ADF and Heater Danger?

Hi,

I bought a Visi Therm Stealth heater to heat my 5 gallon hex tank. My apartment temp fluctuates between 72-80 depending on the time of the day. A couple of people recommended that I get a heater and keep it on 80 to help my slow-w-w-w-w-w-w-w cycling process perhaps speed up a bit. My concern right now is not the cycling process, but the fact that the minute I plugged in the heater my 2 ADF seemed fatally attracted to it. The both sat under it and one of them swam up and stuck his body between the glass and the heater when I turned my back for a few minutes. I had to stick my hand in the tank to get him to move (he wasn't stuck, he just wouldn't move). I caught him doing it again and again. I turned the heater off.

I'm afraid that the heater is dangerous to my poor sweet, adorable, but dumb frogs. Does anyone have any ideas/comments? I think I may have to take the heater back. If faced with the slow cycling process b/c of heat fluctuations or cooked froggies, I'll go with slow cycling.

Thanks,

Trina

Good advice. However, I think the heater has some sort of built in guard--it's supposed to be shatter proof and resistant to mechanical shock. The web site says that it is "shatter proof thermal plastic casing".

http://www.marineland.com/products/asi/visi-therm_stealth.asp

Here's a pic:



The heater does get warm b/c I touched the bottom of it last night to check it.

Does this count as a built in cover? I suppose I could put it in a bucket of water, plug it, and monitor how hot to the touch it actually gets.