Heater

I just want to check, what is the best place to put the heater to make sure that all the water gets properly warm? Sometimes I think the water feels a bit cool, even though the heater isnt on.

Thanks everyone

Have you got a thermometer brb? I just put the thermometer in the opposite side of the tank to the heater and keep checkin it, seems to work ok

It's generally recommended to put the heater near the inflow or outflow pipes where the moving water will circulate the heat around the tank. As driver said, put a thermometer - either LCD strip or internal one on the opposite side of the tank.

i was advised to put my heater diagonally in the middle of my tank

I've got my heater in the opposite end of the tank, seems to be ok though, but perhaps I need to move it?

Got me wondering now!

I have all my heaters about four inches from the filter intake pipe, secured with suckers so that they sit vertically next to the glass with just the temperature knob above water. Much neater IMO.

i agree mary my heater looks like a spear across the back of the tank i am trying to get my plants to grow to sort of cover it but when you have a 11 inch plec moving like a bulldozer they dont get much chance to settle and grow

alison wrote:

i agree mary my heater looks like a spear across the back of the tank i am trying to get my plants to grow to sort of cover it but when you have a 11 inch plec moving like a bulldozer they dont get much chance to settle and grow

:lol: Nice image...

A lot of plants won't tolerate being next to a heater anyway as they get a bit "scorched". You need to have them about 2" in front of the heater. Why not splash out on some mature Amazon Sword or Vallis? That grows well and should camouflage the heater....alternatively you could move it.

Oh wow, I would love to have a fish like that :lol:

i have put 4 amazon swords in before xmas it took him about 3 weeks to take them down to the roots i have put in another 2 which are not too bad at the moment my java fern looks sooo pathetic i think in the night the swine is lying all over it i have had him since we started with the first tank which was a 60 l when we had him he was only about an inch thats why i ended up with a 230l tank in september his tail was hanging out of the smaller tank when it came to shifting him it took the best part of an hour he didnt want to go anywhere also my 3 springers sat and waited for him to hit the deck .

I can just imagine that picture.

What type of plec do you have, alison? I have a BN and a Peckoltia sp. and thankfully the plants are fine...:lol:

My heaters are near the bottom, one each side, lying almost horizontal behind the rocks so they can't be seen. My external filter pipes are in the corners, about 4" away from the heaters. We've had 4 thermometers in all the corners to check it was constant all over & it was
Also handy as we can ½ drain the tank if we ever need to add meds, only need ½ doses now

hi mary the big one is either a sailfin or a common i'm not really sure when his fin is up it looks like a sail i've also got a polka dot plec in with him its only about 2 inches i havent seen much of it since it went into the tank at the end of january it lives under an ornament with the two smaller clown loach if i'm lucky i might see a tail flick now and again in my 60l i have 1 goldnugget about 2inches and 3 baby bristlenoses thats a good idea about laying the heater behind some rocks low down i think i might try that at the weekend

Oh tell me about it. My Peckoltia plec lies under a rock all day, comes out at night to eat the cucumber and ermmm...that's it. So eats and poops basically - not the world's most exciting fish, I think you'll agree...but my BN on the other hand is just fab. He's out all hours of the day and night and I just love watching him.

Should start a BN fan Club, I think they are great little fish.

I'll join... We have 5

Well you would have to be the Life president then!!

when i put chopped up mussel or cockle for the goldnugget the bns are the first there its funny to see them wrestle a piece of cockle the same size as themselves

My BN is a Veiltail variety so has a very long swishy tail which he uses to full advantage to bat all the other fish & shrimp away from "his" cucumber and algae tabs. :lol:

everyones different, some people try and hide the heater to make their tank look less "cluttered". Generally though if you put it near the flow of the filter (like Mary said) then it's supposed to evenly heat you water

And so the thread gets back on topic!!!

Cant have any spamming now, can we!!

Ah it always does eventually Diana.

Agggh my pm wiped my message..

I said

You could hide the flow too :lol:

We have a koralia nano in each corner pointing down to where the heaters are & they are right by the pipes for the externals.
The nano are just small enough to have on show as i really don't like tank furniture but JMO