heaters burning fish

[arminkropp]

More of a question actually,
I've read about it and I was wondering how likely it is? I got two visi-therm 150W

Thanx

[theatrus]

Fish tend to stay away from heaters. Although I did once have a (in FW land) Otto (tiny little suckermouth catfish) which loved the heater. Hed stay on it even while it was running. Sadly, ottos are the one fish I've never had any luck whatsoever with. Maybe thats one of the reasons

[Heineken]

If you have a sump, you could just house it in there. I'm guessing you just have your heaters in the tank with no sump. I don't think this has ever been a problem with fish, unless they are extremly aggresive. In my FW tank, I have 4 oscars and they go nuts on just pellet food. If the pellets go near the heater, they snap at it and knock it loose. I'm afraid one day they'll crack the heater and zap....if that's even possible.

If you've ever grabbed the heater while it was on underwater, you know that you can hold it tight for quite a while before you need to pull your had away. I'm sure fish bump into it now and then, but not long enought to burn them.

[malkore]

heaters don't get that hot if they stay submerged...maybe 90-100 degrees at the most. Not enough to burn fish.

[grimlock3000]

I get more concerned when I see snails on my the heater. Once the heater clicks on, it takes a while for the snail to actually get off the heating element. I am working on a small element cover that would prevent the snails from being in contact with the hot part.

In my FW tank, I have 4 oscars and they go nuts on just pellet food. If the pellets go near the heater, they snap at it and knock it loose. I'm afraid one day they'll crack the heater and zap....if that's even possible.

You need to fix this. This is extremely dangerous for you fish, and you if you are around when it happens. It does not take much to break some of these heaters, and when they break, it has the same effect as tossing an extension cord into your tank. You should look into Titanium heaters which are unbreakable, or the new VisiTherm Stealth heaters which are plastic. Whatever else you have going on in your tanks, securing the heater better or getting another one should be your top priority.

[Heineken]

Hmmmm, thanks for the nudge. I never realized the seriousness of this. It's an Ebo-Jager, pretty tough but I'm sure anythings possible. I'll look into the titanium heaters.

[grimlock3000]

Ebos are the best glass heaters for not breaking so that is good you have one of those. Instead of getting a new heater, you could also try an additional bracket and suction cups to hold it in place better.