Is this heater submersible?

[mobiusnu]

I got a heater from a friend who bought a 29 gallon tank at Wal-Mart. It came with the heater in the picture. Anyone know whether it's submersible or not? It has a water line on the back, but it doesn't say whether it's a maximum or a minimum line.

Link to possibly helpful picture: http://img33.exs.cx/img33/8374/walmartheater9gr.jpg

[mobiusnu]

P.S. Please ignore my inability to attach images properly.

[FawnN]

Your best bet is to find out who made the heater and then contact them directly. From my understanding is that most heaters now a days are totally submersible.

[mobiusnu]

Unfortunately, I don't have the box. I only have the heater. I was hoping someone would recognize the heater and be able to say one way or the other.

( And this thread seems to indicate that Wal-Mart has package both submersible and nonsubmersible heaters with their tanks: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=46556 )

[mobiusnu]

The temperature scale looks a lot like these: http://www.marineland.com/products/c...con_vtherm.asp

The knob and housing on top look almost exactly like this: http://www.aquariumguys.com/visitherm11.html

Edit: And the back of the heater says Visi-Therm.

Yes, the heater is submersible. I have the exact 29 gallon setup from wally mart and mine's been under the water for over 8 months now and not a problem with it. (except the lack of heating ability when trying to raise tank temps to 84-86 degrees)
HTH
-Stewie

[Drake]

I think you meant fully submersible. All aquarium heaters are submersible. That one is not fully submersible. I honestly think that heater is a piece of crap. I have one and it's turned up as high as it can go and it just keeps it at a stable temperature.

[thanew]

i have a "walmart special" 55 gal tank... it came with an all glass heater, 250w. it works quite well, its submersible, well fully submersible.

anyways that one looks pretty sketchy.

[thanew]

Originally Posted by FawnN

Your best bet is to find out who made the heater and then contact them directly. From my understanding is that most heaters now a days are totally submersible.

sometimes that doesn't work, its a good idea, but sometimes they are snotty about it. i ordered a few "big als" specials... they were the big als brand... I called them and asked them the temp range since it doesnt have anything visual and all it had was nobs... they said "turn it up and guess..."

wtf!?

[mobiusnu]

Originally Posted by thanew

i have a "walmart special" 55 gal tank... it came with an all glass heater, 250w. it works quite well, its submersible, well fully submersible.

I had my friend dig up his box, and he called the company today. They said that it is a fully submersible heater.

[mobiusnu]

Originally Posted by stewie

...mine's been under the water for over 8 months now and not a problem with it. (except the lack of heating ability when trying to raise tank temps to 84-86 degrees)

My understanding was that most heaters have a gallon rating that assumes you aren't trying to raise the temperature more than something like 18°F above the ambient temperature. Maybe that's the problem.

Actually mobiusnu, the heater should be more than enough to get the temps to the 84-86 degree range. When the heater is turned up 3/4 of the way it keeps the temps at around 80 or so. Turning it up the rest of the way should have kept it at least at 84 or so, not the 80-82 that my tank was reading. Its just a pos el cheapo walmart heater. I bought a marineland visitherm 150 watt heater and haven't had any trouble with it so far.
-Stewie

[mobiusnu]

I bought a marineland visitherm 150 watt heater and haven't had any trouble with it so far.

Which is interesting because the Wal-Mart heater I got from my friend is some sort of Marineland Visi-Therm heater. It says Visi-Therm on the back of the heater, and the support number for the heater goes to Marineland.

Originally Posted by thanew

i have a "walmart special" 55 gal tank... it came with an all glass heater, 250w. it works quite well, its submersible, well fully submersible.

anyways that one looks pretty sketchy.

i want to get one of those 55 gals from walmart... but now i think everyone hates me cause i get some of my stuff from walmart they are a teeny bit cheaper than my lfs has tho so thats why i am thinking about getting one of those and making it my cichlid tank im just obsessed with cichlids right now