Clueless about Heaters

[dixaisy930]

I've had fish tanks now for a few years, but I've never had any heaters in them. The stories of faulty ones, and fish getting boiled just worried me too much (I know it's stupid). The tanks' temps don't vary much for 75 F, and until a few days ago, I've never had problems with sick fish.

My recent inquiry about heaters has come about because I've become interested in possibly adding discus to my 60 gallon tank. I'm not sure if they would do alright at 75 degrees.

I guess I'm just wondering about what to look for in good quality heaters, how much watts I would need for the 60 gallon tank, and just some common knowledge/tips about heaters. Thanks.

 

[Tolak]

Discus won't make it at 75, they do best at around 84F. Ebo-Jager heaters are among the best out there, fully submersable, have the temp on a dial on top, pretty much a set it & forget it sort of thing. I've never had one vary more than 1F from what it was set at.

My 65 has a 250 watt ebo, tank temp is never a problem.

Tolak

 

[Dwarfs]

This is what I use, fully submersible, but the temp dial sticks to the wall, tank, etc, so instead of getting your hand wet, you just turn the dial On the wall or whatever . It works great and isn't as fragile as regular heaters

Stainless steel heater

Your in the USA right? Your using Fahrenheit so I'm just guessing you are
EDIT: Nevermind, Colorado is in the us Didn't read your location until after I posted

 

[enchanted]

I would personally recommend Visi-Therm. I have one of them and extremely happy with it. For Rena Cal, plan on being off by 2 degrees from what the setting is.

 

[Yenko]

Just about any heater can be perfectly accurate. My $10 CAD non-submersible Wal-Mart heater can keep a tank at a constant temperature. Of course, setting it is a pain, and the water level needs to be kept as close to the maximum as possible, to ensure that the thermostat doesn't go nuts.

Of course, my 150w heater has temperature calibrations, and for the 5 gallon, I have a submersible 25w with no temp. calibrations, but I doubt a betta is going to mind being a few degrees off.

 

[dixaisy930]

I really like the Visi-Therm...should I go with 150, 200, or 300 watts for my 60 gallon (does it make a difference if it's a tall tank?)?

Also, I noticed the guy before me somehow melted nooks in the edge of the tank (the black lining around the top). It looks like the little melted nooks are where he had the heaters....how does this happen, and should I be worried about it happening with my heater?

 

[enchanted]

The melted nooks would either be improperly placing the heater, improper water level, or a bad heater.

You should buy a submersible 300W for a 60 Gallon. It will run about $30-$40 in the US.

 

[Gunnie]

After deciding what heater you want, check ebay. I have gotten 300 watt heaters for $15.00 apiece.

 

[dixaisy930]

I found a VisiTherm 300W heater for $18....this was the description....

"Double sealed heater is completely waterproof and submersible. Direct read Fahrenheit and Centigrade scale make pre-setting temperatures very simple. Marine design tolerates harsh saltwater tank conditions."

Sound good?

And a few stupid questions....when doing water changes, should I unplug the heater since the water level will be down?

Where and how do I place the heater?

In a fully submersible heater, can part of the cord also go in the water?

Thanks again for putting up with my heater ignorance.

 

[sandywatt]

DO disconnect the heater BEFORE doing a water changes. This is good advice as the explosion in the tank with an exposed heater is quite remarkable.
Other questions would be best answered by the manufacturer of the heater, just remember to plug IN the heater AFTER the water change!

 

[enchanted]

You only need to disconnect the heater if it is above the water line when you are doing water changes.

Yes, with submersible heaters part of the cord can be below the water line. That is the whole point.

 

[sandywatt]

Agreed, that is why i wrote exposed.