I'm trying to set up a 55G tank with Eco-Complete and am wondering if I will need a heating cable with under the substrate? It will be a planted tank with fish.
Thank you,
Yuri
Thank you,
Yuri
Sand heating cable.
- Thread starter Yuri De Lima
- Start date
I'm new to keeping live plants myself, and I was wondering about having cables heat the substrate too. What is the point of heating the roots?? dose it just help circulate water by the roots or is keeping the roots warm helpful?
From what I've read heating cables are occasionally used based on the theory that warming the substrate by as little as one degree higher than the temperature of the water will pull nutrients from the water down into the substrate and help deliver them to the roots.
I heard many experienced plant aquarist say that if it does work, they've never seen it. Many have heating cables that they do not use for any tank and will gladly sell all of them to you if you want them. So I gave up on using heating cables.
But go ahead and try it if you want.
I heard many experienced plant aquarist say that if it does work, they've never seen it. Many have heating cables that they do not use for any tank and will gladly sell all of them to you if you want them. So I gave up on using heating cables.
But go ahead and try it if you want.
tanker
Josh Holloway--Be mine!!!
From what I have read heating the subtrate is better then heating water. The "colder" gravel retards the plants growth.
I have never had a gravel heater (I use a jabo heater). My plants grow fine and have lots of them.
I have never had a gravel heater (I use a jabo heater). My plants grow fine and have lots of them.
I have only known of one significant plant expert to support the use of substrate heating in this country. Most growers who invested in these while they were popular have removed and stored or thrown them away as having no beneficial function.
tanker said:
You can read it the myth till you are blue, till one of these supporters decides to show either myself or Claus from Tropica up, I'm all ears.
We know it does not work and makes no sense.
Maybe "the plant fairy" will help grow plants also.
And RTR, the one person fess up at the end, not sure, seemed to provide long term stability to a tank vs another. That was the best evidence I've ever heard and that was in a temp controlled place(72F all year long).
I'm harsh, but I've already done enough with this issue and can support my arguments well and I have a lot of experiences with them.
Claus did some studies (he's the VP at Tropica, the largest tropical plant nursery in Europe) showing that the optimal rate of exchange with the substrate was about 1/2 liter /m^/day, this is normal diffusion, no heat, no UG filter etc.
So...........you can believe what you want, but that's all you have with heating cables, belief
Save your money.
Regards,
Tom Barr
www.BarrReport.com