Waiting for my heater to cuss back at me!!!

LasColinasCichlids

Not literally expecting the heater to respond, I am not that crazy, yet. lol

Dont even know if I am actually asking for help as much as I am venting in this post.

I have a tetra 100 watt heater on my 29 gallon that is not fully submersible and that has a little red dial on top to alternate heater power on a scale between + and -.

During the colder winter days, the setting I had it on kept it right at like 79 degrees. Well, now it is warming up a bit, and our AC is on, forgot to adjust the heater (totally my fault, I know), and the temp dropped to like 68 degrees. I adjusted the heater a tad bit higher, woke up to my tank at 82 degrees!!! So I adjusted it down just a smidge, and currently getting temp readings of 78, which I am pleased with. And the dial is only at like 10% closer to the - than the + on a scale up to 100%...did that make any sense??!! LOL

I am just frustrated with this stupid heater and its extreme sensitivity!!! Thankfully there was no damage done by the fluctuating temps (at least that I have seen), and I check my temps on both my tanks multiple times a day as I am always afraid of a malfunctioning heater!

Anyone have this heater? (It came with the top fin 29 gal set up from petsmart last year) Anyone else want to beat the heater up too?

Lupin

I've never really trusted Tetra. It's either Eheim or Sera for me.

LasColinasCichlids

Yeah, to me Top Fin and Tetra are on the cheaper side of aquarium things...but it came with the tank, and a 100 watt heater is over $20, so I kept it and used it, and until this week hadnt had any issues. And I think the heater is Top Fin verses Tetra as I had previously stated...as it came with the Top Fin set up kit from petsmart...I just get retarded and confused the later it gets and the longer I am on the computer! lol :)

I just hope I dont get a case of ich or anything from that drop in temp the tank had.

Lupin

Ich can be introduced only if the carrier was not quarantined. The story that they are in EVERY tank is completely false. To get ich, you need to skip the quarantine of possible carriers unless all your fish have already been treated for ich beforehand with treatment course completed as appropriate to ensure all parasites are completely destroyed.

underh2o

Invest in a good heater its worth the money , I agree with lupin Try an ebo Jagger from ehim, well worth the investment!

Curt

Hmmmm My new 10g setup came with a "preset" (this scares me) Tetra heater....I have no way of adjusting the temp. I wonder what kind of issues this may bring me.

I noticed tank heaters are super expensive. Thank goodness the recall came out as I was about to buy a marineland stealth heater... Cant imagine my tank exploding...

The All glass aquarium heather I received with my 20g the plus and minus is temperamental as well. The slightest touch can either make a huge differnce or not change anything at all. (very frustrating)

Lupin

I haven't used that brand but a few years ago, it used to be reputable until suddenly, I saw a surge of complaints about it wonking out. Whatever happened to its durability it was known for before.

LasColinasCichlids

The preset heaters...I have one in my 5 gallon tank. It isnt as powerful, and unless you sit it in the center of the tank, the other end of the tank tends to be about 1/4-1/2 a degree cooler. But it keeps my 5 gal at a continual 78 degrees.

I FINALLY got my retarded heater in my 29 gal to heat to temps I wanted it to after sitting up half the night, watching when the orange heating light indicator popped on and by watching the temp adjust. Now it is being kept at a solid 78 degrees! Whew!!

OMG! Tanks exploded from a heater?! Craziness!!! Glad I dont have one of those.

And it isnt that my heater isnt a good piece of equipment, it does its job, it just takes a bit more of an effort to control it. lol.

ddblouin

I had bought a new marineland 55 gallon ket with the led lights. The heater that came with it did alright for about a week than it started acting up. it would go up to like 83 and the light would still be on than i would turn it down and it would be fine for a day or so than it would do the same thing. so i went and bought an aqueon and havent had a problem since. I believe that any heater that comes witha kit just sucks!

twocents

It's demented. I've had demented heaters before. Ditch and buy another.