Heated Tank Outside in Winter

[dpatte]

has anyone here ever tried this?

[Marc]

I`ve never done it but threre's no reason why it wouldn't work.  You just need to ensure you have sufficient heating capacity.  Insulate as many sides as possible epecially the top.

Maybe a pool heater would work

[Marc]

P.S.  A power shortage would probably be disastrous.

[Julie]

Even a pool heater powered by natural is expensive to run.

Julie

[Mettle]

All that I thought of when I saw this was: $$$.

[Sailfin]

Even a pool heater powered by natural is expensive to run.

Julie

Most people today heat their pools with solar blankets.

[Julie]

Actually I had one and it wore out and I haven't replaced it because I don't know how effective it is.

Julie

[AdamR]

Our friends heat their swimming pool with Natural gas, they say it costs the same as heating the house in the winter.

[BigDaddy]

Even a pool heater powered by natural is expensive to run.

Julie

Most people today heat their pools with solar blankets.

I can't see how a solar blanket will keep a pool warm enough to swim in during the dead of winter.....

[repeej]

People use solar blankets to maintain warmer water temps.....does little to nothing to increase the water temperature.

[GrapeApe]

Go green!

Get some solar panels or a wind turbine and a bank of deep cycle batteries.  It would save you in the long run and be nicer on the environment!  

[TBarb]

I read an article of one person who had an outdoor pond that was deep enough beyond the frost level, had a canopy over it and had the water circulated with a strong pump. This allowed his fish to live. However, there may be more than that but there was not discussions of a heater.

[Marc]

I read an article of one person who had an outdoor pond that was deep enough beyond the frost level, had a canopy over it and had the water circulated with a strong pump. This allowed his fish to live. However, there may be more than that but there was not discussions of a heater.

That'll work for goldfish and koi and other cool and coldwater fish but it wouldn't work for tropical fish as the wouldn't survive.

[Sailfin]

People use solar blankets to maintain warmer water temps.....does little to nothing to increase the water temperature.

I would have to ask if you even own a pool?  If so, a good size pool and not a inflatable   :lol:  j/k   But seriously,   this is the purpose of a solar blanket.   It warms up the water just as fast as a heater when you have it over the surface of the pool when sunny...and it maintains that temperature when its cloudy.   People that don't have a heated pool just need to use that, and it does warm the pool fast.   I believe at one time everyone on my street depended on solar blankets.

[Sailfin]

Even a pool heater powered by natural is expensive to run.

Julie

Most people today heat their pools with solar blankets.

I can't see how a solar blanket will keep a pool warm enough to swim in during the dead of winter.....

I didn't say that a solar blanket would keep a pool warm in winter.   I was putting in my 2 cents in about cheaper ways to heat a pool.

[repeej]

People use solar blankets to maintain warmer water temps.....does little to nothing to increase the water temperature.

I would have to ask if you even own a pool?  If so, a good size pool and not a inflatable   :lol:  j/k   But seriously,   this is the purpose of a solar blanket.   It warms up the water just as fast as a heater when you have it over the surface of the pool when sunny...and it maintains that temperature when its cloudy.   People that don't have a heated pool just need to use that, and it does warm the pool fast.   I believe at one time everyone on my street depended on solar blankets.

I did up until last year....had it most of my life.  20'x46'6" inground with slide and diving board.  That should be big enough to suit most people's needs.

Never noticed the solar blanket help heat the pool much.  Only used it during cold spells to maintain the temp.  Was more a pain in the butt than it was worth.

[Julie]

Ditto.

Julie

[BigDaddy]

I would have to ask if you even own a pool?  If so, a good size pool and not a inflatable   :lol:  j/k   But seriously,   this is the purpose of a solar blanket.   It warms up the water just as fast as a heater when you have it over the surface of the pool when sunny...and it maintains that temperature when its cloudy.   People that don't have a heated pool just need to use that, and it does warm the pool fast.   I believe at one time everyone on my street depended on solar blankets.

As someone who does maintain a large inground pool, I can agree with what's been said - solar blankets MAINTAIN the pools temp, but they don't do much to heat it (unless you leave it on for a week in sunny weather.... but then you aren't swimming in your pool for a week).

Anyways, let's get this back on topic - we are talking about outdoor tanks run during the winter.

I'd like to see someone try running a couple of 300 Watt heaters on something small like a 20 gallon... see how often they'd be on and what temp they would maintain the tank at when it is -20 outside.

In theory, a 150W could keep a 20 gallon 15 degrees C above ambient... so let's say 300W could do 25 degrees.  So, in theory, 2 300 watts should maintain the tank at 20 to 25 degree temps in up to -25 degree weather....

[PaleoFishGirl]

A friend who owned a 'rare fish' store in Edmonton, AB built a pond outside that he didn't need to heat.  He built it right next to his front steps in a triangular shape, so that 2 of the 3 'walls' of the pond were actually the walls of the house.  Even during an Edmonton winter, the pond never froze solid - he just broke the ice off of the top in the morning.  Had goldfish in there all year round.  The heat from his house kept the water warm enough that only a small bit froze on top.

[Glenn]

Hey,

People are heating hot tubs outside all winter long somewhat affordably.  Cheaper to keep it warm all the time than to turn it off and on from what the guys at work tell me.

Glenn