ttlee858 October 6, 2009 Share October 6, 2009 hello all, Quick question on where everyone places their heater; in the sump or in their tank? I've been running a Stealth 200W on my 58G and had it placed in the sump. To make a long story short, There was a malfunction to my heater and I sent it to the warrenty dept for a new one. I received a reply from them stating "The heaters should not be placed in the sump. Because the water level fluctuates constantly in the sump area, it can cause the heater to malfunction. The heater should never be operated outside a filled aquarium. There are a number of issues that can occur, when a heater is placed in the sump." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Lazar October 6, 2009 Share October 6, 2009 I think most people with sumps put them in their sump. Just make sure that the heater and it's temperature sensor will always stay underwater. The advantage to placing in the display is you can heat your tank when the return pump is disconnected for maintenance or if it fails. But it doesn't look nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trockafella October 6, 2009 Share October 6, 2009 I think most people with sumps put them in their sump. Just make sure that the heater and it's temperature sensor will always stay underwater. The advantage to placing in the display is you can heat your tank when the return pump is disconnected for maintenance or if it fails. But it doesn't look nice. +1.. I have always had it in the sump and never had a problem... Or I suppose you can use an inline heater, then its not in the display or sump.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fazio92 October 6, 2009 Share October 6, 2009 +1 as long as you place the heater low enough in the sump, to the point where no matter what it is under water, you're golden! It's all about water being a good insulator vs air not, allowing the heater to over heat and burnout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epleeds October 6, 2009 Share October 6, 2009 this is good to know, since i just put my heater in my sump last night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S October 6, 2009 Share October 6, 2009 my heater is in my sump, however, I was told you shouldn't lay your heater directly on the glass bottom in your sump, because heaters can crack the glass... it's never happened to me, but I believe it could happen, so my heater is propped up about an inch from the glass bottom of my sump... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
extreme_tooth_decay October 6, 2009 Share October 6, 2009 (edited) I like to keep mine between the baffles in the sump. Constant water height and good water movement. If you have room for it there (I had a big sump with tall baffles, so I did) I use the plastic spacer that came in the heater box to keep it spaced between the baffles and off the bottom. Edited October 6, 2009 by extreme_tooth_decay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu October 6, 2009 Share October 6, 2009 I have mine in one of the baffles in my sump so it's not in an area where the water fluctuates. Only thing that has me worried is that my sump is acrylic. Anyone had any experience with heaters melting into acrylic? Will it get hot enough to do this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Lazar October 6, 2009 Share October 6, 2009 As long as the heater's underwater, it can't get hot enough to melt plastic or crack glass. If you're still worried, put the heater inside a larger diameter piece of PVC pipe. If there's a separate temperature sensor though, it should be in the same compartment as the actual heater. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve175 October 7, 2009 Share October 7, 2009 +1 for in sump between baffles for constant water level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheac12 October 7, 2009 Share October 7, 2009 +1 for in sump between baffles for constant water level. I ended up moving mine from the sump to the tank. It didnt look great, but after my feed pump died and I didn't notice(ie on vacation) and I lost my Emperor. I now keep one in the sump, and one in the tank(low to hid). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chucelli October 7, 2009 Share October 7, 2009 Keep it in your sump. Just make sure you have plenty of flow around it, otherwise, it will just heat up the surrounding water volume and turn off, leading to inaccurate temp management. Also make sure if you are putting it in a plastic sump, that you rest the heater on some kind of tile. If the heater fails in the on position, it could melt through the plastic causing a flood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davjbeas October 7, 2009 Share October 7, 2009 I always shut off the power to the heater during water changes. If the heater is on and not submersed It will get hot and when the water level goes back the glass will shatter. I keep mine in the sump. It just is laying on the sump bottom. Never had a problem. I think I will raise it up an inch though, for safety when I get home. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Lazar October 7, 2009 Share October 7, 2009 I always shut off the power to the heater during water changes.If the heater is on and not submersed It will get hot and when the water level goes back the glass will shatter. I keep mine in the sump. It just is laying on the sump bottom. Never had a problem. I think I will raise it up an inch though, for safety when I get home. David I always unplug my heater before a water change, and plug it back in when I'm done. Except for the times I've forgotton about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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