Heater in plastic sump

[Todd]

I just did my freshwater fill to check for leaks in my 150 Gal. I am using a 40 gal. Rubbermaid tote for a sump for budget reasons. So far everything has gone well. No leaks!!!!! I was wondering if I can put my heaters in the sump or is that a bad idea due to the plastic? Right now I have them in the tank, but I would rather have them in the sump.

 

[TCTFish]

At the store I work at, we've put the heaters in a regular plastic bucket submerged in the sump without any damage. They've been like that for over 10 years. It should be fine.

 

[fishfreek]

Just for safty I would use the little 'plastic' mounting brackets for the heaters and suction cup them to the bottom or side of your sump. As long as you have water around the heaters they wont get so hot as to melt the plastic. If the heater is pressed up aganst the soft plastic of the side and water flow is slow around the heater I suppose it could melt a hole in the sump but that would be a long shot with alot of contengencies.