A Guide To Aquarium Hood, Heater, and Pilot Lights
May 26, 2009 by admin
Filed under Fish Tank Supplies
A reflector is usually only 3-1 or 4 inches wide and covers only the front few inches of the aquarium. A hood covers the entire tank. Usually, although not always, the sockets in a hood is set in the center.
The hood, which requires more material and labor to make, is more expensive. It offers the advantage of protecting the tank from dirt and dust and preventing excessive evaporation.
A glass cover and a strip reflector are sufficient for covering and lighting your aquarium.
Commercial full hood is constructed of a light-weight unbreakable plastic. The front piece is hinged so that you can easily feed your fish.
A fish is physiologically suited to living within a certain temperature range. By exercising proper care one can safely bring it to the limit of that range—a limit which varies somewhat with individuals and their condition, as well as with species.
An electrically operated heater equipped with a suitable thermostatic control is the most inexpensive and trouble-free method.
A control unit employing a bimetallic strip which automatically responds to temperature changes and turns the heater on and off.
A pilot light is a small light which is hooked into the heater to indicate whether the current is on or off. It remains lighted as long as current is flowing through the heater. The pilot light may be installed inside the tube which holds a combination heater and thermostat; it may be in a separate tube with either the heater or the thermostat; or it may be the plug-in type that fits.
You should make it a habit to check all thermostats regular highly. If, in checking, you find that the tank temperature is higher than the thermostat setting and that nevertheless the pilot is still on, you have a strong indication that the thermostat has failed to shut off. It is entirely possible for the tank temperature to be higher than the thermostat striking the tank. However, when such external factors are causing the temperature rise, the thermostat connection should be open and the pilot light off.
It is also a sign of trouble when the temperature is lower than normal and the pilot light fails to indicate heating. This condition should be checked and corrected. Cheap heater-thermostat combinations can chill or cook your fishes.
