Adjustable heater recommended?

[RightTurnClyde]

Hi all. I'm in the middle of a frustrating fish-in cycle on a 10 gallon tank. If I were able to go back in time, I definitely would have gone fishless. But here I am. I'm still seeing steady ammonia levels with no sign of nitrite yet. I've had the tank running for a month now. Although, to be fair, I switched to a better filter (Aquaclear 30) two weeks ago, so I think that pretty much started it over.

I realized today that the one piece of equipment in my setup that may be lacking is my heater. It is a "plug in and forget" style that Petco was having a sale on. You cannot set the temperature. It keeps it pretty steady between 77 an 78 F according to my thermometer on the other side of the tank.

I'm wondering if I should upgrade to a "settable" style? Would it help my BB growth if I kicked it up to 79 or 80? Or am I just grasping at straws in my impatience?

 

[ezy33]

IMO the temperature wont shorten cycle. I would recommend a quality heater. I had a heater like yours stick on and cooked my 9 gallon. Also the cure for ICH is to raze the temperature. A temperature controller is a good safety net too. Good luck!

 

[threnjen]

I would personally get a new heater just because if anything malfunctions with this one, you would be in severe trouble. Around here there's a lot of love for Aqueon heaters. I like the professional series with no glass (meaning they absolutely cannot break) but the glass ones are great as well!

 

[RightTurnClyde]

Yeah, I figure if anything, it's worth having one that you can adjust if need be. Thanks for the reco!

 

[RightTurnClyde]

I like the reviews I'm seeing on the Aqueon Pro heaters. I'm wondering if I should get the 50 watt or go ahead with the 100 watt. Does anyone have the length dimensions on these?