Tetra heater fried my fish!

[suprdave]

Just sent this email in to Tetra:

I've had your 100 watt submersible heater for around a year or so. I noticed yesterday and today I lost 2 of my fish. Wasn't sure what the problem is, so I went to go start deep cleaning the tank and noticed the water was very hot to the touch. Looked at my thermometer and it was so hot it wouldn't register. I had to put a different thermometer in, and when I did it registered 95 degrees!

This is unacceptable. What can you do to make this right? Please let me know if you want pictures, as I took plenty of them.

Very pissed off right now

[Michael T]

Thats brutal. Let us know Tetras response.

Best of luck.

[Darkblade48]

Tetra will likely do nothing, but keep us updated.

[FlyingHellFish]

Originally Posted by suprdave

Just sent this email in to Tetra:




Very pissed off right now

Post the pic!!! Oh and how do you not notice 95 degree water? We talking Fahrenheit right? Still, 95 F is pretty damn warm.

[suprdave]

Originally Posted by FlyingHellFish

Post the pic!!! Oh and how do you not notice 95 degree water? We talking Fahrenheit right? Still, 95 F is pretty damn warm.

Yes F.... If it was C the water would have been almost boiling If this heater could have gotten the water up that hot I would have been more impressed than pissed.

I didn't notice it because I don't have my hand in my tank every day. Other than the couple of fried fish, they weren't acting, and still aren't acting, strange enough to have grabbed my attention. This is supposed to be a set and forget heater, it doesn't even have a temperature knob.

Pics:

95 degrees!





Nothing visually wrong with the heater that I can see:

[scapegoat]

what kind of fish?

[jschwabe5]

Really sorry to hear about your fish, total loss or by chance any make it? Some fish can handle temperature extremes better than others especially if its a gradual change. I doubt Tetra will respond. I lost a bunch of fish using a product they make called RO Right. I wrote them an email and didn't even get a automated response. When it comes to filters, and heaters a friend once told me you need to buy the best you can afford. The initial expense will pay for itself.

[suprdave]

Panda platy and a sunfire platy lost so far. The other platy, two tetras, and 3 cory's are still hanging in there.

Temp down to ~88 now. Hoping it'll be back at the correct temp by morning.

[Knotyoureality]

One more reason any tank of mine with a heater in it also has a temp strip/sensor on the glass that gets checked pretty much every day. Won't necessarily save from a sudden catastrophe--but it's let me spot problems before they get out of hand most of the time.

And heaters get pulled and tested at least once a year---check for signs of damage to the heater or cord, cleaned, and put in a separate container to see if they kick on when needed, heat to required temp, kick OFF when they're supposed to, and respond properly when re-set to higher temps gradually (as I'd do when treating ick).

[suprdave]

Down to 81 this morning. Couldn't find my tetras anywhere though

Will have to dig around a bit and see if I lost them too when I get home.

No response from Tetra yet.

[MiniFishRoom]

Luckily it was just a few casualties and not everything in your tank.

A great aquarium heater I would recommend since you will be replacing it is the Finnex HMO Digital titanium heater. These heaters have an automatic shut off if the temperature goes above the programmed temperature.
I have them in all my tanks for the past 4 years with no problems.

[Greenmagick]

I am pretty sure a heater fried my whole tank of african cichlids (many of which were 5-7 years old ) Came down one morning and turned the lights on to find every single fish belly up. DH went to take them all out and noticed the heater cracked.

Would be nice if the company stood by their product but yeah, guessing its not likely :/

[puopg]

Sorry to hear man. Go out and get yourself a eheim XD. Since day 1, this thing has kept my tank at any temp i want. Wish it was inline though haha.

[GraphicGr8s]

Heaters fail. It will happen. I've got a Marineland that has failed on. Just like yours. It's why I always recommend 2 heaters at just over half the wattage required for a tank. When the heater fails since it's a lower wattage it can't overheat the tank if it fails on. If it fails off the other heater can at least keep the tank from going too cold.

Would be nice if the company stood by their product but yeah, guessing its not likely :/

They give their products a warranty. If it's within that period I have no doubt they would replace the product. No company will replace the livestock though. How long after the warranty period expires should they have to replace it then so they "stand by their product"?

[Leaky Filter]

Originally Posted by GraphicGr8s

Heaters fail. It will happen. I've got a Marineland that has failed on. Just like yours. It's why I always recommend 2 heaters at just over half the wattage required for a tank. When the heater fails since it's a lower wattage it can't overheat the tank if it fails on. If it fails off the other heater can at least keep the tank from going too cold.



They give their products a warranty. If it's within that period I have no doubt they would replace the product. No company will replace the livestock though. How long after the warranty period expires should they have to replace it then so they "stand by their product"?

This is a good point. Frankly, for the price of heaters, it's probably wise to replace them every two years or so whether they need it or not, especially if you have the luxury of buying them on sale.

Next, heaters aren't something that I like to overkill. Putting too many watts in the water means that the heater is clicking on and off more. They're designed to turn on for an ideal amount of time and turn off for an ideal amount of time. Vary too much in either way and you run the risk of shortening the life of the heater.

Finally, I like an in the tank heater or heaters rather than inline ones. The indicator light will let you know if it's coming on and turning off. Additionally, in my experience, failing heaters often lose the light before anything else due to moisture invasion. A flickering light is a sign that it's time to ditch the heater and buy a new one.