Most efficient place to put your heater in tank?

[asm129]

I don't have a sump on one of my tanks, so I have to put the heater inside the tank.

Where is the most efficient place to put the heater? Is it better to put it by the intake tube so it gets sucked up into the filter or right by the output nozzle so the heat gets sprayed outward?

 

[Egon]

I think your correct in thinking about putting the heater in the flow. Intake or return probably doesn't matter.

 

[bbortko]

Water spends such little time in a filter it is probably irrelevant as to whether the heater is by the intake or return so long as it is placed by a source of current the tank should heat evenly.

 

[Oughtsix]

If you have any kind of circulation in your tank at all I would just put the heater out of the way. It will heat the water perfectly well without having to put it in the direct flow of your filter.

If you periodically added large quantities of cold water, such as during a water change, the heater being in the flow might help heat the water a little quicker (fewer on/off cycles). But you really shouldn't be adding cold water when changing your water.

All the heat the heater produces is going to go into the water. If the tank doesn't have any circulation at all the heat energy will provide its own circulation with convection currents... but no aquarium should have so little circulation that this would come into play. Pu the heater where you will see it the least.

 

[joe jaskot]

I like to place my heaters next to the intake tube. Helps with heat circulation throughout the tank and makes the heater less noticeable.

 

[lp85253]

if you have a powerhead ,let it push water across the heater