Heater failiure

[Alepop1211]

I have two heaters and one of them failed raising the temperature to 97 degrees killing 3 fish. How long should I wait while testing each heater to be sure which one is the problem?

[King Fisher]

I'd buy two new heaters. Test your old two heaters in a bucket of water or a QT tank. Throw away the bad one. Keep the good one as a back up.

[Alepop1211]

Okay I guess its better to be safe

[King Fisher]

It's generally a good idea to replace your heaters every 3 or 4 years IMO.

[Alepop1211]

Sounds about right because this tank is 4 years old.

[King Fisher]

There's some no name brands on Amazon that I use. They make it to my 3 year mark for the most part and they are cheap in price.

[Fresh2o]

You could invest in a heater controller. It is a device that you plug your heater(s) into. It has an adjustable temperature range and separate thermometer. If for some reason a heater failed (e.g. - stuck ON), the controller would override it and shut it off.

[Alepop1211]

That would have saved 3 fish. I will look into getting one thank you.

[Barliman]

Originally Posted by King Fisher

I'd buy two new heaters. Test your old two heaters in a bucket of water or a QT tank. Throw away the bad one. Keep the good one as a back up.

I would also get an external controller. Set up properly, it'll cut off the heater if the temp goes above a certain point, even if the heater is "stuck on."