Heating your Fishroom

Hello,

Ive been told that you can use a oil room heater in your fishroom and then cover the walls with polystyrene instead of a heater in each aquarium to heat the water. This is supposedly more economical in the long run but I would assume its better for larger fish rooms with maybe atleast 20 aquariums? Does anyone use this method?

Thanks,
Mitchell

 

- No, they always seem to overheat the environment - did try it a few years ago did not like the result.

- Yes done that to all "cold face" walls

- Only have heaters in tanks where the fish require a more stable, higher heat environment.

- Not sure about that

My take for 2011 is this .. reduce the movement of cold air into your fishroom - close vents, cover windows with transparent plastic sheeting, insulate bigger windows with polystyrene sheeting. If you can insulate the roof.

Then I rely on the volume of water in the room to assist in maintaining the temp of the room. Keep an eye on the fish - notice when the cold is starting to affect them then add a heater to that tank. Run your tanks on the lowest possible temp for the fish in the tank. As a side note - if you are stacking tanks consider not running the tanks on the floor level for winter - cold air drops and this will need loads more energy to keep them acceptable.

 

I know this is a very old thread.. maybe members have found new ways to heat a fishroom since 2011?
i was thinking insulating all wall with polystyrene and daily heating the room with a gas heater for 30 minutes or so?

 

Eish - gas heater + polystyrene = looking for trouble.
When polystyrene burns it gives off toxic fumes.

I sealed off all the windows in my office / fish room with polystyrene, and just that already made a huge difference.
If you can panel the walls as well that should make a difference.

 

see... thats why I post here!! didnt think of that at all.
my plan has changed from wendy house to laundry room. I got approval from higher authorities( aka wife) and that room has no windows and plumbing is already installed. so it makes more sense to build the fishroom there.
i will insulate all the walls around the tanks. im just trying to cut down on the number of heaters. i know they will work less in an insulated room, but to buy 20 heaters for 20 tanks is just not on!!

 

most research i have done points to air con unit that can heat up is most long term economical solution.
Air con will also help with the high levels of humidity witch cause havoc in my case when i had 12 tanks in one room, ended up having to replaster walls and rebuild cupboards that where in the room

 

Only issue (other than the power bill) if I put an air con in the fish room the other 1/4 will either move into the fish room or would want one in the lounge, bedroom and under her favorite tree ... so no !!!

In an semi OK insulated room - you do not need to heat each tank ... I would heat the big tanks only - see how the room holds the temps and then for specialty growout heat select small tanks.

Your fish tank becomes a heat store and radiator ...

If you are getting serious about this fish room thing, then a WC jojo in the fish room will save you loads on heating water before / during and after a WC.

Later Ferdie

 

I use gas to heat my fish room...BUT make sure you use a lpg qualified installer...my future project is to use a lpg heater that is mounted onto a wall. I will post pics of the heater in the week