By using the Tetra Submersible Heater, you are able to increase the temperature in your fish tank to within a range of 76°F to 80°F (or 24.5°C to 26.5°C). For this device to work as intended, you need to set it up correctly.
To find out the correct way to installing this product, you can take a look at this tutorial from Aquarium Blueprints.
Before we start, it should be noted that this guide is based on the following variations:
- Tetra Submersible Heater for 2 to 15 Gallons (50 Watts)
- Tetra HT10 Submersible Heater (50 Watts)
- Tetra Submersible Heater for 10 to 30 Gallons (100 Watts)
- Tetra HT30 Submersible Heater (100 Watts)
- Tetra HT40 Submersible Heater (150 Watts)
- Tetra Submersible Heater for 30 to 60 Gallons (200 Watts)
1. For the first step, remove the heater from its packaging if you haven’t done so already.
2. Next you need to place the device directly in your fish tank.
3. When it comes to placement, you can put the heater vertically, horizontally or diagonally. Tetra warns that you should avoid placing the heater upside down from the vertical position, however.
We recommend using the horizontal or diagonal position. This is because the heat from the heater will rise up from the water column. By using either of these positions, you should get more efficient heating to go along with more accurate temperature reading.
Furthermore, Tetra also suggests placing the submersible heater in a place with good water circulation. Therefore, you should place it near the intake of a filter or close to an air stone.
Last but not least, try to put the heater as close to the bottom as possible without it actually touching the substrate. You should also avoid having any plants or décor making contact with the heater.
By putting the heater near the bottom, it will be able to heat up a majority of the water column. Furthermore, you don’t have to worry about turning the device off during partial water changes.
Make sure you use the suction cup to attach the heater to the glass or acrylic wall.
4. Once you managed to properly place the Tetra Submersible Heater in your fish tank, we recommend that you let it sit there for at least 15 minutes. By doing so, the device will be able to adjust to the current tank water temperature.
5. Once at least 15 minutes have passed, you can plug the power plug of the heater into a power outlet. Before doing so, however, make sure you create a drip loop as it will help prevent water from entering the power outlet in case liquid managed to travel along with power cable.
6. With the heater plugged in, you may see the device show a red light, which indicates that it is current heating the tank water.
It may take up to 24 hours for your aquarium to reach the 76°F to 80°F (or 24.5°C to 26.5°C) range.
Once the tank water has reached its goal, the heater will either show a green light or no light at all. Once it detects a drop below 76°F (or 24.5°C), then it will automatically turn itself back on again.