duke Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 I have a small tank. It holds about 10ltrs. I bought a small 25w heater. I can get it up to the water line on the heater if I put it on an angle but im a bit worried about if this is safe. I have seen a few pics and places where people have got them mounted on an angle though. The box has diagrams showing the correct way to mount it. There is only one that is on an angle. It says its wrong but its also touching the gravel in the picture so im not sure if its saying the angle is wrong or the fact its touching the gravel or both! Its a AquaOne heater. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumper Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 touch gravel is not a good thing i think. depending ont he heater, the biggest reason why they say not to mount it in an angle is because the element or whatever surrounds the elements (sometimes ceramic heaters), touch the protective glass and due to the big temperature difference (element VS water) the glass cracks. try unplugging the heater, let it cool down inside the water, remove it and moveit vertically and then in an nagle if the element + whatever holds it dont move at all, then i would assume (users own discretion pls) it is ok. i have a few heaters that are mounted in an angle and i have never had a problem with those. only those that get exposed when doing WC .... big no no... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crdave Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 Hi Duke, I am running about 20 Aquaone heaters all mounted horizontally for excactly the reason you mention. Some of them have been running for over a year and I've never had a problem yet. Cheers,Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 I only have 1 heater in any of my tanks at present, and it's at an angle. as far as I can recall, I've always tended towards horizontal or at least an angle rather than straight up, as I am a shocker (no pun intended) for forgetting to unplug them during water changes and the odds of the glass cracking are less if the glass remains submerged! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duke Posted January 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 Thanks for the comments. Sounds like it should be ok. Its only a cheap heater anyway so im not too bothered if it does break. One last thing though, If the glass was to crack while its running would it kill the fish? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumper Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 i had a heater crack during a WC, fish were fine, BUT i did unplug it prior sticking my hands in there, i would assume the current running the thing shouldn't makeme dance but i wasnt willing to take the risk. i already dance fine :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 i got 240V from a broken heater once when I was 6 months pregnant. scary! but I have had heaters "leak" and it just makes the water tingle when you put your hand in. It seems not to harm the fish - maybe because they are not grounded??? Like I know anything about electricity ... except that the substation next door to my horses seems to give them all a curly mane. Anyway! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterJ Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 I dropped an aerator in once and went for the catch as a reflex. Not planning to try that again in a hurry... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duke Posted January 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 I dropped an aerator in once and went for the catch as a reflex. Not planning to try that again in a hurry... Ouch! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 OMG you mean the noisy bubble-making thing with the diaphragm and the electrical cord? (sorry, had a mental blank). Reflexes and water are a bad combination. Fortunately my gross motor skills are significantly blunted, so I may live to get zapped another day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterJ Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 Fortunately my gross motor skills are significantly blunted I said I went for the catch, not that I got it . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 that just adds insult to injury, hey! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howlsn Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 In an aquarium I worked in years ago I was WC the top tanks in a 3level display, standing on steel ladder & the heater was fine but with 1 arm in the tank & the other following the heater cord to the powerboard to swtich off the right cord I unfortnuately discovered a mouse & it's companions had a little chew on the cord.....it didn't end well I came to on the floor amongst the aquarium products shelving I took out in my lauch from the ladder a little Never been hit from a busted heater in a tank but now always tag my cords at the board & switch it ALL off before touching & now have a serious phobia of anything zappy zappy :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splendidbetta Posted January 18, 2007 Report Share Posted January 18, 2007 I keep my heaters horizontal, close to the bottom of the tanks. Just a few days ago I was pulling out my air pump to take it upstairs, and it was tangled up in another cord. I wasn't sure which cord it was but I assumed it was one of the heaters that I had lying about back there not being used, and unplugged. So I made a wrong move while untangling the air pump's cord, and then I hear a big SMASH. The cord the pump was tangled with was the heater that was being used in the tub that I have my extreme rosetail 'culls' living in, and I had ripped out the heater and it dropped on the floor and broke. But that didn't register yet. I still thought it was the unused heater I stood back, shocked, and tried to regather my thoughts... and then I went and touched the heating element. HOT! And that is when I realised which heater it was, and it was STILL PLUGGED IN...and broken for 5 mins already. That could have ended in disaster. Me and heaters don't match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duke Posted January 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2007 All these heater stories are making me nervous. I think I will buy a power board with switches on it and use my trusty label maker to make sure i turn the right one off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figure_8 Posted January 18, 2007 Report Share Posted January 18, 2007 I think I'm going to have to take notice of this thread and label my cords. Wiggling the cord to see which piece of equipment wobbles in return doesn't always work - especially when I get the cords tangled! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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