Electrical wiring advice

[dean]

Hi all
So I’ve been setting up the discus system for a friend
Yes the usual bare bottom boring tanks
All 28 of them total of 2384 litres
Each tank is going to have a 300 watt heater in it
I know in uk I can wire 10 of these together onto a 13amp plug (max 3 kw) using 1.5 mm2 cable

My question is how to make it neat, tidy, safe and be able to replace one heater easily if required
But the worst bit is this
Cheap as possible he’s at the end of his budget and if he goes over it he won’t need to pay for a sex change his wife will do it for free

There are 3 tiers to the system
10 tanks on top and middle and 8 wider ones for growing out on the bottom

So I’m thinking of putting each row on it’s own 13amp plug and using chocolate blocks every so often but can’t think of how to make it splash proof but easily accessible

So over to you clever folk for your ideas


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They are all 3ft long and are end on using industrial racking
So from the front you are looking through what should be a side panel


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[webworm]

Personally I'd be looking at 2.5mm2 cable. Whilst in theory 10x300w is within the limit of a single 13A plug it's a bit close, blowing the fuse on a 13A plug will take 10 tanks heating off line.
The other thing that you have to consider is what you're plugging the 13A plugs into ? If it's three sockets all on the ring main, you've got the potential to overload the circuit (UK Ring mains are rated at up to 30A), at this point risking taking power down to the whole installation.

I'd be looking at using some sort of IEC power strip, as you've already identified choc bloc isn't suitable for damp environments.

 

[ian_m]

No you don't have a heater in each tank, that would be completely silly, cost a lot and be extremely difficult to wire up safely. As you are probably not having a filter per tank (I assume) and will probably have a "monster" filtration system somewhere (especially with discus 🙄) you just need one big heater for the whole system.

Something like this, a single 3KW flow heater.
https://www.divapor.com/spares/bath...whirlpool-bath-flow-type-heater-230v-50hz.php

Possibly there are aquarium suitable ones.

Try going round local fish shops and see how they heat their water, they will usually have one or two 3KW in line heaters heating the water to all their tanks. Advantages of two in parallel is increased reliability. Remember to include enough valves and pipe work so heater can easily be isolated and removed for cleaning/maintenance. Job done.

 

[Edvet]

Or heat the room sufficiently.

 

[Oldguy]

Or heat the room sufficiently.

Once long ago there was a LFS which used this method. My specs would always steam up when I went in. Several hundred tanks on steel racking. Alas no more. He temperature graded, coolest near the floor (hands & knees to look into these tanks, with wet knees from the squelchy carpet) and warmest at the top (short step ladder to look at these). Very healthy and varied stock.

You went there to buy fish, not to have a 'shopping experience'. Those were the days.

 

[ian_m]

Also if you heat the room, rather than the tanks you can obviously heat using the 1/4 the cost gas fired central heating system, if you have one.

 

[Costa]

You certainly don't need 300W heater in an 85L tank!

 

[dean]

As it’s in a sectioned part of a warehouse that is within the office block there is central heating but it’s obviously not on after usual business hours Hence they chose to use 300w heaters
Yes could of used 100w but then they would potentially be on a lot longer and that can cause problems

Electrician installed wall sockets to cope with the requirements

We went with just extending the heaters cables and plugging them into 5 way extension leads


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[jonesteave]

Hi all
So I’ve been setting up the discus system for a friend
Yes the usual bare bottom boring tanks
All 28 of them total of 2384 litres
Each tank is going to have a 300 watt heater in it
I know in uk I can wire 10 of these together onto a 13amp plug (max 3 kw) using 1.5 mm2 cable

My question is how to make it neat, tidy, safe and be able to replace one heater easily if required
But the worst bit is this
Cheap as possible he’s at the end of his budget and if he goes over it he won’t need to pay for a sex change his wife will do it for free

There are 3 tiers to the system
10 tanks on top and middle and 8 wider ones for growing out on the bottom

So I’m thinking of putting each row on it’s own 13amp plug and using chocolate blocks every so often but can’t think of how to make it splash proof but easily accessible

So over to you clever folk for your ideas


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View attachment 146084
They are all 3ft long and are end on using industrial racking Metairie electrician
So from the front you are looking through what should be a side panel


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Use IP65-rated waterproof junction boxes instead of chocolate blocks, with DIN rail-mounted busbars inside for organized connections. Run 1.5mm² heat-resistant flex cable inside PVC conduit or trunking along the racking to keep it neat and protected. Install drip loops to prevent water ingress and use IP-rated quick disconnects (like WAGO Gelbox or waterproof inline connectors) for easy heater replacements. Keep each tier on its own 13A fused plug for safety. Check for budget-friendly outdoor-rated enclosures to cut costs while maintaining splash protection.

 

[simon_the_plant_nerd]

Use IP65-rated waterproof junction boxes instead of chocolate blocks, with DIN rail-mounted busbars inside for organized connections. Run 1.5mm² heat-resistant flex cable inside PVC conduit or trunking along the racking to keep it neat and protected. Install drip loops to prevent water ingress and use IP-rated quick disconnects (like WAGO Gelbox or waterproof inline connectors) for easy heater replacements. Keep each tier on its own 13A fused plug for safety. Check for budget-friendly outdoor-rated enclosures to cut costs while maintaining splash protection.

I think they solved the problem four and a half years ago. I like your over engineered solution though. Sounds like something that would be at home in a commercial installation.