Heating up fermentation with an aquarium heater?

[bg816am]

I am currently fermenting a beer in my SS Unitank 7 Gal, and as I live in New England, the temperature got a little colder (and snowier!) than expected for this time of year. I have my Unitank with the jacket on it in the garage, but do not have anything other than heating wraps for warmth. As there is a chiller coil in the tank, I was wondering if I use a cooler with water kept warm by an aquarium heater pumped through the coils would that work effectively in raising the temperature? Any other ideas? Last I checked, by beer temp was at 59 degrees F. Or should I just don't worry and have a home-brew?
Thanks!

 

[MountainGuardian]

I am using a fish tank heater myself. It is 100 watt and set to 78F +- 2F so it could range between 76F and 80F.

I just have my fish tank heater in an 80 ounce pickle jar full of water inside a box and I place my fermenting pickle jars around the heater jar. Then just cover the box and jars with something to hold in the heat. Easy peasy and it cost me a whole $20. While I was buying the fish tank heater I also noticed some cheap little sticker thermometers as well in the aquarium supply aisle and picked some of those up also to stick to my fermenting jars for a quick easy temp read.

I thought of the fish tank heater for this because I have used them for years in my rabbit and chicken waterers as a cheap way to keep them thawed in winter as we are below freezing here for 8 1/2 to 9 1/2 months a year.

As for the cooler idea it is great, in fact I commonly use coolers as my watering buckets and drop my fish tank heater in there. A tiny little 30 watt fish tank heater in a water cooler out in -20F weather generally doesn't get but a tiny skiff of ice on it. Those water coolers are great for insulating and easy to come by.