Heater for nanos

[cpeluso]

This posting is most specifically for Brandon who has been longing for a nano heater. I don't know if I've found anything new, but I came upon a heater at petdiscounters.com/ called the "Junior Aquarium Heater" (just go to the site and click on "heaters"). The ad states that it is a 4 inch long, 7.5 watt, fully submersible, pre-set heater, specifically designed for 2-5 gallon tanks. Cost is $12. Let me all know what you think about the possibility of using this in 1 galllon bowls like mine.
Chris

 

[brandon4291]

That one may pose a problem with overheating because it is always on. There are options, though.

1. Put it on a timer to only come on at night. 2. Buy a wire sensor/temperature controller system from a lab supply house such as www.aquaticeco.com (~$250) that can regulate switching 3. Use a partial submersion technique, adjusting the rise of the heater out of the water to control contact area. People say this causes overheating, but Ive never tried it. These heaters are neat though because they are the smallest length/diameter Ive heard of.

The next level of pico reefing will be met when they invent exactly this: a 25w glass tube heater, 4 inches long, digital-thermostat controlled, magnetic on/off switching, fully-submersible. I would pay someone $250 for one if they would built it right now :idea:

Hey Chris, why not have your friend log-on to RDO to hook up with our forum. If he has a store, he'll have unlimited access to nano equipment for experimental designs, and he would also have much to contribute to our subject matter.

 

[cpeluso]

Brandon,
I'm not sure that this heater is "always on." Might it not be thermostatically controlled to a particular temperature? By the way, why would your ideal heater be 25 watts? I will ask Michael to join this forum as you suggested when I go to get my gallon of "system water" for my 100% water change this weekend!
Chris

 

[cpeluso]

I decided to try a 25 watt, 6" "Neptune" aquarium heater from Marineland ($13). It fits OK (diagonally) in back of the center rock in my bowl. I'll keep you all posted on how it works out. I can't believe how chilly it gets at night-time in Phoenix this time of year!
Chris

 

[brandon4291]

I've had that model before, WalMart also sells them. They don't have a way to keep a set temperature because there is no on/off circuitry, but they are designed to work within a very specific gallon range so they don't overheat the water column. Currently the smallest thermostat controlled heaters are those 6" you have, I think that will work the best.

The little heater will have different effects on continual temperature in water columns of varying sizes. It will keep a two gallon fishbowl at 75-80 as long as the house isn't real cold, but it will keep a 26oz pico at 90 or so within two hours of coming on which is why it needs to be switched on and off at the required intervals. There is still a good use for them though, preferably with a sensor probe and controller from a lab supply house.

 

[cpeluso]

Thanks for the info., Brandon. So far, so good. This heater is keeping my pico at 78 degrees with an ambient room temp. ranging between 68 and 80. By the way, in a perfect reef world, if it were possible to keep a reef at a constant temperature, what do you feel that temperature should be?
Chris

 

[Anonymous]

82 degrees...this is pretty close to the average temperature for most of the world's natural reefs.

Of course, it may not be a "perfect" situation to have an absolutely stable temperature. Natural reefs can have a temperature swing up to 3-5 degrees C (around 6-10 degrees F) daily, and a longer variation due to the seasons. Assuming this has been the case for millions of years, and there's no real reason to suspect it hasn't been, corals have evolved to withstand such change; the temperature variation may actually be a necessary feature.

 

[cpeluso]

Thanks, Matt!
It's fascinating to think about temperature fluctuations as being a "necessary feature." I'm sure that we may eventually understand that many other parameters which we work so hard to keep "constant" may also need to vary for optimum coral health.
Chris

 

[Anonymous]

I've found a tiny heater that can keep my .68 gallon pico reef at a stable 78 degrees (F). It's only 6" long, too. There's a 25-Watt model (which I use) and a 50-Watt. I didn't even have to tweak it that much, the thermostat is very good.
Mini Thermal Compact Submersible Heaters

 

[cpeluso]

Clare,
I've been having trouble lately with my 25 watt Marineland "Neptune" heater. For the first two weeks, I set it at 78 and it consistently kept the temp at 78. Several days ago, the temp suddenly started to climb. I've been "tweeking it" ever since. Any suggestions?
Chris

 

[Anonymous]

Is your water level rising and falling a lot? I top off with RO water a little at a time, making sure it doesn't trigger the thermostat on the heater. I also do waterchanges with my 65-gallon, which is the same temp. Usually the thermostat only turns the heater on after lights out.