An aquarium heater is a device used in the
fishkeeping hobby to warm the temperature of water in
aquarium
An aquarium (plural: ''aquariums'' or ''aquaria'') is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aq ...
s.
Most tropical
freshwater
Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does include ...
and
marine aquarium
A marine aquarium is an aquarium that keeps ocean, marine plants and animals in a contained environment. Marine aquaria are further subdivided by hobbyists into fish only (FO), fish only with live rock (FOWLR), and reef aquarium, reef aquaria. Fi ...
s are maintained at temperatures that range from 22 to 30 °C (71-86 °F).
[Sands D (1994) ''A fishkeepers guide to Central American cichlids.'' Tetra Press. Belgium pg 59-60.] The types include glass immersion heaters and undergravel heating. There are also heating mats that may be placed under the aquarium.
[
]
Glass immersion heaters
Most commonly, aquarium heaters are immersion style heaters, these heaters consist of a glass tube containing a heating element wound around a ceramic or glass insert. Some glass immersion heaters also contain sand
Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class of s ...
, and most, but not all, are fully submersible
A submersible is a small watercraft designed to operate underwater. The term "submersible" is often used to differentiate from other underwater vessels known as submarines, in that a submarine is a fully self-sufficient craft, capable of ind ...
.thermostat
A thermostat is a regulating device component which senses the temperature of a physical system and performs actions so that the system's temperature is maintained near a desired setpoint.
Thermostats are used in any device or system tha ...
which turns the heating element on to maintain the required temperature.[ A small light in the heater is often included to indicate operation.][
In a small aquarium, one heater can be used; however, in a larger aquarium, two or more may be used. This has the added advantage of one heater being able to compensate in the event of one heater malfunctioning.][
]
Undergravel heating
Heating of the aquarium can also be achieved via a heating element in the form of a flexible heating cable that is buried beneath the aquarium substrate.
Undertank heating
Aquaria can also be heated by the use of heating mats which are placed beneath aquaria.[ Glass is, however, a poor conductor of heat and thus reduces the efficiency of this method of heating.]
See also
*Aquarium
An aquarium (plural: ''aquariums'' or ''aquaria'') is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aq ...
* Fishkeeping
References
Fishkeeping
Heaters
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