As mentioned in a previous post, I'm contemplating installing a 400L planted tank and currently looking at equipment.
In my current 200L tank, I've installed cable heating from Dennerle along with their temp controller (Duomat 1200 comfort). This temp controller allows you to plug both your standard aquarium heater and your cable heating into it. It then, through a sensor in the aquarium, regulates which heating system to use, always giving priority to the cable heating.
The controller is very expensive and I'm looking at another option which I've heard of: to just plug the cable heating into the electric socket and leave it on all the time (it's low voltage so doesn't heat up that much).
Dupla make a substrate heater called "Dupla Thermik Set Omega". The cables do not require a thermostat and stay on 24 hours. They only heat the substrate, not the water column. Each cable is rated for 200 litres. They are $98 each over here in Australia.
Voltage isn't a good way to describe how the cable will heat up the tank. Wattage determines that... I heard the Dennerle cables are low wattage, while Dupla is more into higher wattage, but of course both could be selling both flavors.
So anyway... I think it depends on the temperature of the surroundings. If the place where the tank is remains at a very stable temp, this should work out just great. If the room gets warm in Summer, cool at nights etc you would need a controller.
In my case, I don't use the cables for about 8 months a year, because the tank gets too warm. For the other 3 or 4 months, I plugged the cable into a dimmer (reducing the current --> output) and into a timer, which turns the heater on at nighttime, when the temp of the tank lowered.
Finally I bought a controller (Ranco ETC), but now in Summer I am using it to control the fan that cools the lights.
Does anyone know where to purchase a Dennerle Duomat temperature controller in the USA?
I know Dupla has an electronic controller but I like the idea of one controller balancing both the subtrate heater and my external inline heater. I don't think the Dupla does that.
I use a cheap high wattage cable heater plus a regular heater, plug both into a generic digital temperature controller(both on/off same time). Don't know if the cable heater does anything for plants, but it is very efficient heating the tank.
I bought a dennerle heater cable for cheap, it's rated at 25w and is for aquaria upto 250 litres, mines 180ish. The duomat is ridiculously expensive so i don't wanna go for that. I figured that I'd leave the cable on constantly as there is no way I think it could heat the whole tank especially with such low wattage. I also bought a normal aquarium heater which I am going to plug in to a Maxi-Therm (cheap Algarde thermostat) which will obviously switch the heater on if it's too cold and off when at the correct temp. As it can control 2 heaters I may also look into adapting the inside and make it turn a cooler on if it gets too hot aswell.
I guess though that the tube heater will be on all the time anyways because the substrate will soak up a lot of heat.
Does everyone know exactly how tank heaters work? I've just found out myself :icon_redf
dan2ktj: I could get one sent over if you wish? PM me if interested!!
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