# Natural gas aquarium heater (DIY) ? tons of massive pics, step by step



## proaudio55 (Oct 20, 2011)

Setup and install

This is will be controlled with an existing heat controller I DIY’d a while ago. 
TPT thread: Building a DIY heat controller (emergency shut off) - tons of pics.

A little re wiring and we’re in business.








http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/pHosting/f/9396_heat_7c.jpg


I plan on bypassing about 95% of the heated boiler water back down to the boiler with the mixing valve. This will reduce the heat delivered to the tank and thereby avoid massive, sharp temperature spikes.

Here’s how it will be plumbed into the system:








http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/pHosting/f/10187_tank_plumbing_2b.gif





PLACE HOLDER: INSTALL AND OPERATION
 

If anyone wants to give me 20 grand so I can get my addition built 5 years ahead of schedule, I'm currently accepting donations!


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

:what:
Mother of God....

Thats a really great idea and beautiful workmanship. I am very impressed!

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2


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## jcgd (Feb 18, 2004)

Definately one of the cooler DIYs I've ever seen. Do you have a method of testing it? I really want to know how well it works.


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## proaudio55 (Oct 20, 2011)

jcgd said:


> Definately one of the cooler DIYs I've ever seen. Do you have a method of testing it? I really want to know how well it works.


I won't be able to set it up for a few years ... It's going to take the wife and I a couple years to save-up the money to build a family-room addition. ++crossing my fingers to win the lottery++ 

It was really slow at work a few weeks ago so I knocked this unit together, just for something to do. That's the reason I built a mega-heater without a mega-tank to use it on. ;-)


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## ElBoltonero (Jan 18, 2012)

Awesome idea...it's like the opposite of a wort chiller used in brewing.

http://www.amazon.com/Convoluted-Counter-flow-Wort-Chiller/dp/B0064OE20A

The just-boiled wort goes through in one direction, you hook cold water up to go in the other direction. Chills the wort enough to put yeast in to start fermentation.


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## ChadRamsey (Nov 3, 2011)

wow, what BEAUTIFUL welds!:thumbsup:


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## Pen3 (Jan 2, 2007)

Looks like average welds to me. We do pharmaceutical equipments in 316, 420, and 440 and those welds would get rejected.


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## proaudio55 (Oct 20, 2011)

Pen3 said:


> Looks like average welds to me. We do pharmaceutical equipments in 316, 420, and 440 and those welds would get rejected.


I'm all about gorilla welds: "Ugly but strong" 

When I knocked this together I really didn't care about how pretty the welds looked or focus on consistent penetration, etc . . . I also didn't back-purge with argon so the inside looks like hell. But, it leak checks and is plenty good for my application.  Once this is installed, the whole thing will get wrapped up with fiberglass insulation and no one will know the difference!

Just a note:
If somebody really wanted to get a store bought version of this rig, do a google search for: +stainless +shell +pool +heater
... but the problem with a store bought T&S unit is that they have lots of internal parts to get clogged / gunked up with organic matter. Fouling is always a problem when you have lots of delicate internals. So yes, there's massive surface area for rapid heating, but an aquarium is a few hundred gallons at most; not 30,000; Those internal parts are a liability, not an asset.

Commercially available stainless steel pool heater


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