Heater problem?

[swankyspoon]

My heater is acting odd. The light has been on for an awfully long time. I looked more closely and the heater appears to have water in it.... Is that normal? My glass thermometer reads a healthy 76....
It is an aqueon 50 w in a 10 g fw tank. Thanks!

 

[FishEggs]

that is not normal and do not use that heater any more. go take it back/exchange it if it is new or get a new one. if water is getting into the heater you can be putting a live electrical charge into your tank which can be life threatening, yours and the fishies.

 

[jsoong]

NO! Unplug the heater immediately! <Do NOT touch the water until after the heater is disconnected.>

The heater should be completely sealed and dry inside. A leaky heater is an electrical shock hazard ... both to you & your fish. You would need a new heater if it is indeed leaking.

 

[swankyspoon]

Thanks! Heater removed and unplugged. Will my serpae tetra be okay overnight? We keep our apartment at 75. What might I have done to fry the heater? Or is it probably faulty equipment? This site is extraordinarily helpful. I do not know what I would do without it! Thanks!

 

[FishEggs]

if you keep the room temp at 75 the water temp will equal out to room temp over night probably or somewhere close to it within a few degrees. shouldnt be a problem for the fish.

unless you were trying to pull it apart or modify it in some way it is just faulty equipment. it happens mostly with the cheap, trying to save a buck brands. i had one that did that. i've found it is usually cheaper to buy the better quality item the first time so i dont have to replace it and spend more money. i prefer the all black Stealth heaters now. use them and a black background and they all but disappear.

 

[swankyspoon]

Think they could make it until Sunday if I cannot get to pet shop today?

 

[MarkA123]

I own a stealth pro too, I'd suggest getting one of those instead of a cheap heater, which will only break again. There not very expensive but are high quality.

if you keep the room temp at 75 the water temp will equal out to room temp over night probably or somewhere close to it within a few degrees. shouldnt be a problem for the fish.

unless you were trying to pull it apart or modify it in some way it is just faulty equipment. it happens mostly with the cheap, trying to save a buck brands. i had one that did that. i've found it is usually cheaper to buy the better quality item the first time so i dont have to replace it and spend more money. i prefer the all black Stealth heaters now. use them and a black background and they all but disappear.

 

[JohnPaul]

If your room temp is 75°F then your fish will be fine even for several days without a heater. Just make sure that the temp doesn't plummet at night (if you live in a part of the country where the evenings are getting cool now).

I would also second the suggestion of getting a Marineland Stealth or Stealth Pro heater. No glass to break, and a very high quality company with a good reputation in the industry. Here's the 25W Stealth Pro which should be fine for your setup--I know the description says it is good for tanks up to 8g and yours is 10g, but that 8g figure is if you needed to raise the water temp to 18°F above ambient room temperature. Assuming you don't need to heat the water to that extreme an amount, the 25W would be fine for you.

 

[swankyspoon]

Ok thanks for your help. Got a Stealth Pro. Didn't get your message in time. We got the 50W. Thanks!