a Fish tank heater is one of the essential pieces of equipment in your fish tank in the winter or if you live in a colder climate. It keeps the water temperature of your fish tank regulated to the ideal temperature for your fish. You might be wondering how long does a fish tank heater lasts? This article will explain how long they last and the factors that can shorten or prolong your fish tank heaters’ lifespan.
A quality fish tank heater will last for years before it has to be replaced. As a general rule, fish tank heaters that use an electronic thermostat to turn on and off the heating element will last much longer than fish tank heaters that use a bimetallic strip to turn on and off.
Choose a better quality fish tank heater
Almost all lower-quality fish tank heaters are mechanical bimetallic strip heaters, which aren’t ideal for controlling a heating element. It uses low voltage across the thermostat to control the on/off switch, switching a relay with much stronger contacts.
The larger the heater, the more current across the contacts, and those bimetallic strips aren’t going to withstand repeated open and close like that for long before they start to change the temperatures they respond to. After a while, the heating element can also be stuck on or off, causing the heater to fail.
This is why most fish tank heaters fail, and the problem is easily solved by simply investing in a higher quality heater, which will not cost much more than cheaper brands.
Electronic Thermostat
A high-precision electronic thermostat is used in modern fish tank heaters. Temperatures between 20 and 33°C can be set and maintained with an accuracy of 0.5°C or better. The heaters have a ceramic heat sink and an electronic thermometer built-in.
Unlike other commercially available products, these heaters do not have any mechanical contacts or movable parts that wear out because the thermostat is fully electronically controlled.
The AquaEL Platinum and Ultra ranges are good examples of these kinds of fish tank heaters. Other good quality brands include Eheim Jager as well as Aqueon.
Factors that can reduce fish tank heaters lifespan
- Do not turn the heater on outside of the aquarium unless it is specifally designed to do that. Most fish tank heaters are designed to be used submerged and will be damaged if turned on outside of the tank.
- Make sure the heater is installed correctly in the fish tank, either horizontally or vertically, and that it is completely submerged.
- Make sure there isnt any rocks or decor that can fall against the heater and damage the glass or outer casing.
- If you have a large tank, consider getting two smaller heaters.By not running a fish tank heater at full capacity all of the time, it is put under less stress and thus less likely to break. With a second heater, you have a backup in case one heater fails, and if one heater becomes stuck on, it is less likely to fry your fish.
Does your fish tank need a heater?
The majority of fish in the aquarium hobby are from tropical/warmer climates and must be kept in water ranging from 71.6-80°F. If the temperature in the room where the fish tank is located is below that range, you will need to use a fish tank heater to heat the water.
Features to look for in a fish tank heater
- An LCD screen or easy to see display where you can get information like the current water temperature, the temperature setting of the heater, and if the heater is currently on or off
- Some kind of heater guard that will protect the heater from damage by the decor in the fish tank or larger fish that may crash into it.
- An adjustable temperature setting that is easy and intuitive to use. Some older heaters made it virtually impossible to turn the temperature setting knob, and you were usually stuck with the heater on one setting.
- A warranty of at least 2-years will give you peace of mind that if something goes wrong with the heater, it will be replaced.
