Another question

[Tomas]

I bought a cheap heater for my 10 gallon tank and I dont know how much it is going to heat, it only says low or high and has a little twisty know, how do I determine whats the low and whats the high>?

~Chaz

 

[bighit22]

expirement. put it in like a 5 gal bucket, turn it to high or low, and let it sit 4 a while and then test the temps. thats what id do. then, play it from there. adjust as needed. thats what id do. good luck

 

[Tomas]

thanks!

~Chaz

 

[Salty Fishes]

I'm not trying to be rude, but a cheap heater is one of the last things that you want. Good ones for 10g tanks aren't that expensive ($15-$20) and it could save you a lot of money in case your "cheap" heater goes bonkers and kills your fish. The cheap heater that came with my tank broke, and heated my tank up to about 99 degrees F. I was lucky enough to only lose one fish. But really, the last piece of equipment you want to skimp on is the heater. The cheap ones break a lot and can really mess up a tank.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Whichever direction causes the heater to turn OFF at some point, is the "lower" direction. If you turn it back, it should turn back ON at about the same point.

 

[Tomas]

I'm not trying to be rude, but a cheap heater is one of the last things that you want. Good ones for 10g tanks aren't that expensive ($15-$20) and it could save you a lot of money in case your "cheap" heater goes bonkers and kills your fish. The cheap heater that came with my tank broke, and heated my tank up to about 99 degrees F. I was lucky enough to only lose one fish. But really, the last piece of equipment you want to skimp on is the heater. The cheap ones break a lot and can really mess up a tank.

My heater cost $15 lol

~Chaz

 

[FroggyFox]

Usually those twisty heaters come somewhat pre-set...and they have directions. You want to put it in room temperature water and let it sit for like 15 minutes before you plug it in. Then you plug it in and wait till the light goes off and stays off...check the temperature in the tank...and then make SMALL adjustments depending on whether you want it to be warmer or not.

They're usually not that great...if you haven't already taken it out and put it on the tank you might consider taking it back and spending the money for a 50 watt heater that has the click adjustment like an ebo jager or something. Much easier to deal with and less likely to boil your fish.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Actually, I've got a new, nice, submersible, click-adjustment heater on my 20g that recently started overheating by 6-8F... it's set much lower than it heats to, but it stays stable now.

 

[britnewt3]

There is a better way to know before you buy and I would not go cheap because I did that and within 3 months the heater melted and it killed several fish before I relised becuase of how it was positioned it still turned on and everything I also learned that two heaters are better for bigger tanks like 20g and up.

The right heater for a tank is the one that has 2-3 watt per gallon should say on the back of your package. You should buy a heater with a thermometer on it. but you should still get a seperate way to check the temp. even if that means having a second thermometer.