How to keep 100 gallons 80 ouside???

Hello all, I'm making a base rock curing tub that will be outside in my unheated garage and unattached garage.
I was hoping someone could tell me the best way to keep the water at 75 or so degrees. More importantly what kind of heater to use. I was thinking about one of those farm trough heaters but they only heat the water to about 60 degrees.

To give you some back round info this is a 100 gallon tub that will house about 100 to 150 pounds of rock and whatever water will fit in there. This is quite a bit of water to keep 75 degrees during the Indiana winter.

I thought about doing a tankless water heater with a reciculation pump but I think the saltwater would mean havoc on it.

 

If you want to purchase something, look into the bee keeping supplies for a submersion heater for heating honey. These are designed to get a 55g drum of honey to 100 - 110 F. so that it can be processed.

Any chance you can add insulation to the sides and bottom of the tub and an insulated cover? If so, a couple of Maxi jet PHs with a suction tube on them will do a lot to mix the water in the tub then direct their discharge over xx number of marine heaters to maintain the temp.

Good luck.

 

Do you know if the honey heater has a thermostat to shut off at say 75 or 80?

I've already got a bulkhead in the tub with an external little giant pump for circulation. It will add heat into the water but not nearly enough.

 

I'd see if there is a local pond supply shop, they usually have high volume heaters that do pretty well for koi ponds and such

 

How come you're not curing it in the tank?

 

Why dont you pick up a water heater insulation kit, wrap the tub then cover it with some 1.5" syyro then put a 300 watt heater in it and let it go......

 

+1. If you follow a few easy steps it's completely safe to cure in-tank. Thats what I do

 

Here is a link to the heater(s) mentioned earlier: Beekeeping Supplies - Mann Lake Ltd. - Leading manufacturer of beekeeping and candlemaking supplies..

Most have a temp adjustment from 60 up to 240 F...

PS, if your using a plastic tank, be careful with any heater you use and shield the plastic.

 

pond heaters, farm supply store has water heaters for cows i figure that might give you a boost then with a aquium heater you could keep temp at 80. Most aquium heaters rated for 10 beyond ambient temp. just a thought

 

The floating heater for my cow water only keeps the ice off and has no adjustable thermostat...