Do I need a heater guard?

[corielover]

Hey, I'm setting up a quarantine tank, and when I set up the heater I noticed ripples in the water due to the heat. This made me wonder whether a sick fish might burn themselves. I have looked all over, but can't find any heater guards, so I wanted to check to see if I really needed one. If I do, can anyone recommend a place online that sells them?
Thanks

[snowball]

It depends on the behaviour of the fish in question, if it is using the heater as shelter then a guard would be wise as some fish seem to stay and get burnt rather than moving out into the open. The ripples of heat convection from the heater are unlikely to hurt the fish, but pressing up against the heater will. If the fish is doing this, and you don't have a guard, then try to provide something else for the fish to hide in, such as a short length of PVC pipe.

[corielover]

O.K., thanks.

[blue teddy]

Yes I always use a heater guard with my plecos as I have had one burnt before. So to be safe I always use one.


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[kvnbyl]

you will have to be careful with a heater guard, the manufacturers of heaters assume that water can flow freely around the unit, the guard is going to restrict this to some degree. when I did water changes I would always direct a little of the stream to flush out the heater guard and rinse out mulm, food, plant pieces, etc. if neglected it can get clogged up enough to impair the function of the heater and even burn it out (happened to me with a hagen tronic)

[Richard B]

You could vertically silicone a 4" wide strip of glass into a corner of the tank to create a triangular little protected recess the heater can sit in. Ensure there is a gap at the bottom & gap at the top & also have an airstone at the bottom. This way the heater is protected & there is constant water circulation around the heater. You can eevn silicone mesh at the top & bottom gaps to prevent even small fish from accessing the recess

[Shane]

Another "on the cheap" solution is to just use a pvc pipe sleeve. The pvc should have space between it and the heater, but not so much a fish would try to squeeze in. Drill holes in the pvc then run an airline tube inside to keep the water flowing. Alternatively place the heater horizontally in the sleeve and aim a powerhead at it pushing water through the pipe.
-Shane