LF substrate heater, any advice?

[Deep Seven]

I'm planning on using a substrate heater for my planted puffer tank. Can anyone with experience with these recommend any brands to use or stay away from?

 

[mgamer20o0]

well if you want waste your money go for it.... they are not very efficient for heating the tanks and they have no benefit for the plants.

 

[Deep Seven]

Well, from what I've read they help keep the substrate oxygenated by promoting flow, thus helping plants thrive. I'm not big on wasting money, just trying to do whats best for my fish. So, back to my question, which one should I go for?

 

[mgamer20o0]

where did you read it at?

Cables do not help the tank, they also do not hurt either.
I've never seen any evidence nor arguments to suggest that they do work and I've done numerous sets up test show and illustrate this.

Low, no, and high flow through the sediments of several types, heated and unheated water etc.

I'm sorry, but the products utility is a myth, to date no one has even remotely show any hard evidence, other than belief alone, that they offer anything worthwhile to the planted hobby.

They have been sold for some 25 years now and nothing has ever surfaced suggesting they offer anything.

You be the judge of that.
I've used them for 10 years, that ought to be long enough to see something don't you think?
7 different tanks, and several other tanks with no and high flow sediment systems to compare against.

Those that support their use have not done a good analysis nor set up to show that they do offer some significant benefit.

You also will not many folks that used them back in the 1990's noted that during the summer, they shut them off due to hot temps and they noted no differences in growth.
Some claimed cold feet in the colder months, so all we had to do was turn them off then and observe.

Again, no changes.

If something claims to be "very subtle and something over the long term, adds stability over several years" then it's really not a significant treatment to add to your tank to begin with..........what does stability mean?'
How is that measured over say several years given all the possible things that can go wrong over that time frame?

I think the burden of proof is upon those that claim cables do something positive.

To date not one person has ever show that to be the case and Tropica, the largest Aquatic plant grower in Europe, disagrees, Claus, Ole and Troels all said that they produce a flow rate that is too high for optimal plant growth.

I study aquatic plants for a living, Ole, Troels, Claus, myself all did our grad work and research on aquatic plants. If we are all wrong, someone needs to show it. Research suggest otherwise however. I've been waiting 25 years so far for anything that says it works as claimed. Nothing, nada, zip.

I've met plenty on the web that claim it works but all they ever have offered was mere belief and they had perhaps one tank only and had never done any testing to know one way or another.

I can put crystal orbs in my tank and get the same results based on that line of reasoning.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[Deep Seven]

Thanks for the post.

I think I read it on The Planted Tank forums as a way of avoiding anerobic conditions in a deeper substrate. On the surface it sounds logical, but without a lab and proper equipment I'm not sure how I'd prove or disprove it.

Tom Barr seems to know what he's talking about though, so I'll probably drop this idea for now.

 

[BigJim]

MTS do a great job of aerating the substrate.