# Aquarium HEATER question...look inside.



## Dirty_Pond (Apr 26, 2009)

Hi guys,

I am setting up a 65g planted aquarium with fish. But not sure what kind of heater to get. I have been eyeing this undergravel one

Amazon.com: HYDROKABLE Cable Heater 100W 32.8 ft 40/65 gal CE: Kitchen & Dining

Amazon.com: HYDROSET Electronic Thermostat with Temp Dial CE: Kitchen & Dining

My question is are these type of heaters worth it?
And if they are, is there another similar product like this out there. So far i could only find this one. I need 200W min for my aquarium. 
I read that they help with plant growth because they create more of a natural heat cycle that transfer nutrients more effectively.

Any pearls of wisdom


----------



## phil_pl (Apr 10, 2009)

*Re: Aquarium THermometer Question*

i always wanted to try one
they look awesome but never got around to it
figured it would get in the way when cleaning


----------



## Oldman (May 25, 2009)

*Re: Aquarium THermometer Question*

Did you notice how long the heating element in that thing is? It may be producing 100 watts of heat but that is only about 10 watts per meter of cable. A 100W heater is about right for a 20 gallon tank but that is a lot of cable to coil around in the substrate of a 20. It is something that would definitely make me think twice about doing it.


----------



## Chickadee (Nov 15, 2008)

*Re: Aquarium THermometer Question*

This one is listed as being for 40 to 65 gallon aquariums so why would you figure you needed a larger one? I would not try to use something that is rated higher than the manufacturer suggests as they have tested them and know what to recommend better than what we would. It could be that this one would work differently at a smaller wattage than a standard type of heater would.

I would be afraid of these as unless you were doing a planted tank only gravel maintenance would tend to uncover the cable during the maintenance process and possibly expose parts of the cable making a problem of possible hot spots.

I am like Oldman, that is a lot of cable....32.8 feet. That is a lot of winding about in a tanks substrate. I think I would just go with a good Visi therm Stealth. They do not look nasty and they fade into the background so you would hardly notice them. I do not know that I really believe the "absorbing nutrients" theory.

Rose


----------



## Dirty_Pond (Apr 26, 2009)

*Re: Aquarium THermometer Question*

Thanks guys. I guess that I need to look at other options. Part of the problem I am having is the design of my tank (http://www.aquariumforum.com/f45/cleaning-aquarium-2244.html). My tank is five sided (see a drawing in the original post in the link). Because of that I was worried that I might not get good thermal circulation in the tank.

So based on this, what would you guys suggest for a heater?


----------



## Chickadee (Nov 15, 2008)

*Re: Aquarium THermometer Question*

Add an air stone by the heater or put the heater close to the filter outlet and it will circulate the heated water and keep things fairly constant or better yet get two smaller heaters each half the wattage that you need total and position them at opposite sides of the tank and it will stay more consistent. I do that with all my tanks for more even temperature.


----------



## Dirty_Pond (Apr 26, 2009)

*Re: Aquarium THermometer Question*

Well Thanks for asking that. The thread title meant to say heater not thermometer. I was looking at thermometers at that time and it was stuck in my head and that's what i typed. Should have proofread before posting.


----------



## Chickadee (Nov 15, 2008)

I see it was changed for you.


----------

