Plumbing a Aquanetics Fire Plug 500w Heater!

JimXRS · 03/13/2011, 10:15 PM

So, I'm looking for opinions from those of you that use in-line heaters. I am planning my 32g to 120G upgrade and as most reefers in the north know, heat can be an issue during the winter months. Now, I'm going to be creating a fish room in the basement (enclosed with a door to maintain temp down there) but I need help deciding where to plumb my Aquanetics Fire Plug 500w Heater! Yes, this baby still works. I'll be using a ReeFlo Tarpon 1440gph pressure pump as my return and I'm looking for opinions.

1) Plumb in-line as part of the return.

If I plumb it as part of the return I will reduce the flow rate. This is not only because the water will be forced through the heater but also because the output of the pump is pointed straight up to the tank upstairs which means I'll need two more 90 degree turns. This will also limit my ability to divert some of the flow to other things such as a frag tank, canister filter, etc.

2) Plumb in-line to one of the two over flows.

If I plumb it to one of the two overflows it will get half of the approximately 1000gph return (after 11' of head). That should be fine but I'm not really sure what problems/issues could arise.

Your opinions and experiences are welcome.

Thanks,
Jim

03/13/2011, 10:15 PM	#1
JimXRS Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Southeast, WI Posts: 164	Plumbing a Aquanetics Fire Plug 500w Heater! So, I'm looking for opinions from those of you that use in-line heaters. I am planning my 32g to 120G upgrade and as most reefers in the north know, heat can be an issue during the winter months. Now, I'm going to be creating a fish room in the basement (enclosed with a door to maintain temp down there) but I need help deciding where to plumb my Aquanetics Fire Plug 500w Heater! Yes, this baby still works. I'll be using a ReeFlo Tarpon 1440gph pressure pump as my return and I'm looking for opinions. 1) Plumb in-line as part of the return. If I plumb it as part of the return I will reduce the flow rate. This is not only because the water will be forced through the heater but also because the output of the pump is pointed straight up to the tank upstairs which means I'll need two more 90 degree turns. This will also limit my ability to divert some of the flow to other things such as a frag tank, canister filter, etc. 2) Plumb in-line to one of the two over flows. If I plumb it to one of the two overflows it will get half of the approximately 1000gph return (after 11' of head). That should be fine but I'm not really sure what problems/issues could arise. Your opinions and experiences are welcome. Thanks, Jim