HEATER SHAPE

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schaadrak

Gambusia
MFK Member
May 4, 2007
363
1
18
Uppinnia
I have a stupid question.

Why doesn't anyone make a flat heater that you can stick to the back wall? If it had the same surface area as a cylindrical one, wouldn't it work just as efficiently? It just seems to me that something that just sticks out maybe a ½" from the glass would be much easier to work with and around than a giant test tube sticking out like a sore thumb.
 
Cost of manufacturing.
 
glass tubes are easyer to use and the machince already exist to make them, they use the same glass as test tubes... also alot of filters are dsinged to house a heater in them(although ppl use this space for media...), they do make flat 8"x4" heater pads that are submersable, but they take more power to run.
 
Okay, so its a "that's-the-way-we've-always-done-it" reason, not an actual physical design limitation.

That's what I thought...


::wheels turning::
 
schaadrak;952897; said:
Okay, so its a "that's-the-way-we've-always-done-it" reason, not an actual physical design limitation.

That's what I thought...


::wheels turning::
Click to expand...

No.... I don't think tha'ts what was said. A glass tube is cheap, easy to seal, suits the design of having a knob on the top, can use wound heating elements, etc. a plate would be difficult/expensive to seal, would require a flat heating element that would need to be custom made... and so on. Some people DO make flat heaters, but they are more expensive, and I would imagine less reliable.

You can even buy under gravel radiant heating wiring, so you can heat your gravel bed.... it's just not as cheap and easy as a glass tube heater.

If you really want to hide it, run a sump, or hide it behind some plants.
 
Good answers...

I tried this and created a very interesting life form behind it :D (not enough circulation the first time and a great place for algae to take up residence).

You can purchase plate heaters (style) from scientific supply stores but they're big $$ comparatively speaking.

Then you have the person that thinks he could just set his tank on top of it and the glass cracks and etc. etc.

Dr Joe

.
 
Im also not so quite sure about the gravel heaters.

Heaters dont do so well with gravel on them, tends to melt and stick to the heater.

Just stick with a stealth.
 
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