Heater in Fuge?

I don't understand how having a heater in the fuge could cause a fire as long as its fully submerged. When you say "put in a fuge" are you meaning that you are going to designate a space in the sump for sand/rock/algae? Or are you physically going to install another glass/acrylic piece?

Either way as long as nothing heavy rests on the heater (algae touching it is fine) it shouldn't be an issue.

I have my heater in the refugium. The problem with putting the heater in the return pump chamber is if your water top off goes out, that's typically the chamber where the water level goes down, so your heater can become exposed if you're not careful. I speak from experience! (It's never good with the wife asks, "What that burning plastic smell?")

Marks right though, high flow is better. Other wise the heater heats the water around it, but by the time it flows back up into the tank it's cooled off. I have two temp probes, one in the refugium with the heater and one in the main display. My sump (around the heater) typically runs around 81 and the display is around 77.

Edited by Hogie - February 15 2017 at 3:12pm

I also have a second heater behind my overflow to my sump that's up in the tank. I'm hoping with the 2 of them it will stay balanced. And yes the cheto I will use will touch the heater. It does have a plastic grid guard around it for protection. Nothing else will be touching it. 

Certainly the heater should be positioned so that even if something happens where the sump water level gets to the bare minimum the heater won't be out of water.