Water Heating Solution

[jag51186]

I don't know if anyone here knows anything about plumbing, but I thought I would give it a shot. So, I take water for my water changes from my well directly (aka pre-softened water) because I have heard that water that has been softened with salt is bad for fish and plants. However, I have a 75 gallon tank and am doing about 40 gallons at a time in water changes. So, I have typically just used the water directly, but I would like to heat it to the proper temperature first, or at least close. Now, I would like to avoid buying 8-10 small in tank heaters and letting the water sit in buckets to get up to temperature if I could, partially due to cost, but also because I have water with a high iron content, and the iron precipitates out if the buckets sit too long, and aeration speeds the iron precipitation effect.
 
So, anyone that is DIY minded have any ideas?? I'd rather like to avoid getting an entirely separate water heating system. Was wondering if I would be able to make some kind of zigzag system off the pipes that is lined with heat tape that would at least take the chill off the water, but I'm not sure. 

 

[RCA]

What about a Hydor External Heater, would that work?

 

[jag51186]

Hmmm, I guess it depends...I'm not sure how those heaters work. I would imagine it would take multiple pass throughs to get the water up to temp. It comes out of the well pretty cold.

 

[jag51186]

I'm wondering if it would be a better long term investment to just get an RO system and have a couple 55 gallon reservoirs in the basement with heaters in them. But, is there a pump that's decent enough to pump water through a hose from downstairs all the way up to my tank on the main floor, that isn't super expensive??

 

[StevenF]

It is probably a good idea to let the water site for a while to let the iron precipitate out. Otherwise iron mud will accumulate in your aquarium.  Why  would you need 8 to 10 aquarium heater?  Just use one 300W heater and keep that as a backup in case your current aquarium heater fails.
 
RO systems store the water in under pressure in a tank.  The pressure in the tank will push the water out.  Basement installation are frequently done without an eternal pump.  However you might want to talk to a RO manufacture of a qualified professional to verify you installation will not cause any issues.