# How to efficiently heating a cellar emersed setup?



## rusticitas (Mar 10, 2004)

I found a discarded 55g aquarium about a year ago and stuck it in the basement. It's not pretty. I ripped off as much of the cracked plastic trim as I could, used a razor blade to cut out the aged and cracked caulk in there, then re-caulked it. It's ugly, so I thought I would just set it up for learning and experimenting with emersed growth, especially crypts.

I will be setting this up in an unfinished basement, so it likely will get down to around 40F at times during the winter. Since these are tropical plants, what is the most efficient (in terms of electricity, and in terms of distribution/evenness) way to keep it warm? Also, what are good parameters for ambient temperature and humidity?

I was thinking of something like the Hydor Hydrokable on the bottom of the tank under a couple of inches of loose aquarium gravel. In my reasoning this would seem to evenly distribute the heating across the bottom of the tank. If I chose a good type of material or gravel that would help distribute the heat as well, and immersed in water, this would work out well.

(I did not find any references to heating cable use on this forum.)

Any thoughts?


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## mhoy (Jun 12, 2007)

Electrical resistance heat is 100% efficient, losses in your system is another matter.

Insulate the sides/back/bottom of the tank against heat loss with some foam. 
Insulate the front with a remove-able piece so you can enjoy looking at the tank.

An enclosed top is a must do.
The lights inside may need venting depending on the power of the lights.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Electrical heating is not as cheap as say natural gas heating and other alternatives. 

Might be easier to get an electric heater though. 

Also electrical resistance heating is not 100% efficient, some of the energy goes to producing light/sound which contributes to efficiency loss.

You might also look into under gravel heating cables. Or maybe some of those reptile heating pads that you can stick under the tank.


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## ed seeley (Dec 1, 2006)

An inch of polystyrene is all they apparently use to insulate aircraft holds! I'd get some thick polystyrene and put it on the back and sides. On the front and hood you could use mutli-walled polycarbonate or one of the thermally resistant insulators you can use behind radiators. The latter would keep the light from the lights in too to help with heating.


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