Heater breakage during water change?

[discusalex]

Hey all,

I've kept discus on and off for over a decade. For eons, I've used Ebo Jager heaters and never had a problem. Recently, I tried switching over Marineland's Visi-therm heater (the one with the glass tubes). The glass on three of them broke during water changes.

I called Marineland, and was told the breakage was due to not unplugging the heater during the water change. I never unplugged the Jagers during water changes, and never had a problem.

Do most of you unplug your heaters during water changes?

Alex

[Greenheinie]

I would unplug it if it's placed vertically in the tank, which would expose the heater. If it's submersed horizontally, then I change the water up to the point where the heater is just under water...which in my case is 50% WC.

There have been plenty of times where I forgot to unplug the heater, but never had a cracked/broken heater from it.

Then there was the time in winter I forgot to plug the heater back in after a WC (not in my discus tank) which resulted in a bunch of dead cardinals. Oops!

[csarkar001]

if you mount the heaters horizontally at the bottom of the tank, you can avoid the problem. otherwise, you should turn off the heaters a few minutes before you do a water change.

[discusalex]

I have them in at a 45 degree angle. Never had this problem before, and the guy I spoke with at Marineland made it seem like I was a doof for not unplugging the heater.

Either way, I'm off Marineland heaters. Any suggestions for another brand/model?

[LizStreithorst]

The Ebos can handle time out of water. The glass is thick. Look at the thin glass on the Visitherms. Of course they blow up. I've tried the Visitherms (both the Stealth and glass). I've had it with both. Ebos aren't perfect but they are by far the best. JMO from my own experience.

[Frankr409]

Hey all,

I've kept discus on and off for over a decade. For eons, I've used Ebo Jager heaters and never had a problem. Recently, I tried switching over Marineland's Visi-therm heater (the one with the glass tubes). The glass on three of them broke during water changes.

I called Marineland, and was told the breakage was due to not unplugging the heater during the water change. I never unplugged the Jagers during water changes, and never had a problem.

Do most of you unplug your heaters during water changes?

Alex

If the heater will be exposed at any point during the water change it probably would be recommended by the mfg to turn off the heater, Jagers probably have the same recommendation...

[Eddie]

Hey all,

I've kept discus on and off for over a decade. For eons, I've used Ebo Jager heaters and never had a problem. Recently, I tried switching over Marineland's Visi-therm heater (the one with the glass tubes). The glass on three of them broke during water changes.

I called Marineland, and was told the breakage was due to not unplugging the heater during the water change. I never unplugged the Jagers during water changes, and never had a problem.

Do most of you unplug your heaters during water changes?

Alex

Go back to Jagers, my experience with visi-therms has been the same. Cheap and glass breaks easy. Yes, always unplug heaters anytime you do aquarium maintenance or water changes.

Eddie

[discusalex]

That's the thing, the heaters (both the Jagers and Visi-therms) were always submerged,even during the water changes. Guy on the phone said they broke because of the change in water temperature.

I don't know about anyone else, but my tanks are set up on racks with the outlets in the back, so it's a pain in the neck to have to unplug heaters every time I do a water change.

Alex

[Eddie]

That's the thing, the heaters (both the Jagers and Visi-therms) were always submerged,even during the water changes. Guy on the phone said they broke because of the change in water temperature.

I don't know about anyone else, but my tanks are set up on racks with the outlets in the back, so it's a pain in the neck to have to unplug heaters every time I do a water change.

Alex

I guess its how you approach it, I unplug over a dozen heaters every day and love doing it.

[LizStreithorst]

That's the thing, the heaters (both the Jagers and Visi-therms) were always submerged,even during the water changes. Guy on the phone said they broke because of the change in water temperature.

I don't know about anyone else, but my tanks are set up on racks with the outlets in the back, so it's a pain in the neck to have to unplug heaters every time I do a water change.

Alex

I think that the Visi-Therm man was saying an untruth. The difference in water temp during WC should never have caused this. Surely you don't change water with water out of the freezer

Do as I did. Suck it up and replace them with Ebos. I have some mounted vertically. The Ebo's don't care.

[ZX10R]

I bought a 150 watt vis-therm a month ago and I have it turned all the way up to 89 and it won't get my 30 gallon tank any higher then 83. I just bought and I am trying one of those titanium heaters with temp. probe so far I really like it seems to be working great. But yes I always unlpug my heaters when doing a WC. The one time I forgot to before I got done doing the WC I smelled something burning then I realized the heater was still plug in.

[Wahter]

I have my heaters and hang-on power filters hooked up to a powerstrip - when I do water changes, I flip the switch off. After refilling the tank with water, I flip the switch back on. Easy as pie.



Walter

[nc0gnet0]

If your saying the heater stayed completly submerged during a water change, then the marineland rep is full of chit. No way they should have broken under those conditions. Now, it became exposed, thats a different story.

marineland's heater reputation is down the tubes anyways, I wouldn't trust one with a ten foot pool, ever since they moved thier supplier from Italy to China........

[Jhhnn]

I use jagers exclusively, mounted at an angle so that they stay below the water line during normal water changes. Never an issue. They were the best I could find 20 years ago, so so that's what I bought when I came back to fishkeeping a year ago. They're only turned off for serious cleaning. I use AmericanDJ switched power strips from Amazon.com so I don't have to fuss with plugs... There are other brands and styles out there, too...

I think maybe there was some sort of failure to communicate between you and the marineland guy. If, as you say, the heaters were below the water line during the water changes, there shouldn't have been any problems, and he should know that.

Nice price on Jagers from Kensfish. I tried him because he's a sponsor, and keep going back because he's given me good service.

Bob Garside of Upper Canada Discus has offered that Sera heaters are also good, and I believe him. The only US vendor I know of is Aquacave...

[Eddie]

I use jagers exclusively, mounted at an angle so that they stay below the water line during normal water changes. Never an issue. They were the best I could find 20 years ago, so so that's what I bought when I came back to fishkeeping a year ago. They're only turned off for serious cleaning. I use AmericanDJ switched power strips from Amazon.com so I don't have to fuss with plugs... There are other brands and styles out there, too...

I think maybe there was some sort of failure to communicate between you and the marineland guy. If, as you say, the heaters were below the water line during the water changes, there shouldn't have been any problems, and he should know that.

Nice price on Jagers from Kensfish. I tried him because he's a sponsor, and keep going back because he's given me good service.

Bob Garside of Upper Canada Discus has offered that Sera heaters are also good, and I believe him. The only US vendor I know of is Aquacave...

I do in fact own 1 Sera heater and so far so good. Since buying that heater, I've still bought several more jagers as they seem more durable.