Pico cooling/heating idea/question

[Horsey_Cat]

Im planning to setup a Reef jar pico in the upcoming months. Right now I'm at the stage where I'm trying to figure out all the equipment I need. Heaters have been one of the things I'm struggling with, even small heaters are big and noticeable in a pico. Let alone the odds that they can fail and kill everything (had it happen).

 

So my idea is what if I got an aquarium temperature controller like this and had to hooked up to a small heater for a room like this (already own it). So if the controller senses the temperature too low, it will turn on my heater which is pointed near my Reef jar. And vice versa with a fan for when it gets warm

 

Heater: https://www.amazon.com/Patton-PUH680-N-U-Milk-House-Utility-Heater/dp/B0000BYC61/?ie=UTF8&qid=1490656291&sr=8-2&keywords=Patton+heater

 

 

Controller: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002TMTA7G/?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

[seabass]

Wow, that's a lot of equipment outside your vase.  Isn't that sort of contrary to a simple vase?  While not yet available in the U.S., this might be your answer: 

 

[holy carp]

You'd have to have a thermostat on the heater, and not just the temp controller.  There will be a substantial lag between the room reaching a 'balanced' temperature for your bowl's target temperature, unless you're blasting the heater directly at the bowl, which would have other risks.  So during the lag while the water temperature catches up, the heater will keep making the room hotter and hotter.  Depending on room size, heater capacity, etc., this could actually cause bigger temperature swings than what you're trying to correct

 

At that point, it might just be easier to figure out that the room needs to be 77°, for example, and set the heater to keep it there.

 

However, I would think that would be an uncomfortably warm room, so probably going with the mini heater seabass mentioned would be the best route.

[CharlesFoxtrot]

I'm currently using the method of controlling the ambient temp to avoid needing a heater. My room temp is set to 76, kept there with heat most nights and AC most days this time of year. As long as I remember to flip the switch in the morning and evening, it's working fine to keep my tank right in the 77's.

 

I'm able to pull this off for two reasons. One, Dearly Beloved is always cold, so 76 is not too warm for her, and therefore not too warm for me.  Two, it'll be well into the 90's in Florida very soon, and 76 will feel arctic by comparison. Also won't kill my AC unit, which like most home AC's isn't meant to drop the temp by more than 10 to 15 degrees anyway. 

 

All things considered, not too bad a way to control the temp, if you have the climate control capability for your room. Saves some tank clutter as well in my 6 gal setup.