I purchased a heater for my fuishtank 4 months ago at walmart - It has been working fina all along i have it set to 75 and most of the times my tank is 75 came home yesterday and the tank was 84 - unplugged the heater checked it over no cracks or nothing put it back in turned it down to 70 so it would only kick in if the water got cold - went to work today the water was 75 came home it was 82. Needless to say im chucking the heater 1) Are my fish in any danger with the fluctuation of tems over two days between 84 and 75 f and 2) what i a good trusty name heater i can get ? Dang walmart
2007-08-06 10:06:42 · 4 answers · asked by ian s 3 in Pets ➔ Fish
Yes I agree it was the thermostat - good thing I was keeping a close eye on the temp. Had a habit of checking everyday and will continue in the future - tossed the old heater and got a new one - thanks for all the input!
2007-08-07 02:12:08 · update #1
I think you should chuck the heater. Walmart aquarium products stink, almost without exception. Go to another pet store and, IMO, you should look for a heater that is NOT GLASS. I had glass ones and they kept getting cracks, which worried me as far as the electrical current in the water, and possibly getting shocked when I touched the water.
It sounds to me like the thermostat on this one is not good. It shouldn't run if the house is hot and the ambient temp is high enough.
2007-08-06 10:47:15 · answer #1 · answered by L H 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like maybe the house temperature is fluctuating? Try leaving the heater out of the tank for a day and see if you still see the fluctuations before you toss the heater.
If you find you need to replace the heater, I have always liked Visitherm heaters.
MM
2007-08-06 17:11:27 · answer #2 · answered by magicman116 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
ian, your heater most likely has a faulty thermostat. I wouldn't depend on it anymore, you got lucky to only see 80 degree temperature, could have been 90 or worse.
Invest in a new heater. Some good, trusted brands are Visitherm, Fluval, Rena.
Also, you might want to check out Dr Foster and Smith's website, they have awesome prices and fast shipping. You might end up saving quite a few bucks.
2007-08-06 18:56:22 · answer #3 · answered by fishbone 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do you also have lights over the tank - particularly incandescent (screw-in bulbs)? These throw off a good amount of heat. Before tossing the heater, try a day without the lights on over the tank and see if this affects your water temperature.
2007-08-06 17:21:25 · answer #4 · answered by copperhead 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