Using aquarium heaters

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There's a dairy farm nearby which had terrible troubles with animals getting mild shocks from the water, stanchions, the buildings, fencing... anything and everything metal they'd touch. The cows lost weight, were unhappy, stopped producing milk. It took the family several months of painstaking tracking down to discover the power company was at fault... not that they'd admit it! They'd pounded the ground stake into the earth, but the stake pinned a live wire which connected back to the barn.
Electricity isn't anything to mess with. That's why I'm going to use the cookie-tin light bulb heater, because it doesn't come in contact with the water.
 
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I think I was looking at those. Is this what you were looking at? There is also a 9 qt one for $29.99.

I want to go see one of these IRL, to determine if I can put nipples in the bottom of this bucket, but I don't think I can.
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I've kept fish most of my life, and agree with the OP... most heaters are not reliable enough, especially for a not intended purpose. I worked at an aquarium store for several years when in my 20's, and we (the other workers and I) used to get shocked all the time from faulty heaters in the tanks. The zap would make us jump back a few feet at times. Especially when unloading a new saltwater shipment. The heaters I have in my tanks now are state of the line, submersible heaters, just bought earlier this year, yet they haven't seemed to kick in yet now that the weather is gettting cooler. I'll have to make several adjustments. Btw... these heaters were replacements for other, state of the line heaters that over heated their tanks.
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I would never trust one in a setting like a chicken coop, with temperature extremes and volumes of water different from the specifications of the manufacturer. I wouldn't want me or my girls getting shocked or having the thing just not work when needed.
 
woodmort said:
It seems like I've written about 10 post on threads concerning heating waterers using these with the simple warning: do not use. So I'll make a single thread and hope those with the same questions will read it.

I spent 30 year in the aquarium hobby not only as a hobbyist/breeder but I used to write consumer testing reports for a national magazine on a variety of aquarium products, including heaters. In that time I used and checked not only the simple, hang-on-the back of the tank heaters but submersible types made of glass, metal, even heating pad types. Most had the thermostat inside the same tube as the heater but for some units the two were separate. All were designed to heat water from interior room temperature to a maximum of 85 degrees and most weren't total reliable. (Over the years I probably lost more fish from failed heaters--either too hot or too cold--than any other single cause.) The thermostats of most were bi-metal ones that would either stick open or fail to close--just adjusting them often took several days. Additionally, if the water level fell below the heating element when the temperature was below the set one, the heater would not shut off until it either burned out or, in those cases where the tube was glass, shattered the tube. Often when the latter happened the electrical circuit remained open pumping power through the water. In short, they are not made for nor do you want these things in the waterer that is in your chicken coop! There are heaters designed for this thing, either submersible birdbath heaters which are probably okay in areas where the temperatures aren't extreme to specific chicken waterer devices. Don't try elaborate schemes to save a couple of bucks by using an aquarium heater, go with a device designed for the correct job. Chances are you'll end up with one eventually anyway.
Click to expand...
I am glad to read this post because I was considering going this route. My husband is discouraged that we are into our coop and 6 hens about $500.00 to get two eggs a day! I did read, however that if you got a thermocube for the heater you could increase the reliability and safety. Would you still disagree? Also, if I buy a $50.00 ring heater, can I use that in a thermocube to increase the efficiency?
 
I have been using aquarium heaters for 3-4 years now.

I have run then dry, had them frozen in the water, left them in the chicken supply box all summer where they get banged around. I have yet to have one go bad, explode or even crack. I do not know about the old models but the ones I am using take a licking and keep on working.
 

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