TallDragon
Member
- Joined
- 5 Mar 2013
- Messages
- 211
Hi All,
I am considering getting a heating cable system for my small cube tank - Like the Dennerle Bodenfluter , video link (in german) or Dupla Thermic or ELOS Celsio set or JBL ProTemp. These heating cables are meant to not heat the tank water, but to create a convenction current in the substrate, which has many benefits.
"The Dupla Thermic Set warms the substrate material alone. The resulting temperature difference causes oxygen-rich water to circulate into the lower substrate layers and nutrients to circulate into the upper layers. For aquarium heating an additional regulated heater is necessary. "
I was able to find a very thorough article here and here, in which the concept and benefits are well described, and makes sense. I have also read this positive review here, with the comment: "After five years of experimenting in our nursery, I am convinced that substrate heating in the planted aquarium is key for long term stability in the planted aquarium..... While the tanks without it needed a breakdown and refurbish after 12 to 18 months, the tanks with the cables have been stable for over 5 years to date. If you are going to break down your planted aquarium every year to eighteen months then heating cables may not be a useful investment."
Note: I do not have space for a cabinet with a big volume external filter, so I was thinking of assisting the biological filtration of a corner filter with such a 'bodenfluter' system, perhaps a JBL i100 CristalProfi. My planned tank is 35x35x40 - 50l tank, so a 30cm tall cornerfilter would suffice, I think.
I do not plan to use CO2, I just want a nice, low maintenance low tech tank. So the following sentence grabbed my attention:
"If you tend to tear down your tanks every year or so for whatever reason, don't bother with substrate heating. If you set up a tank for the long haul (longer than one year), substrate heating can greatly improve your chances of success. However, based on our experience, substrate heating will not improve the rate at which plants grow."
This sentence now makes me understand why the high tech aquascapers on this forum, have been telling me to 'drop the idea', as many aquascapers on this forum tend to tear down their beautiful tanks in 18 months, and do want to use C02 to make the plants grow. For a low-tech, low-maintenance, low-cost aquarium I do not need fast plant growth, just a healthy ecosystem that is easy and cheap to maintain.
Many may have confused these cables with those that some use to heat the aquarium water. Also these are not to be compared with using heating mats under the tank, because concentrated heat is needed to create the convection flow.
I have been advised in other threads to start a new thread on the topic. So here it is.
Given, that I need low maintenance (next to 3 kids under 5), and I am a newcomer, with little inclination for CO2, RO water, a big external filter, high fertilization needs or frequent tear down, I have yet to be convinced that this is a bad idea.
Share your thoughts and experiences on this thread.
I am considering getting a heating cable system for my small cube tank - Like the Dennerle Bodenfluter , video link (in german) or Dupla Thermic or ELOS Celsio set or JBL ProTemp. These heating cables are meant to not heat the tank water, but to create a convenction current in the substrate, which has many benefits.
"The Dupla Thermic Set warms the substrate material alone. The resulting temperature difference causes oxygen-rich water to circulate into the lower substrate layers and nutrients to circulate into the upper layers. For aquarium heating an additional regulated heater is necessary. "
I was able to find a very thorough article here and here, in which the concept and benefits are well described, and makes sense. I have also read this positive review here, with the comment: "After five years of experimenting in our nursery, I am convinced that substrate heating in the planted aquarium is key for long term stability in the planted aquarium..... While the tanks without it needed a breakdown and refurbish after 12 to 18 months, the tanks with the cables have been stable for over 5 years to date. If you are going to break down your planted aquarium every year to eighteen months then heating cables may not be a useful investment."
Note: I do not have space for a cabinet with a big volume external filter, so I was thinking of assisting the biological filtration of a corner filter with such a 'bodenfluter' system, perhaps a JBL i100 CristalProfi. My planned tank is 35x35x40 - 50l tank, so a 30cm tall cornerfilter would suffice, I think.
I do not plan to use CO2, I just want a nice, low maintenance low tech tank. So the following sentence grabbed my attention:
"If you tend to tear down your tanks every year or so for whatever reason, don't bother with substrate heating. If you set up a tank for the long haul (longer than one year), substrate heating can greatly improve your chances of success. However, based on our experience, substrate heating will not improve the rate at which plants grow."
This sentence now makes me understand why the high tech aquascapers on this forum, have been telling me to 'drop the idea', as many aquascapers on this forum tend to tear down their beautiful tanks in 18 months, and do want to use C02 to make the plants grow. For a low-tech, low-maintenance, low-cost aquarium I do not need fast plant growth, just a healthy ecosystem that is easy and cheap to maintain.
Many may have confused these cables with those that some use to heat the aquarium water. Also these are not to be compared with using heating mats under the tank, because concentrated heat is needed to create the convection flow.
I have been advised in other threads to start a new thread on the topic. So here it is.
Given, that I need low maintenance (next to 3 kids under 5), and I am a newcomer, with little inclination for CO2, RO water, a big external filter, high fertilization needs or frequent tear down, I have yet to be convinced that this is a bad idea.
Share your thoughts and experiences on this thread.
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