose for various aquarium sizes.
• 25 Watt Mini Aquariums & small water volumes.
• 50 Watt Aquariums to 18“ (45 cm)
• 100 Watt Aquariums to 24†(60 cm)
• 150 Watt Aquariums to 30†(76 cm)
• 200 Watt Aquariums to 36†(90 cm)
• 300 Watt Aquariums to 48†(120 cm)
The way to work out the amount of watage required is to work on a ratio or 5 Watts per 1 US Gallon 3.78 Liter or 1 UK gallon = 4.5 Liter
For larger aquariums use more than one heater unit. It is important to choose a good quality heater as if it fails the aquarium could either over heat or chill off with disastrous consequences for the inhabitants.
Where to house your heater?
For internal glass heaters it should be positioned on the rear glass of the aquarium at roughly an angle of 45 degrees. This will allow the heat to rise and dissipate from the heating element without adversely affecting the thermostat unit. However with modern glass heaters they are designed to be fitted vertically without affecting the thermostat reading.
The heater is attached to the glass with suckers or sits in the reservoir area of an internal tank that is usually supplied with it. Plastic Guards are available to cover the glass heating element so avoiding burns to fish that may come into contact with it and to avoid damage if whilst cleaning it gets with by internal decorations.
Heaters have a type of light indicator that illuminates when it is giving off heat so ensure that this is facing in a direction that you can view it.
Adjustment and Maintenance Of Aquarium Heaters.
Adjustment of a glass heater and setting of the desired temperature is done by gently twisting either the very top part of the unit or a protruding cylindrical knob. Twisting clockwise will increase the temperature setting and anti-clockwise decrease. As part of the standard four weekly aquarium maintenance the heater should be wiped gently with an algae pad to remove algal and other deposits. Always isolate the heater from the mains supply before attempting any adjustment or cleaning.
Initial installation or replacement of the heater.
It is import to make sure that the heater is functioning properly before installing it into your tank.
It is advisable to place the heater into a container filled with water and turn on the heater. Using a glass mercury or alcohol thermostat check the temperature that you have set reads correctly. The last think you need is to install a new glass heater and find the next day that all your fish are cooked due to the heater not working correctly.
Warranty
Make sure you send off any warranty documentation that you have with your new heater as several companies will guarantee the heater for a period of 1 – 5 years. If you can prove that it was the heater that caused the whole system to boil then most companies will cover the cost of the damage. Make sure you read the fine print.
