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The Aquarium 



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Volume II 



SEPTEMBER, 1913 



Xl'MIilCK 4 



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Aquarium Heating Methods 



By \VM. T. IKNES. Jr.. Pliiluik'li.hiii 



As there is every evidence of a general 

 awakening along the lines of tropical 

 aquarium keeping, it would seem to be 

 of much practical value at this time to 

 arrive at a satisfactory method of heat- 

 ing different styles of aquaria. 



I have experimented in a careless kind 

 of way for about two years, but, realiz- 

 ing that in the long run it will pay to 

 get the proposition down to an exact 

 basis, I have made a series of experi- 

 ments in order to obtain comparative 

 results by the different methods which 

 experience has taught me to be the most 

 valuable. Every method proposed in 

 this article has its own particular good 

 points and is the most suitable under 

 certain circumstances. Where different 

 methods may be employed at the selec- 

 tion of the aquarist, I will merely give 

 the results and efficiency table so that 

 he may choose for himself. 



All systems to which 1 shall refer 

 divide themselves into direct heating 

 and the water-circulating system. 



One of the most useful plans belongs 

 to the latter class. It is illustrated by 

 Fig. VI. This is an independent hot 

 water system, run on exactly the same 

 principles as a hot water system in a 

 house. The tubing is composed of lead 

 pipe 3/lG inch diameter inside, by o 1(1 

 inch outside. In order to construct a 

 system of this type, the following uten- 

 sils are desirable, but not absolutely 

 necessarv : A small Bunsen burner; a 

 soldering iron; thin wire solder; a small 



sheet of zinc; soldering ilux and a ]Mece 

 of brass tubing, 3/1(3 inch outside di- 

 ameter with very thin walls. Take a 

 piece of wood abf)ut an inch in thick- 

 ness and several inches long and whittle 

 one end down to a cone a little sharper 

 than a 45 degree angle; twist the tubing 

 around this to make a coil as shown in 

 the illustration, about three turns are 

 suflicient. In making the last turn on 

 the coil — the small one — see that it does 

 not take too sharp an angle and flatten 

 the pipe so as to impede the circulation. 

 By first ])acking the pij^e with ]:)erfcctlv 

 dry sand and temporarily closing the 

 ends there will be no risk of flattening 

 pipe. The sand can be shaken out after 

 the bending is done. Now bend the pipe 

 into its proper shajie so that it will form 

 a "U" on the inside and on the outside 

 of the aquarium. The idea is that this 

 system merely hangs on the top edge of 

 the aquarium; the side which remains 

 in the water should be made a little 

 longer than will actually reach to the 

 bottom, as it is desirable to spread the 

 lower end out soniewliat horiz(Mitallv. 

 Having bent the ])ii)c into a])proxi- 

 mately the correct ])()sition, the next 

 ste]) is to join the two ends. If xou have 

 secured the t)rass tubing referred to, 

 take a piece about three-quarters of an 

 inch long and insert each end of it in 

 the open ends of the lead pipe. For this 

 purpose, s])read the lead i)ipe verv 

 slightly. Xow a])ply the solder Ilux to 

 the exposed portion of brass tube and 

 pipe, and hold the joint over the Bun- 

 sen flame. Apply the solder to the 



