polkadotsmom

Ok, so I got my new submersible heater today (50 watt) for a 10 gallon tank.

I know this sounds stupid- but it freaks me out putting an electrical device in water! haha

I've always kept cold water fish (white clouds and some goldfish)- so heaters are new to me.

I have it suctioned towards the top, so the very tip of the heater and the cord are just out of the water. The whole glass part is under water.

Should I put it lower?

Thanks

Shawnie

put it in the middle with a bubble wand or stone underneath it...the entire heater needs to be underwater with nothing above or it will crack ..it takes getting use to , but if its a submersible, it will be fine

Llama

Usually there'sa design on the heater saying 'water level' or something like that. Otherwise as long as all the filament is under water, and the rest of the wiring is dry, it'll be fine.

Make sure you set a drip loop though - instead of directly connecting the plug to the socket, make sure there's a U shape, just dip the wire a bit lower in the air.

polkadotsmom

Yeah, I got the drip loop part. I'll put it a little lower, and it's rights above the bubbler.

Thanks for the fast responses!

catfishlover123

I don't think you have to move it. Mine is positioned the smae way and everything is fine.

agabr123

definitely move it down, if you're like me you'll forget to unplug it for water changes and the water level will go below the heater and cause it to crack or fry your fish. you'll also want to position it somewhat diagonally with the top of it facing away from the filter output so that you get a more accurate temperature gauge

prairielilly

It really depends on the heater. Some are fully submersible, and should be completely under water like others have mentioned here. Others are semi-submersible (like Elite, Fluval and AquaClear) and will have a line on them towards the top, usually just under the 'head' part that says Maximum Water Level or something similar. If this is the case, it could be dangerous to submerge any part of the heater above this line, as it doesn't have water tight seals designed to be completely submerged. Have a look through the directions that came with it to see what it's manufacturer recommends. I've had both kinds, and the fully submersible ones are definitely my preference.

So far as the electrical thing in water issue - set it where you want it BEFORE you plug it in, and make it part of your aquarium maintenance routine to unplug it before you do anything to lower the water level. It won't be off long enough to affect your temperature too much. I do this by putting all my tank equipment on a power bar - then when I need to do maintenance I just shut off the power bar (the filter's off when I do wc's too as it needs a certain level to work properly).

aquarist48

I keep my heaters close to the bottom. Heat rises. Shawnie has a good idea to put a bubbler under it to disperse the heat throughout the tank.

Dozey

I keep mine low in the tank and horizontal. Since heat rises I find this keeps the temperature more consistent at all levels in the tank. Is easily hidden with décor and I never have to worry about unplugging it during water changes.

I highlighted the heater in red…

heater.jpg

Lucy

Nice tank Dozey......that's right about where I place mine also.

polkadotsmom

Thanks all- it's towards the botton, in the middle, and just above the bubbler

Llama

That's a nice design idea (mine is big and clunky), but isn't that dangerous for the wires?

prairielilly

My Hydor Mini Theo, Visitherm Deluxe and Rena Smart heaters all stated they wouldn't work as well if placed horizontally, so usually they're vertical or on an angle across the back of the tank.

platy ben

I always place mine somewhere where there is a strong water flow or inside the actual filter box

Dozey

No… they are designed to be fully submersed.

Not sure why a heater would suggest that they don’t work well horizontally? The only thing I can think of is that your heaters’ rely on a mercury switch. The stealth heater instructions offer it a suggested installation. But that aside diagonally is certainly more advised IMO. Since the thermostats are always near the top of the heater with a vertical heater the heating element is directly below the thermostat.

This would be like having a thermostat directly over a heater vent in your house. The only warm area in your house would be near the thermostat and your furnace would turn on and off like a disco light.

prairielilly

The instructions on each suggested vertical OR diagonal placement, but specified that horizontal placement would result in 'poor performance'. I understood the heating element to be distributed throughout the body of the instrument - 3 of my 4 are glass, and I can see it. They work in their positions which is the important part.