# Best way to hide aquarium heater?



## MCFC (Feb 12, 2017)

If you have a canister filter you can use an inline heater. Hydor makes a decent one. There are also DIY options too.


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## oscarlloydjohn (Dec 3, 2017)

I find plants do fine next to the heater as long as they aren't touching the heating element.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## waterblossom (Jun 19, 2018)

*Thank you!*



MCFC said:


> If you have a canister filter you can use an inline heater. Hydor makes a decent one. There are also DIY options too.


Unfortunately I don't have one of those. Maybe in the future I'll look into a canister filter! Thanks for the suggestion 

Bump:


oscarlloydjohn said:


> I find plants do fine next to the heater as long as they aren't touching the heating element.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Awesome! Thanks so much for the input. I guess I will be looking for some taller plants then


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## Fishtanks (Nov 21, 2016)

MCFC said:


> If you have a canister filter you can use an inline heater. Hydor makes a decent one. There are also DIY options too.


Agreed on canister filter! It can remove waste and harmful toxins from water.


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## tamsin (Jan 12, 2011)

If you plan on a black background you can also get black heaters/heater grills that would help in blend.


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

While any number of things will help, it can depends on how you want it to look and how your tank is set. The main idea to keep in mind is that the heater will work better if it is more or less upright and that it does need good circulation around it. Plants will normally not be harmed as the heater will not get that hot underwater if there is good flow to carry that heat away. Tall plants can help!
Painting to blend in can also work. spray cans put out a very thin coat that will not bother the heater much. There are some designed for hot surfaces and I have never found a paint that was a problem in the tank when used with care. Take care to let the paint dry fully so that all the volatile stuff is gone. 
But my favorite? I love to make wood covers as they do double duty. How much work to get how much covered depends on you but I often cut the back off a tall wood item. hollow out the back to fit the heater and then stick it in a corner. Making sure it has a small powerhead to blow water around is one I always watch. But then I also have the tall wood which is a great place to put plants like Java moss or fern. The plants make the tank more useful as it adds height to the cover which the fish want. 
Sometimes I use a combo of wood hiding the top and the bottom open but behind other stuff like rocks.


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## AbbeysDad (Apr 13, 2016)

I have a 500w titanium heater just above the substrate on the back wall....bet you can't see it!


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## waterblossom (Jun 19, 2018)

**



tamsin said:


> If you plan on a black background you can also get black heaters/heater grills that would help in blend.


That's a good idea! Thanks for the suggestion!

Bump:


PlantedRich said:


> While any number of things will help, it can depends on how you want it to look and how your tank is set. The main idea to keep in mind is that the heater will work better if it is more or less upright and that it does need good circulation around it. Plants will normally not be harmed as the heater will not get that hot underwater if there is good flow to carry that heat away. Tall plants can help!
> Painting to blend in can also work. spray cans put out a very thin coat that will not bother the heater much. There are some designed for hot surfaces and I have never found a paint that was a problem in the tank when used with care. Take care to let the paint dry fully so that all the volatile stuff is gone.
> But my favorite? I love to make wood covers as they do double duty. How much work to get how much covered depends on you but I often cut the back off a tall wood item. hollow out the back to fit the heater and then stick it in a corner. Making sure it has a small powerhead to blow water around is one I always watch. But then I also have the tall wood which is a great place to put plants like Java moss or fern. The plants make the tank more useful as it adds height to the cover which the fish want.
> Sometimes I use a combo of wood hiding the top and the bottom open but behind other stuff like rocks.


I'm glad to know the heater works better upright! And thanks for the tip about plants! I'll most likely be looking into plant options to cover the rod  The painting idea is cool too though! And your last wood trick is awesome! Sounds like your tank looks pretty amazing 

Bump:


AbbeysDad said:


> I have a 500w titanium heater just above the substrate on the back wall....bet you can't see it!


