New Aquarium Heater for Water

[RoosterML]

Playing it safe I decided to order a back up water heater for the birds water. Currently I am using a 50 watt aquarium heater. Under $20 when originally purchased (last winter)
Now I believe they were over $30

Just ordered a 100 watt one just in case I need more juice with my new setup or if I need two different waterers. Roughly $25

I have been really pleased with the results of these aquarium heaters.
Currently using the heater in this waterer:

Not sure why but when looking the 50 watt one was more expensive.

 

[RoosterML]

I listed when originally purchased, now I think I corrected it. Good??

 

[tripletfeb]

Just be careful the water never gets lower than the top of the heater. It must always be submerged or it can shock your chickens when they try to drink. What temp do you have it set on? Since it's for fish, I'm assuming the lowest it can go is around 65°F?

 

[tripletfeb]

Chicken water really only needs to be kept from freezing, not actually heated like aquarium water. Hope it works for you, just be careful, those heaters are not meant for outside use.

 

[RoosterML]

Just be careful the water never gets lower than the top of the heater. It must always be submerged or it can shock your chickens when they try to drink. What temp do you have it set on? Since it's for fish, I'm assuming the lowest it can go is around 65°F?

I leave it on the lowest, why do you say it would shock the chickens? It has a safety that auto shuts off when overheats and turns back on when cools down.
What heater keeps it just above freezing?
I do have it plugged into a Thermo Cube to only come on at 35°. I can tell you the water temp never gets near 70° . I have not checked it but container feels colds so I would guess 40-50 maybe. The whole barn is also GFCI protected.

 

[paneubert]

What heater keeps it just above freezing?
I do have it plugged into a Thermo Cube to only come on at 35°.

What you just described is essentially a two-step/two-product method of accomplishing the same thing as buying a single product, a stock tank de-icer. No problem with what you have done at all. Just trying to answer your question.

 

[tripletfeb]

I leave it on the lowest, why do you say it would shock the chickens? It has a safety that auto shuts off when overheats and turns back on when cools down.
What heater keeps it just above freezing?
I do have it plugged into a Thermo Cube to only come on at 35°. I can tell you the water temp never gets near 70° . I have not checked it but container feels colds so I would guess 40-50 maybe. The whole barn is also GFCI protected.

I just said it could shock them because if the water gets below the top of the heater, then the heater could short out. I have had heaters do that and actually shock all my fish and killed them. But it sounds like you bought a pretty safe one so you should be good. And a stock tank deicer or heated water bowl would keep the water just above freezing. But if what you have has worked for you then great! It's better than hauling water buckets to the coop in the winter, that's for sure!

 

[RoosterML]

What you just described is essentially a two-step/two-product method of accomplishing the same thing as buying a single product, a stock tank de-icer. No problem with what you have done at all. Just trying to answer your question.

I got it, I did not know a stock tank deicer kept the water just above freezing. I never looked into those. Whats the power consumption on a stock tank deicer? Thanks for the info. Always willing to learn a better way. Thank you

 

[wamtazlady]

My stock tank deicer is 250 Watts. I do not think it is on that much as I have never noticed my power bill going up measurably in winter even when I have run 2 of them. The second deicer was a floating one on the stock tank for the geese. They turn on, do their job, and turn back off again. Mine is into its 4th year of use. All I know is that I only have to fill my water up once a week and it has stayed thawed down to -22 F.

 

[paneubert]

Yeah, the wattage is higher than a fish tank heater, but that is because most stock tanks are quite large. That being said, many people (me included) have great success with them in a 5 gallon bucket. They wont boil the water or anything.