Heaters in HOB Filters
 

Just wondering what the smallest size AC HOB filter I might be able to use with a small 50W heater in the back. This would be for a 10 gal nano.

JT

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Re: Heaters in HOB Filters
 

You don't mention if you already have the heater or not. Normally available heaters are usually 8" at the shortest. Therefore a AC 200 would not be large enough. It is only 5.5" deep. I am not sure if a AC 300 is large enough, as I don't have one handy. :confused:

Thx Bob. I don't have a heater yet... I was just browsing some minibow forums and reading that some people were using their VisiTherm/Tronic heaters in the back of their AC 300's... it just seemed that an AC 300 is huge for just a 5-7 gal nano.. LoL

JT

You might think that, but I was just up in Edmonton, and Dez is running a AC 500 that is as wide as the minibow he has it on. One would think there would be a sandstorm, but it looks just fine. :mrgreen:

Adjust the flow to minimum, fill the chamber with LR and/or sponge blocks etc, and it doesn't cause too much havoc. I like the way some people light their 500s and use them for a refugium of sorts.

My 300 has only a thermometer in there, but a small Visitherm would fit. I put the foam around it, and some rubble rocks behind...

aquaclear 500
 

I am in the process of putting a aquaclear 500 on my 15 tall. Some people inhibit the impeller by modifiing the fins.
But if you put in the divider (mod. to make the filter a refug/sump) like an over flow into the body , for a little head, :smile: and then slide the
flow restrictor thingy to less than full...the flow should be atenuated enough ...hail mary and all that.
My tronic 50w fits perfect in the body with room for sand macro algea/LR
etc.
It also has been suggested that LR strategically placed inside can help with flow also.
Good luck

Re: Heaters in HOB Filters
 

We had a Tronic 50w heater in an AquaClear Mini in our 7g bowfront nano. Had to take out the media basket to fit in the heater and pack foam around it. I think we used one full Mini foam, plus one half or one quarter of another foam to pack it in tightly. Worked great :cool:

i've got a sera 50w in my aquaclear 300... and a piece of plexiglass glued in with some liverock on the other side. the plexi keeps the current out of the tiny refugium. :) also with the aquaclears (except for the 500 and the mini i think) you can swap the impellors to reduce the current... i've got a 150 impellor in mine. works great, nice to have the heater outside the tank.

There's a couple of 6" 50 watt heaters you can pick up, visitherm & ebo jagger make one and marine land has a 6" for cheap.

It'd be close on a AC 200, but you could dremel a hole in the top plate as long as you can reach the water line you should be okay. I've aslo seen non-submersable heaters hooked up this way.

Another option if you're a DIY type is a heating module for a hot filter. Some of those are quite small, but getting it to fit would take a bit of work.

Hope it helps.