THEO UL Heater 25W
From Hydor
Theo Heater. New aquarium heater functioning with the exclusive PTC technology means that this heater will not break or damage when run out of the tank. Theo aquarium heater has all the necessary feature for safe and precise temperature maintenance of the water in your tank. The exclusive technology and the high quality of components guarantee a long lasting product.
- Amazon Sales Rank: #82261 in Pet Products
- Size: Heater is 7" long x 0.75" diameter.
- Brand: Hydor
- Model: T11702
- Dimensions: 10.00" h x 2.00" w x 3.50" l, .58 pounds
Does the Job
This is a nice choice for a tank that holds up to 7 gallons. It's totally submersible, ACCURATE, has a very effective thermostat, and is fairly unobtrusive. One feature I like is that its light glows while the water is heating and shuts off once the correct temperature has been reached. It's a good fit for a tank such as the Eclipse 3, especially if you want to house a betta (it also works well in an Eclipse 6); the Theo allows me to acclimate new fish at 86º for a week or so to rid them of any ich they might be harboring, after which it's easy to gradually reduce the temperature to my (and their) preferred 82º.
I also use Marineland Stealths, which I like because they're plastic but frankly, it bears mentioning that Marineland's "lifetime guarantee" carries an Orwellian caveat, i.e., some Stealths are more guaranteed than others. Rather than providing mail-in product registration to activate the warranty, you're expected to hang on to your receipt...well...for a lifetime (yeah, right). In addition, if they don't like the vendor, e.g., you bought it brand new and sealed but from an eBay or Amazon seller, you can kiss your hopes of replacement for a defective unit goodbye (they claim this is due to widespread fraud and people trying to obtain replacements for units found in the trash, but why were so many units trashed if they work forever, and who are these dementos who make a career of scavenging for them? Liver-lipped Finnish Ugly Boy trolls?). Marineland (actually, Aquarium Systems; they manufacture the item in Italy), after much coaxing, replaced a brand-new dead unit for me, but it's only carrying a 90-day warranty; this is because I bought it on eBay and I received an e-slap to the effect that NONE of my other Internet purchases would be covered. On this basis, my suggestion is to boycott Stealths (unless you want to pay list at a pet store) and go with a Theo. They're also manufactured in Italy, they do a great job, and I suspect they're nicer about warranty issues.
Right Choice, Right Price
I was only hesitant to purchase this because I needed to use it for a ten gallon tank (It's designed for a 7gal) and this was the most affordable option. I urge you to not be anxious yourself, however, as this heater is splendid. It looks reasonably nice and will heat your water (even in a ten-gallon tank); what more can I say? If you need an aquarium heater and have a 10gal, don't sweat it. Just buy it.
Also, it's worth mentioning that the heater doesn't look exactly like the one in the main picture. It's shorter and fatter (proportionately at least...) than pictured. This isn't a bad thing. Just don't freak out, because you ARE getting what you ordered.
Works great so far
I put this heater in my betta fish's tank a couple weeks ago and he is a much happier camper! I haven't checked the accuracy of it yet, but to be on the safe side, I turned it up to what it says to be just 72. It is kind of hard to tell what temp it's set on when in the water, but not a big deal. I have a pretty curved bowl and the suction cups have been working fine.
