Heater: Horizontal or vertical?

[jonstinton]

I've been wondering for a little while, which way it is best to have the heater in a tank. We have ours vertical, but is it bestfor it to be horizontal near the bottom of the tank?

Thanks,

Jon&Liz

[flipz]

I previously had a heater that couldn't be completely submerged. It was made to just clip on the back. Well now I have one that can be, but I still have it exactly as my old one was, and it works fine. I have just the control knob above the water.

The LFS has the exact same heater in all their tanks though, and it's at the bottom horizontal. But I always figured it was just because they wanted to hide it so the tanks look better. *shrug*

-brent

[krap101]

i think it looks nicer at the bottom of the tank. and u dun gotta turn it off when u do water chanegs too. cuz that water line thingy. but im sure it heats the water the same. for the sumbersable ones id kep em verticle until u get the right temp. then u can submerge it (the nob)

[RogerMcAllen]

I do mine verticle, I figure it can't look too much worse than the tube from the HOB.

[TankGirl]

If it is easier to hide I use a submersible and keep it horizontal behind something, and if I have a vertical structure or planting that hides the filter intake I put it there, vertically. I do not notice a difference in the way the tank is heated, between the tanks with vertical and those with horizontal, as I have stick-on thermometers on both ends of the tank. Interesting question!

[RocketSeason]

I usually do mine vertical. Id much rather see it hanging vertical in the corner than horizontal along the bottom with a wire running up the side. But I spend most of my time looking at the bottom anyway. Plus it always freaks me out to see an electrical cord in the water. I just cant get use to it.

[Anemoneman]

Actually both. The one in the main tank is vertical. The one in the sump is horizontal.

[shawmutt]

Both, my 10 gallon is vertical and my 30 gallon is horizontal. They just are hidden that way.

[dsmalls]

Mine is at a 45 degree angle, neither vertical nor horizontal. I couldn't fit the whole thing in vertically in my 20 long. lol

[savga]

If the control is on the heater itself I prefer it to be near the surface so I can adjust it if necessary without wetting my whole arm.

[Christmasfish]

mine is also are also at angles. mostly horizontal

[jonstinton]

Quite a good discussion poin this! :P

Both of mine are vertical, but i may try putting the heater in the small 6gal tank at the back to hide it because i dont like having it on the side.

[MrsPeel]

I'm vertical. I can bring myself to horizontal. Maybe I should slowly put it on the angle till it is horizontal. But I figured since I had the huge HOB a vertical heater couldn't be worse.

[grimlock3000]

I keep my heaters vertical, and directly next to a filter intake.

[jonstinton]

it seems that vertical is the way to be here. are there any differnces in performance of vertcail and horizontal heaters?

You say that you have your heater by the inlet, but surely is in not best by the outlet?

[mhaynes01]

i keep mine at an angle, about in the middle of the back glass and hide it with some rock or plants etc...

[TankGirl]

I do keep mine next to the inlet so that it will draw the warm water through the filter and distribute it throughout the tank. This statement should be in italics because it is just a perception I have and in no way based on science. If the tank is big enough, I keep two small heaters on each end, and if it is a single heater tank the heater goes near the intake.

[grimlock3000]

As long as a tank has good water movement throughout the tank, you can put the heater(s) just about anywhere. In tanks with poor movement of the water, bad heater placement can cause cool and warm spots in the tank. I put my heaters next to the filter intakes for the same reason TankGirl said, to get the warmer water distributed throughout the tank. Placing a heater under the filter outlet would have the same effect of spreading the heated water around. Also, I have plants partially covering the filter intake tubes anyway, so running a heater alongside the intake tube make it partially hidden as well.

Some people have said placing a heater vertically can cause the heater to turn off early. The warmed water rises up the length of the heater and could be more likely to have the heater turn off before the warm water makes it around the tank. Having the heating element right by the intank makes sure the warm water goes around the tank instead of rising straight up and causing the heater to turn off.

[Talon242]

Mines at a 45 degree angle right under my filter outlet.

[Mere Air]

Horizontal, under the HOB intake tube, to distribute the warmed water through the tank. Because it's positioned about an inch above the sand substrate, I don't remove it for water changes. The frog likes to lay under it during the cooler months.