General Care Discussion :: Having problems with water temps

[julie373]

So, I have this water heater. I believe that it is called a Neptune. Well, it has a little nob that you can adjust the temp. In the middle is the default and it's 76, so I turned it towards the plus line this morning and when I came home the temp was 87! I can't seem to control the temp. It's either too cool or too hot. I don't know what to do! Will this high temp harm my turtle until I figure out how to get it right?

[julie373]

Does anyone have any suggestions?

[untsmurf]

The warm temperature will harm your turtle. What temp is the water when the heater is set on the default temp? Because that is a good temperature.

[steve]

Search the forum for "Neptune". It doesn't seem to have a good reputation. How many watts is the heater and how much water is in your tank?

[julie373]

Im not sure how many watts, I looked at the instruction booklet and it doesn't say. and I have about 20 gallons of water in my 37 gallon tank. I turned it down a little last night and now it's between 80-81, is that okay?

[DavidY]

The ideal temp for a baby turtle would be around 78 degrees so 80-81 is on the warm side. You may also want to make sure your thermometer is accurate as they can be unreliable too sometimes. Do you have the sticky kind or is it a digital one? Usually the digital ones are more accurate while the ones that stick onto the glass can be off by a few degrees. If you have another thermometer like a glass one, you can use that just to double check what the temp is and then remove it when you're done.

Also the cheap heaters can sometimes be poorly made and will either be inaccurate, have too much fluctuation, fail to come on, or get stuck on which can be fatal. If you can, I would recommend getting a more reputable heater like a Visitherm Stealth or a Jager. You can get them online for a lot cheaper than the petstores sell them for.

[julie373]

I found the box. It's 100 watts, is that too much for how many gallons of water I have?

[DavidY]

That sounds about the right size for your tank. Try getting another thermometer and double check the temperature just to make sure that it's really that warm. If it is, then try turning the heater down just a little to get the temp closer to 78 degrees. What is the air temperature in the room?

[julie373]

Im not sure what my air temp in the room is, I haven't really checked yet, but I know it isn't causing the water to be too warm. I keep my room pretty cold actually.

[Starchick]

I've had the same problem with all-glass aquarium heaters, the cheaper ones just tend to have crappy thermostats, and after a while they don't shut off anymore. I'm using Stealth heaters in 2 tanks and they seem to be doing well so far. Invest in a good heater, it's really important to your turtle's health.

[julie373]

Is there water heaters out there that have a digital thermostat so that you can clearly set it on a certain number? After playing with it again last night, I woke up this morning and it is 78, so im hopeful that it will last until I go out and get another water heater (later today, or tomorrow)

[steve]

Most heaters have dials on them. Other types of heaters (inline, in filter) and much more expensive. There are separate temperature controllers, but those are very expensive for what it does. Get a good heater and a couple of thermometers and you should be OK.

[julie373]

Im going to the pet store today to get a new heater, any suggestions on a brand, and how many watts?

[megcornell]

Most people use stealth heaters and rave about them. I think for your size tank you'd want the 100W. There should be a wattage chart somewhere on the box to double check when you're at the pet store.

[RunninWideOpen]

i highly recommend the stealth heaters like megcornell said. i went through 5 heaters in 4 months until I got the Stealth. my girls just beat up those glass heaters I guess.

They label the packages well with charts to show you what you need. It's better to get one that is a higher wattage than one that is not enough wattage. Not enough power and it won't be able to properly maintain your temps. Too much power, and it simply won't have to work as hard to maintain the temps.