Hot Tub/SPA Parts for Monster Tanks

[JK47]

On any given day in my area there are 5 or so free hot tubs on CL. Has anyone converted hot tub/SPA parts into use for use on large tanks? There seems to be a lot of parts that compliment our hobby (flex PVC, jets, pump, heating element) that could be salvaged from one of these free CL hot tubs. Specifically I am wondering on the heating elements for hot tubs vs standard aquarium heaters? Are they more effcient, use less or comparable power consuption?

Lets compare how these parts work here and if this could be an cheap/free resource for putting together large tanks. Any input?

 

[BayArea_510]

very nice idea

 

[kendragon]

I think they vary from spa to spa. Generally they are high amperage and wattage which make it more than a monster tank need. For example, the heater on a spa is about 6000 to 7000 watts which also requires 220V. Find a heater that is 1500 to 2000 watts at 115V then it's got great potential for a tank. You might want to look into the temperature tolerance, I heard it is high so your fish may not handle the temperature swing. Free is always a great price!

 

[JK47]

I think they vary from spa to spa. Generally they are high amperage and wattage which make it more than a monster tank need. For example, the heater on a spa is about 6000 to 7000 watts which also requires 220V. Find a heater that is 1500 to 2000 watts at 115V then it's got great potential for a tank. You might want to look into the temperature tolerance, I heard it is high so your fish may not handle the temperature swing. Free is always a great price!

Really? I didn't know the heating elements ran that high, are there lower range elements? I am asking because I will be plumbing a 600 gallon and 300 gallon tank together. I still think a lot of the other parts might be viable.

 

[HackJob]

the LFS around here runs rows of tanks on a Hot tub filter. They don't run it 24/7, lots of power draw for that, plus I am not sure those pumps are made to run for that length of time. Also the parts may be the same, but Hot Tub have more than likely had chlorine in them. So how much are you going to save in PVC $5? For all that chlorine used pieces? If anything, if you could score a 2 person HT that pump may be closer to what is needed for only a 900G system.

 

[kendragon]

Really? I didn't know the heating elements ran that high, are there lower range elements? I am asking because I will be plumbing a 600 gallon and 300 gallon tank together. I still think a lot of the other parts might be viable.

I'm actually working with the manufacturer on an efficeint in-line heater for aquariums and yes the heating element is in the 6kwatt range for spas. Stainless steel heaters is for fresh water and titanium for salt. We are also looking at safety features like flow control to ensure it doesn't boil the fish when the pump goes out. I posted pics in another thread about two weeks ago. Like I said if you find one around 1.5kwatt it maybe worth salvaging.

 

[JK47]

I'm actually working with the manufacturer on an efficeint in-line heater for aquariums and yes the heating element is in the 6kwatt range for spas. Stainless steel heaters is for fresh water and titanium for salt. We are also looking at safety features like flow control to ensure it doesn't boil the fish when the pump goes out. I posted pics in another thread about two weeks ago. Like I said if you find one around 1.5kwatt it maybe worth salvaging.

I really appreciate the feedback Ken! thanks

 

[Oughtsix]

I believe an electric heating element will convert over 99% of the energy consumed into heat. The only thing that will be different between an aquarium heater and a hot tub heater is how much of that heat goes into the water and how much escapes into the surrounding air. Submersible aquarium heaters are very good at putting the heat they produce into the water since they are almost completely surrounded by water. External heaters will have a very hard time matching their efficiency because of their contact with surrounding air.

I run a DE swimming pool/Hot tub filter on my 110g tank. It does a beautiful job! I use a 1/8hp magnetic drive thermally insulated pump. A 1/2hp to 1hp pump would be way to big for a small (relative to a hot tub) aquarium. With large HP pumps you also have to be careful about the heat the pump adds to the water. Most 1/2hp hot tub pumps could boil your fish in a matter of a few hours simply from the heat induced into the water from the pump. (I actually did this about 20 years ago with a cheap 1/4hp pump when I built my own filter. Killed all the fish).

 

[brich999]

lol i demo'd a tub for my mom and the first thing i thought was "hmmmm this might be useful" now i have 2 huge GE pumps in the trunk of my RX8 i need to figure how strong they are and whatnot, but i was thinking the same thing. i wanted to move the whole controller unit so i can run stronger jets maybe once a day to clean the tank a lil. too complicated and i couldnt figure out what was the heating element so the whole thing went to the dump except the pumps. i just need to find a use for these 2 pumps that make my reeflo hammerhead look like a toy

 

[pacu mom]

On any given day in my area there are 5 or so free hot tubs on CL. Has anyone converted hot tub/SPA parts into use for use on large tanks? There seems to be a lot of parts that compliment our hobby (flex PVC, jets, pump, heating element) that could be salvaged from one of these free CL hot tubs. Specifically I am wondering on the heating elements for hot tubs vs standard aquarium heaters? Are they more effcient, use less or comparable power consuption?

Lets compare how these parts work here and if this could be an cheap/free resource for putting together large tanks. Any input?

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I absolutely love the spa filters we run on our 300 gallon tank for mechanical filtration. We're upgrading from two little RTL-25s on the 300 gallon tank to six Pentair Rainbow RTL-100s on our big tank set up. I wouldn't consider running my tank without spa filters.