Submersible Heater

Jun 21, 2003
635
0
0
43
Eastern MA
furtakconsulting.com
#1
I have a Marineland Visitherm heater and it claims to be "submersible". I have always been a bit reluctant to put heaters completely underwater. Still, I know I have seen people with their heaters attached way down at the bottom of their tanks, lying horizontally. Can all aquarium heaters do that? Or do those say something like "fully submersible"?



For reference, that's the heater.
 

MrMup04

Superstar Fish
Aug 13, 2003
1,208
0
0
#3
if its submersible than the heater can go down to the bottom of the tank even with the wire. if its not submersible than it can't go down to the bottom with the wire

* i have the same heater :) but i don't use it
 

Lou

Large Fish
Jul 18, 2003
497
0
0
SW Wisconsin
www.waysmeet.org
#4
Odd thing is I got some Ebo Jager heaters and thought they were submersible, but then noticed it has a line near the top that says something like

--water-line-here---

I've seen other forum talk about it and they say its because Canada won't let it be sold as submersible, but in the US it is ok...well I started putting it up higher in the tank after seeing that although it was working fine under water.

You should be careful about what you buy...I thought it was advertised as submersible.
 

AndyL

Large Fish
Oct 22, 2002
908
1
0
47
Calgary AB
#5
Its a legislative thing actually - the water line indicator is a minimum level if I recall the speach from the ebo jager rep correctly.

The Canadian Standards Assoc. is a whole lot pickier than the Underwriters Labs that the US uses. I don't think I've seen a heater sold in canada that said it was submersible.

At the same time, I don't submerse my heaters, the adjustable ends are above water level. I don't trust heaters... I've seen too many water filled ones.

Andy
 

Somonas

Superstar Fish
Oct 22, 2002
2,061
0
0
45
O-town
www.myfishtank.net
#7
If they are submersible that means that they can go underwater with the wire... the CSA stuff is correct.. I have these visitherm heaters as well as the Hagen Compact ones.. I don't put mine all the way under so I can use the control knob without putting my hand in the tank :)
 

Managuense

Superstar Fish
May 16, 2003
1,204
0
0
42
Springfield, MO
#9
mine (visu therm) sort of varies. i cant seem to get heaters to "stay put", but they tend to stay within the same general location.

my heaters spend some time completely submerged, and some time with the knob out of the water.

i usually dont place them horizontally on the bottom....but i assume it can be done with the right heater.
M
 

Jun 21, 2003
635
0
0
43
Eastern MA
furtakconsulting.com
#10
I could be wrong, but I believe that water line marker is for the minimum water line, rather than the maximum water line. I was actually at my LFS yesterday examining other heater boxes to see if they were any more explicit with placement instructions. I think it was the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals one that actually read:

----- Minimum Water Line -----

::shrugs:: Not sure I will change how I place mine. This thread was primarily prompted by my other thread about the C. japonica behavior. I can appreciate that the C. japonica like to sit high on my heater because it is shaded and quiet, but I put them in there to clean algae, darnit, not lounge in the shade. ;) I secretly want to move it down to the bottom of the tank so that they will get to work on algae elsewhere.
 

SoulFish

Superstar Fish
Oct 22, 2002
1,668
0
0
37
Florida
www.rainbowaquatics.com
#13
i say if it says submersible it probably is or else theyd be getting alot of law suits, i heard that the water level was just a regulation thing they had to put on, but id take a titanium pro I or II anyday, like michael has, they are nice heaters
 

mandi0808

Medium Fish
Mar 24, 2003
61
0
0
51
Dallas Texas
#14
I have 2 visitherms. I was not sure either, so I called Marineland. The rep assured me that it was fully submersible. Both of mine are in the tank, all the way under water, and have been for months now....


By the way, the Marineland rep told me that alot of people get nervous about putting the heater all the way into the water....
 

Jul 8, 2003
51
0
0
New Jersey
#16
Okay it's submersible. It CAN be put above the water line like an ordinary heater but then you have to have the water at a certain level or else it will cook your fish. So I prefer subsmersible because I don't have to worry about that. besides the Visitherm is ver safe and I've had mine underwater for months now. Nothings wrong.
 

pbn

New Fish
Oct 20, 2013
1
0
0
#17
Ditto

I use to have two proquatics but got rid of them becuase one of them flaked out and nearly cooked my fish. To replace them I got a Titanium Pro II heater. Its fully submersible with a separate temp. sensor and LED readout.
Same thing just happened to me with my proquatics heater. We had a power outage last week and my heater just went crazy. My tank was above 95 degrees! I don't know how my fish made it, but luckily it did. I would be careful using these heaters. If they are going to stop working, they should just stop working, not have a default that sets to fry. Anyone know if they have any guarantees on their products?