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  • 01-18-2009, 11:27 PM
    takagari
    how bout flexwatt on a fish tank? :D
    i know this isnt a fishf orum but you guys know flex watt and in all honestly I'm setting upa huge tank and am starting to think putting a probe in the water and laying some wide flex under the tank... I dunno. in floor heating for the fishies? :D


    seems to me likeit may work as long as i keep it dry?
  • 01-18-2009, 11:29 PM
    mainbutter
    Re: how bout flexwatt on a fish tank? :D
    Personally I'd stick to more commercial water heaters.. Usually those are submerged in the water and get direct heat source->water contact, which should heat better than through glass.

    then again, I can imagine flexwatt might work just as well..
  • 01-18-2009, 11:35 PM
    Peter Williams
    Re: how bout flexwatt on a fish tank? :D
    Sounds like it COULD work...
  • 01-18-2009, 11:41 PM
    takagari
    Re: how bout flexwatt on a fish tank? :D
    yeah. im thinking it may even work really well. I mean I would need a thrmostat to keep it at 80 be in reality its proven tow ork through glass. would look cleaner. I may run a couple strips on my sump for my new 90g :D
  • 01-19-2009, 12:05 AM
    Beardedragon
    Re: how bout flexwatt on a fish tank? :D
    It wont heat the water. Also, it might be a bad idea, high heat on the glass + cold water seems like to me it would break the glass.
  • 01-19-2009, 12:21 AM
    temec
    Re: how bout flexwatt on a fish tank? :D
    it would most likely break the glass.. if you dont want it to look bad.. maybe get it drilled and build a sump to put everything in so you have no equip in the display
  • 01-19-2009, 09:31 AM
    snakewrangler
    Re: how bout flexwatt on a fish tank? :D
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by takagari View Post
    i know this isnt a fishf orum but you guys know flex watt and in all honestly I'm setting upa huge tank and am starting to think putting a probe in the water and laying some wide flex under the tank... I dunno. in floor heating for the fishies? :D


    seems to me likeit may work as long as i keep it dry?

    This sounds like a terrible idea and an electrical hazard.

    I would seriously doubt that your tank is so "huge" that you could not use one of the commercially available titanium 1000w heaters.
  • 01-19-2009, 11:59 AM
    takagari
    Re: how bout flexwatt on a fish tank? :D
    i never said i scould or wasnt. Its something i'm looking at experimenting with. and if I put it on a GFI i'm sure its perfectly safe.

    i dont see why it wouldnt heat the water? and if its kept at a lower temp it wouldnt beed enough head to crack the glass...

    explain why you think this? maybe if the water was ice, and i applied it at full heat.
  • 01-19-2009, 12:15 PM
    Beardedragon
    Re: how bout flexwatt on a fish tank? :D
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by takagari View Post
    i never said i scould or wasnt. Its something i'm looking at experimenting with. and if I put it on a GFI i'm sure its perfectly safe.

    i dont see why it wouldnt heat the water? and if its kept at a lower temp it wouldnt beed enough head to crack the glass...

    explain why you think this? maybe if the water was ice, and i applied it at full heat.

    The amount of heat it takes to heat water is very high, and having the flexwatt on a low setting would hardly heat the glass. Have you ever felt a water heater? They get HOT! Some ive heard, which I think have a glass case, get so hot that if the water level gets lower than it, the heater itself will explode.
  • 01-19-2009, 01:16 PM
    snakewrangler
    Re: how bout flexwatt on a fish tank? :D
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by takagari View Post
    i never said i scould or wasnt. Its something i'm looking at experimenting with. and if I put it on a GFI i'm sure its perfectly safe.

    i dont see why it wouldnt heat the water? and if its kept at a lower temp it wouldnt beed enough head to crack the glass...

    explain why you think this? maybe if the water was ice, and i applied it at full heat.

    A GFI would certainly protect you against a specific type of electrical hazard. The serious danger would present itself when you tried to wire enough flexwatt (fed from standard duplex wall outlets) to heat a regularly sized aquarium.

    The amount of energy it takes to heat water is tremendous. It is ridiculous to imagine the amount of heat tape it would take to heat a standard size aquarium, especially when it is recommended that the user keep the Flex-Watt at 95 degrees or less to reduce the risk of fire.

    There is a reason that most household water heaters have a heating element that is rated between 4,000 and 5,000 watts. Buy a titanium heater that is made for aquariums. Its safer, cheaper, and people will take you more seriously.
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