Aquarium heater to ensure the microclimate in an artificial pond

Currently, there are a large number of fans to keep exotic fish at home. And their maintenance and breeding is not complete without special equipment. If you are going to have fish in an aquarium, you will definitely need a water heater. With it, it is possible to maintain the optimum temperature in an artificial reservoir for the full development and livelihood of residents.

Kinds

There is a wide variety of aquarium heaters:

1. Submersible. Produced from a variety of materials (plastics, titanium, glass). Have the form of a flask in which the heating element is inserted. This heater is partially or completely immersed in the aquatic environment.
   
2. Flow through water heaters. The thermostat of this type of device is displayed outside the aquarium. This saves internal space.
   

3. Heating cables. Perfect for heating round aquariums. The cable is placed under the ground. This ensures uniform heating of the water.
   

4. Mats to heat water. Install them should be under the aquarium. Water is heated through the bottom of the tank.
   

Heater for aquarium with thermostat

If the aquarium contains tropical fish, the water temperature should be much higher than the air temperature in the room. For uniform maintenance of water temperature during the day and at night, install heaters for an aquarium with a special thermostat. The latter is equipped with a sensor. It heats the water to a predetermined temperature, after which it turns off the heating element. When the water temperature starts to drop, the thermostat turns on the device again.

The thermostat allows you to maintain a certain microclimate, and aquarists can not worry that their pets will die due to hypothermia or overheating of water.

There are two types of thermostats:

1. Mechanical. It has a relatively low cost. Displays temperature readings with an accuracy of plus or minus 2 degrees.
   
2. Electronic. An order of magnitude more expensive than mechanical. The temperature of the water in the aquarium shows with high accuracy.
   

Also thermostats are divided into:

1. Embedded. Together with the heating element are in a sealed enclosure that is installed directly in the aquatic environment.
2. Portable. Installed outside the aquarium. Connect with a wire with a temperature sensor, which is located in the aquarium.

Using a water heater

Use a water heater should be strictly according to the rules:

1. The heater is included in the network only after immersion in the aquatic environment.
2. Before immersing the heater in water, you must disconnect all electrical appliances from the network.
3. Do not use damaged water heaters.
4. If the wire is damaged, replace the entire device, not just the wire.
5. The water heater is used strictly for its intended purpose.

Installation

To maintain the desired microclimate in the aquatic environment you need to know how to install the heater in the aquarium.The water heater can be installed both horizontally and vertically. For vertical installation, the adjustment knob should be located above water level. With a horizontal arrangement, the heater is fully immersed in the aquatic environment.

The immersion level marks are usually marked on the body of the heater. The device must be installed so that the water is above the minimum level of immersion. Over time, the water evaporates, so you need to ensure that it does not fall below the minimum mark.

The heater must not be installed in gravel or sand.

A bracket is installed under the heater head, which is attached to the wall of the aquarium with suction cups.

Please note that the installed device can only be switched on. after 15-20 minutes. During this time, the temperature of the heater equals the temperature of the water in the artificial pond. Only after that the device is connected to the network.

How to do it yourself

By making a device for heating the aquarium yourself, you can save a lot. The oldest method of heating water was the burning of dry fuel. For this, the aquarium was equipped with a small firebox.This method was used mainly in the transportation of fish, especially in winter. We can only imagine how troublesome this business was.

Over time, people have learned to make a heater for an aquarium with their own hands - from resistor. For this, the latter was placed in the middle of an ordinary tube. Due to the fact that the air conducts heat poorly, the void between the resistor and the glass tubes began to fill with quartz sand. The neck of the test tube was filled with a waterproof compound. According to users, such a heater is fully operational.

There is also a salt heater for the aquarium. Consider how to do it yourself.

Before you start making a salt heater, you need to familiarize yourself with the safety regulations for working with electrical appliances.

Necessary materials:

1. Plastic bottle.
2. Electrical wire with a plug (can be removed from a broken device).
3. 2 copper rings 15-20 mm long.
4. The wire is medium hard 20 cm long.

First of all, in the bottle cork you need to make three holes.In two holes push two wires with stripped edges. Copper rings are attached to the wires and flattened with a hammer blow. The ends of the wires in no case should not close, otherwise short circuit will occur. In the bottle you need to place weighting, for this you can apply the soil from the aquarium or stones.

Bottle filled with water. Wires must be located below water level. The third hole in the cork is needed to exit the condensate. To attach the heater, made by hand, use a wire of medium hardness. We wind one end of the wire around the neck of the bottle, and bend the other in the form of a hook and hang it on the wall of the aquarium. We place our own device for water heating in the aquarium so that the neck is above the water level of the artificial reservoir.

Why is the heater declared salt? It's simple! To regulate its temperature you need to add to the bottle. brine. To increase the temperature, add more solution. It is very important not to overdo it, otherwise you risk losing your pets due to boiling water. All manipulations with a homemade water heater spend only after disconnecting from the network.

For the creation of a homemade heater, hold only if you have at least a little experience in the repair of electrical engineering! Otherwise it can be dangerous for both you and your pets.

For the full development and livelihoods of tropical fish just can not do without aquarium heater. It doesn't matter if you purchased it in a store or decided to make it yourself, the main thing is to observe safety precautions when working with it.