Yep, the heater is hidden for sure! I would have never guessed  Your tank is stunning btw!


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

My heater and filter in/out are also hidden but I like the added "real estate" for planting? :grin2:
My breeding tank for rainbow cichlids but they liked to stay away from flashing lights!


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## waterblossom (Jun 19, 2018)

PlantedRich said:


> My heater and filter in/out are also hidden but I like the added "real estate" for planting? :grin2:
> My breeding tank for rainbow cichlids but they liked to stay away from flashing lights!


Wow! They really are hidden well  Your tank is beautiful and I love all the lush plants! I think I see one cichlid poking out from behind the plant cover :grin2: super awesome!


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

I was a full blown fish keeper who got into plants as a way to expand what I was doing (more challenge, more fun?) by adding plants to make the fish look and feel better. So with cichlids being one of my main interests, I had often had tanks with just lot of limestone to give the hiding and caves where many of my fish bred. A pile of rocks gets pretty boring so I started with plants in pots and that morphed into adding plants that grew best when they were attached to things. So now I often have a tank with a pile of rocks or wood to give them cover but then I add plants on top to make it look more like what I want. 
Just as a side issue, I found there was no reason not to fit some of that wood so that powerheads, heaters and filters could also be hidden. I keep a lot of cichlids that do like to dig out a nest site and that does take some extra thought to figure out where they dig and where I can plant without them digging it out. Sometimes it works and sometimes it fails?


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## waterblossom (Jun 19, 2018)

PlantedRich said:


> I was a full blown fish keeper who got into plants as a way to expand what I was doing (more challenge, more fun?) by adding plants to make the fish look and feel better. So with cichlids being one of my main interests, I had often had tanks with just lot of limestone to give the hiding and caves where many of my fish bred. A pile of rocks gets pretty boring so I started with plants in pots and that morphed into adding plants that grew best when they were attached to things. So now I often have a tank with a pile of rocks or wood to give them cover but then I add plants on top to make it look more like what I want.
> Just as a side issue, I found there was no reason not to fit some of that wood so that powerheads, heaters and filters could also be hidden. I keep a lot of cichlids that do like to dig out a nest site and that does take some extra thought to figure out where they dig and where I can plant without them digging it out. Sometimes it works and sometimes it fails?


So cool to hear your transition from rocks only to rocks+plants! I'm sure your cichlids are very happy  Interesting to know that they like to dig nests! I had no idea.


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## Immortal1 (Feb 18, 2015)

AbbeysDad said:


> I have a 500w titanium heater just above the substrate on the back wall....bet you can't see it!



Guess we follow the same idea. Have my Eheim 300 watt laying horizontal along the back wall. With all the plants you have to really look to find it.
PlantedRich has a lot of good points - but, so far I personally have not had any issues with mine mounted horizontally.


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

Cichlids are such a huge group that saying any single thing about them all is likely to be wrong! Some cichlids do dig. The African cichlid group known as "mbuna" or "rock fish" are pretty common diggers when they spawn. But then there are also the open water African cichlids who do very little digging. One that I keep is the large Protomelas type called insignus that only come down to the bottom to attract a female and just clears the spot of debris without really digging. We sometimes get too involved with the simple idea that a group of fish do a single action, when we really need to look much closer at them as individual species or single fish. Kind of like saying dogs bite and cats scratch! Some are more prone to it than others and I certainly don't want to give anybody the idea that cichlids do any one special action as they do come in everything from angelfish to Oscars and can be as meek and mild as rainbow cichlids or as mean as Malawi eyebiters! We just have to do a better job of sorting out the good from the bad, whether it is a fish or a human. 
One of the things that attracts me to the cichlid group is the varied actions when they breed. I can't imagine anything more dedicated than a female fish who holds the eggs in her mouth and avoids eating them for as long as a month! Most advanced thinking parents would do almost anything to save their kids but I'm not real sure I could go as far as my fish!!

