My Tetra Whisper Aquarium Heater has been on for days and the water is still not at the desired temp…help!?
I just purchased a 50-watt submersible heater designed for use in small aquariums 2-15 gallons. I followed the instructions and after 24 hours the water has still not reached the temperature of 78-80 degrees. There are no settings, no on/off switches. It claims to maintain 78-80 degrees, but it has been stuck at 72-73 degrees.
I red light pops on every so often that supposed to indicate that it is in heat mode. According to the instruction manual a green light should appear when the temperature has reached the optimal temperature. This has never happened.
I returned the first one I bought a few days ago due to the same problems and the second one which is the same make and model purchased from a different store is doing the same thing. Again, this is the Tetra Whisper aquarium heater specifically designed for a 2-15 gallon tank.
I have a 10-gallon tank which is only filled to less than half capacity. What could I be doing wrong?
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Is the heater fully submersed? Have you ever seen the green light? What are you using to measure the temperature? If the red light is coming on and going off then the heater thinks it is correct.
Sounds like perhaps it’s a faulty line. Contact Tetra and explain the problem.
In the meantime you still need a heater that works. Get one with an inbuilt thermostat. You can change the temp. on these if needed.
Where have you placed the heater ? Sometimes a heater will just heat the surrounding area of water and switch off if its not properly placed. You have to either place it in the middle location of the rear glass of the tank or somewhere where there is water movement in the tank, which ensures even distribution of the heat. At times, placing a bubble stone nearby the heater also helps.
Finally, do make sure that you have not placed the heater vertically, it should be placed horizontally.
Maybe there is not enough water movement in the tank I use to have the same problem. I had a tank with an under gravel filter and it never stayed at the correct temperature, the heater light would go on every now and then but only for a few seconds. As soon as I got a external canister filter (which creates a soft current) my water has stayed at the correct temperature. Try it.
I never use pre-set heaters for the same reason that you are experiencing with your tank. I use easy-to-adjust heaters for my aquarium.
The best one that I can suggest to you is Marineland’s Visi-Therm Deluxe Heater (also available in 50w). It has an easy-to-adjust control knob to set heater temperature required for your tank. It is available at the site below for $13.59.