Urgent Care :: How does a submersible heater work?

[Gosu]

I have a Marineland 50w and I did everything... I have a loop and everything but it just doesn't seem to work... wow... Is there any indicator saying that its on?

My Zoo Med temperature indicator is only saying it is at 59.9 degrees and I set my heater to 75 degrees. I'm pretty worried because I dont want to put my turtle in 60 degrees water, please someone help me! My turtle are still in a box trying to escape!

[Gosu]

Oh god, please help me out!

[jenaero]

Is this a new heater? Go read the instructions that came with it. Generally there will be a light that comes on when the heater is turned on. What kind of thermometer are you using?

Put your hand in the tank. If the water doesn't feel too cold or too hot, put the turtles back in and worry about the details after.

[Gosu]

Well... It is a new heater. It's a Marineland Stealth 50w... It's only 63.5 degrees right now... One turtle is basking but the other is still down there... The problem is that I don't know what the problem is...

It just says don't touch anything and make a drip loop for the instructions.

[jenaero]

What I'm wondering is how accurate your thermometer really is.

Does the water feel cold?

[Gosu]

Now the thermometer is at 66.9 degrees... It doesn't feel like ice cold or cold, its just warm cold.

[jenaero]

well then i'm betting your thermometer isnt accurate. what kind/brand is it?

[jozzep]

Gosu buy a digital thermometer.they cost around $8 but work like a charm and read temps very quick.
Put your hand on the heater and if it's hot, it's working.
How can the water be 66 degrees?Is your house/apartment that cold this time of year?The water should be at least room temperature.
Next time you fill your tank use cold and a little hot water.

[JoeLaX75]

How big is your tank? A 50W heater is generally meant only for for up to 10 gallons. If you have 2 turtles in only a 10 gallon tank, then I'd say you have bigger problems than just your heater...

[marisa]

Not all heaters have indicator lights (I prefer those that do), and if you don't see one come on when your Marineland is in cool water, it most likely doesn't.

And you can't accurately tell the temp by touching the water.

If the temp is going up, it's working. If the heater is too small for the amount of water in the tank, it will take longer to warm the water and will have to work harder to keep the temp at the temp it's set at. To determine correct wattage, allow 3 - 5 watts per gallon of water. You can speed up the temp by warming some water on the stove and adding it to the tank water (not with your turtle in it).

[xylo]

The Marineland stealth doesn't have an indicator light. The only thing you can do is set the temperature. What is the temperature of the air vs. the water. If the water is warmer, the heater is working. If the temperature of the water is not sufficient, you may need to look into a higher wattage heater.

[Gosu]

Then, okay, let me change my answer, how long will it warm up? About how much time will the heater heat the water to the setted temperature?

[JoeLaX75]

Again, it depends mainly on two things: the amount of water in your tank and the wattage of your heater.

The position of it will also make a difference. Having it near the filter where the water is moving will allow for a more even warm up of the tank whereas if you have the heater in positioned in an area where water doesn't move as much will result in a slowly and unevenly heated tank.

[marisa]

Like I said above, if the heater is too small for the amount of water, it will take longer than if the heater were the correct wattage. It will also have to work harder to keep the water at the temp it's set for.

Once again, you can speed up the time it takes for the water to get to the desired temp by heating some on the oven (better than just using warm water from the faucet) and adding it to the tank water (without your turtle in it).