What is the latest review on Aqueon Pro Heaters
- Thread starter DavidZ
- Start date
Unfortunately we don't get too many true reviews anymore. Magazines desperately need to sell ad space and there isn't a Consumers Union for relatively inexpensive items like aquarium products. Even reputable publications sell ads for really crappy products. All you're going to get are opinions.
My advice will be read the instructions that come with your new heater. Amazingly there are sometimes little tidbits in there like the warranty or a statement about what happens if the heater happens to be in your recently drained tank. I was surprised to find that some inexpensive heaters from a Chinese distributor, had over heat safety built in. I don't need to un-plug them to do water changes. They protect themselves. Good luck.
My advice will be read the instructions that come with your new heater. Amazingly there are sometimes little tidbits in there like the warranty or a statement about what happens if the heater happens to be in your recently drained tank. I was surprised to find that some inexpensive heaters from a Chinese distributor, had over heat safety built in. I don't need to un-plug them to do water changes. They protect themselves. Good luck.
Nearly all aquarium heaters have a thermal cut off fuse or switch built in. It is typically a small white cylindrical looking component or silver disk like component located just above the heating element on the circuit board. This does not keep them from overheating your tank. It's just to prevent a fire in case you run them dry. The temperature setpoint for these safetys is typically 85 degrees C (185 degrees F). No heater has a safety shut off to prevent overheating the aquarium. This would be impossible as the heating element must reach temperatures much higher than what your tank temperature is in order to heat the water.
You should ALWAYS unplug your heater before doing a water change. If your heater has a fuse it will burn out the first time it overheats and the heater is useless. If it has a switch it will cycle between on and off as the switch trips and resets. This will heat up the metal contact points and cause them to distort. They will then no longer maintain the same temperature as before and you will need to adjust to recalibrate them. Not to mention that the glass tube will heat up and when you refill with cold water you could shatter it.
You are correct that the Aqueon Pro's are made in the same Italian factory that the original Stealth heaters were made in (before Marineland took the product to China).
I use them but I can't really give you an unbiased review.
Andy
You should ALWAYS unplug your heater before doing a water change. If your heater has a fuse it will burn out the first time it overheats and the heater is useless. If it has a switch it will cycle between on and off as the switch trips and resets. This will heat up the metal contact points and cause them to distort. They will then no longer maintain the same temperature as before and you will need to adjust to recalibrate them. Not to mention that the glass tube will heat up and when you refill with cold water you could shatter it.
You are correct that the Aqueon Pro's are made in the same Italian factory that the original Stealth heaters were made in (before Marineland took the product to China).
I use them but I can't really give you an unbiased review.
Andy
The stealth heaters made in Italy were good, it was the newer ones made in China that killed them.
I stuck with the straight Aqueon Line... I am running a 250w in my 75 gallon tank and its on POINT.