PlanetCatfish.com

I am in need of a new heater. In the past, I have been going with the Tronic heaters, that have an optional plastic "shell" that keeps the fish from hiding next to the heater (especially plecos). I am finding it nearly impossible to find the 100 Watt version of this heater, and I am beginning to wonder if it is being discontinued. I see them on ebay, but not the big stores like Big Als or Foster and Smith.

Anyhow, do any of you have problems with using submersible heaters without fish protection? Do your pleco's get burned on the heaters? I am wondering if I am going to need to switch to a new type of heater.

Thanks

i have seen 2 piece rubber heater "protectors" sold seperatly at pet stores, maybe those would work for you, me myself i have never had problems with my fish getting burned pl*cos or otherwise.
sue

My damn heater keeps un-sticking itself from the glass, and ends up resting to the substrate. While my plecos avoid the same can't be said for my coolie loaches. But as yet I've never seen any of them get burnt by it.

I might look out for the protectors, though, as they sound like a good preventative measure.

Here is a pic of the heater guard:

http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/pro ... ry_id=2913

It works well.

I don't mind switching heaters, its just that I need 5 or 6 of them. If I buy the tronics with the heater guards, I would like to be able to reuse the heater guards in a few years when I replace the heaters.

I hate to sound like an advertisement for them, but the plastic heaters, Visitherm Stealth, are plastic. I think they're competitively priced with Tronic.