Hydor Hydrokable. Is it worth the $$$?

[Soulcoffr]

There's something new I've seen at Drs. Foster and Smith and elsewhere...

Hydor has come out with this undergravel heating system for terrariums and aquariums. You put it under the gravel and it heats the tank from the bottom up and it seems it would do so in a very even manner. Much like underfloor heating in a house.

I like the idea of a virtual elimination of hot spots in the tank and judging by the guidelines provided by Drs. F&S it looks like your wattage of heat per gallon is much lower, thereby giving you a significant energy savings.

In addition, the external controller works with all the lengths of Hydrokable and there are two types. One has an LCD display while the other is just a dial control, but both are electronically controlled and have a temperature probe which is separate from the heating element.

This seems like a wonderful way to go, but it's more expensive than a traditional submerged heater. The other disadvantage is that if it ever fails, it's under your substrate and you'd have to tear everything up to get it.

Has anyone installed this in their setup? I'm curious, because it seems like a very good idea...

Here's the link...
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=11371&N=2004+113767

 

[HYPERASHEL]

i've been wondering about this too. i'd like to see the replies to this.

 

[Soulcoffr]

By the way, thanks to the moderator who moved this thread to the correct place. I meant to post it here, but I goofed.

Carry on...

 

[slammer]

I cannot speak on the quality of this particular model but if it's of decent quality that's a great price...the first "sub substrate" heaters that came out a few years ago were waaayyyy more expensive. These heaters are great for live plant setups. The heat actually creates a very slight current (virtually undetectable) through the root systems of the plants.

Slam

 

[RTR]

IMHO, it is a product in search of an application. >>95% of the folks who installed substrate heaters in their tanks have removed them as worthless and difficult to work around.

 

[SnakeIce]

if you want the heater not visible in the tank the hydor inline heater has good reviews. Won't burn out or burn up if run dry, just need to have it in the return of a external filter with hoses.