Most of the aquarium fish are tropical inhabitants. Room temperature water is not suitable for them. The aquarium needs to be heated. This can be done in several ways.
It is necessary
- - an aquarium;
- - water thermometer;
- - thermostat;
- - incandescent lamps;
- - reflector;
- - aquarium heater.
Instructions
Step 1
The oldest means of heating water is a reflector. You can make it yourself in the form of a tin half-cylinder. At the end, fix the socket with an electric incandescent lamp. The lamp must be inside the reflector. Hang the device from the end of the aquarium so that the top of the reflector is below the water level. This is necessary so that the glass heats up evenly and does not burst. This method is suitable for both heating and lighting small rectangular aquariums with a maximum capacity of 30 liters.
Step 2
Submerge the incandescent lamp directly into the aquarium water. In this case, fix the cartridge on the lid in a special hole so that only the cylinder is in the water. Water must not touch the cartridge. The efficiency of such a system is much higher than that of a reflector. The power of this heating device is equal to the power of the lamp. But with this method, the flask is overgrown with algae.
Step 3
The most perfect method is heating with a special heater. You can buy it at a pet store. This heater is a long test tube in which an electric coil is placed. The tube is filled with fine dry quartz sand. Hermetically sealed coil leads are located at the top of the coil. Such a heater is connected to the network using a cord.
Step 4
Heaters can be of different heights and power. Choose such that when immersed in the aquarium, the upper part with the wire leads is at least 2 cm above the water level. In this case, the lower end should not rest against the bottom. To maintain the required temperature, you can adhere to a ratio of 10 l - 10 watts.
Step 5
Secure the heater to the aquarium with rubber suction cups and plastic rings. If you cannot find them, you can use a metal wire as a fastener. Such an attachment must be above the water level.
Step 6
Use a thermostat at the same time as the heater. They are also sold at pet stores. Monitor the temperature of the water in the aquarium with a thermometer immersed in it
Step 7
To ensure even heating of the aquarium, circulate the water - install a filter of some kind. You can arrange aeration using a compressor.
