Heaters

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Fish_fanatic

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Nov 13, 2003
Messages
141
Location
Canada
is it possible to use hang on back heaters or do they have to be submersible? I've read that hang on back heaters get salt creep... what exactly is this?

Thanks:D
 
Personally I feel hang on back heaters are lower quality and the heater is one area that you dont want to sacrafice quality. A good quality submerisble heater will last you for many years.

Salt creep is the collection of salt above the water line. Unlike FW when SW evaporates the salt and other trace elements in the water are left behind and they cristalize in to a solid form. As more and more of this accumulates it pushes the existing crystals up thus the 'creep' aspect of the salt. Since a hang on heater would extend above the water surface as the water level in the main tank slowly fluxuates due to evaporation (assuming you dont use a sump) there would become an accumulation of dried salt on the heater. This would need to be removed on a regular basis.
 
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