I see Immortal's post and want to respond. I do not mean that it is always a problem but something that very much depends on the heater and how it is designed as well as placed. Just a general idea that since the controls on many of the common heaters are located in the top and heat does tend to flow up, many are designed and do work better if they are located so the heat inside the tube does flow up to allow the controls to sense that heat quicker/better. With many different heaters and designs, I should not make any statements that they all do the same. Just like my fish and human example, we need to do a good job of sorting them out?


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## waterblossom (Jun 19, 2018)

Immortal1 said:


> Guess we follow the same idea. Have my Eheim 300 watt laying horizontal along the back wall. With all the plants you have to really look to find it.
> PlantedRich has a lot of good points - but, so far I personally have not had any issues with mine mounted horizontally.


Wow, Immortal! Your tank looks super awesome!  Definitely in awe right now!

Bump:


PlantedRich said:


> Cichlids are such a huge group that saying any single thing about them all is likely to be wrong! Some cichlids do dig. The African cichlid group known as "mbuna" or "rock fish" are pretty common diggers when they spawn. But then there are also the open water African cichlids who do very little digging. One that I keep is the large Protomelas type called insignus that only come down to the bottom to attract a female and just clears the spot of debris without really digging. We sometimes get too involved with the simple idea that a group of fish do a single action, when we really need to look much closer at them as individual species or single fish. Kind of like saying dogs bite and cats scratch! Some are more prone to it than others and I certainly don't want to give anybody the idea that cichlids do any one special action as they do come in everything from angelfish to Oscars and can be as meek and mild as rainbow cichlids or as mean as Malawi eyebiters! We just have to do a better job of sorting out the good from the bad, whether it is a fish or a human.
> One of the things that attracts me to the cichlid group is the varied actions when they breed. I can't imagine anything more dedicated than a female fish who holds the eggs in her mouth and avoids eating them for as long as a month! Most advanced thinking parents would do almost anything to save their kids but I'm not real sure I could go as far as my fish!!
> 
> I see Immortal's post and want to respond. I do not mean that it is always a problem but something that very much depends on the heater and how it is designed as well as placed. Just a general idea that since the controls on many of the common heaters are located in the top and heat does tend to flow up, many are designed and do work better if they are located so the heat inside the tube does flow up to allow the controls to sense that heat quicker/better. With many different heaters and designs, I should not make any statements that they all do the same. Just like my fish and human example, we need to do a good job of sorting them out?


That makes sense! I guess each fish has their own character  Indeed, cichlids win most dedicated parents!


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## lenabruu (Apr 6, 2019)

How do you get your plants so big? Mine are tiny and don't seem to want to grow (except for the big blob of hornwort).


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## GabrielleSimpsonC (Aug 27, 2020)

It's a great idea to cover it with plants. Just place the plants a few centimeters from the heater. Thus, you can hide it and it will not harm fish or something else. I think you will succeed. For example I am using two different fish tank heaters in opposite corners. usually only one is turned on, and the second is there just in case the first one has problems. Also, if it gets too cold, then I turn it on too. It was very difficult to hide them, but I did it. Of course, they are still slightly visible, but they are not particularly noticeable, since they are small in size by themselves. Also, do not forget that the aquarium can be decorated outside and thus hide the heater. Good luck!


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## jsvand5 (Aug 26, 2012)

Best way to hide it is to just not use one. What temp do you keep your house at?


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## kristyjackson (Dec 10, 2020)

Nice tank you have there!


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## Leeatl (Aug 8, 2015)

I have a sump on my 75 so the heaters are in there , but my 30 only has a canister filter . I would like to get an inline one . Anyone know about how much they affect the flow ? I use controllers so it doesn't mater if my heaters are upside down ...lol


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## ichthyogeek (Jul 9, 2014)

I agree with hiding heaters with plants. You'd never know there was a heater and a sponge filter hiding behind that dense forest of stem plants would you....


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