Review on 🐠 Cobalt Aquatics Neo-Therm Pro Aquarium Heater (25-200w) - Fully-Submersible, Thermostat, Thermometer, Shatterproof for Freshwater and Saltwater Tanks by Robin Joseph

Update #2: I've been using the third since 2013. The original failed in less than 4 years of use. The replacement bought in 2017 lasted about 18 months before failing like the first one - stuck at the highest temperature. Luckily my tank temp alarm went off while I was home so I got her out of there before she killed anyone. I contacted Cobolt and they replaced it (after months of waiting because they were out of stock). Look on the power cord near the plug for the date of manufacture. If it's 2017, you may have a defective device. According to Cobalt, they had a bad batch back then. I've found them hard to find so there may be a manufacturing issue. My advice is to use them with a temperature controller if you want a little flair. For now I'm keeping a 3 star rating due to customer service, but the product itself is close to only 1 star if the 3rd unit also fails. UPDATE: The following review was written based on a new product when I originally purchased it in September 2013. It's May 2017 as I write this update and the device just crashed dangerously. The heater has set the maximum temperature and the button no longer works to set it. I caught it in water temperatures up to 86 degrees so I'm hoping not to lose stock. I see someone else had this in the questions section. My 3 year warranty had expired so I was unlucky. I think I'll buy a new one, but given that other brands offer a lifetime warranty, that's disappointing. This incident cost this product another star. I hope what happened is rare. At least the price has come down a bit since my original purchase. All hobbyists know the concerns about the quality of heaters. You've heard tales of entire tanks being destroyed by cooked fish from sticking to exploding heaters (I'm looking at you, Marineland). Well, Cobalt Aquatics could be our savior. These suction cups appear to be very strong and will not break unlike typical glass models. I bought the 100 watt version first because I supposedly needed that to heat my 29 gallon BioCube. However, it was too long to fit in the rear compartment where I keep my heaters. So I returned it and got the 75w model which is much shorter. It fits perfectly. I set it to 78 and my tank hasn't bounced from exactly 77.2 F and the room temperature has still been as cool as 70 so far. So 75 watts is all you need to grow about 25 gallons in my aquarium heat. If the ambient temp in my room had ever been 60 degrees or less, it might not have helped. Flat design is uncommon and very welcome. It is about as thick as a normal smartphone. Which begs the question: why has no one ever thought of this design? No fish can harm him. This is an electronically controlled heater which means there are no moving parts to wear out. And that's for sure. You press a button to set the temperature - somewhere in the semi-circle of the LEDs from 66-96 degrees Fahrenheit (who needs a tank at 96 degrees? But I digress), which glows green to indicate your choice. There are two problems here: you can only adjust it in two-degree increments, with one degree being more desirable. Also, it can only be adjusted in one direction. If you're on the 78th and want to be on the 76th, you'll have to keep pressing the dial until you get back there. A second button for multi-directional settings would have been useful, especially in this price range. It's annoying until you realize you've only set the temperature once, so it's a bit finicky. A solid green light lets you know you've reached the set temperature. A second fast flashing light above the set temperature indicates the water is warmer than the set temperature. A slower blinking below the set temperature indicates the water is colder than set and the heater is on. The minimum water level for this heater is just above the temperature controller. I can tell you from experience that these heaters will not work if you do not follow this requirement. They are fully submersible. In my opinion your typical glass tube heater is obsolete thanks to these heaters. Eheim Jager is usually well respected, but I can't think of any reason to top these Cobalts. People may cite the Hunter's proven reliability, but the fact of the matter is these Cobalts are proven. Although they first appeared in North America, they were sold under the Aquael brand name in Europe for many years and I have seen no evidence that they were unreliable there. Aquael is a real manufacturer, Cobalt just imported it and put their trademark on it. Did I mention these heaters are made in Poland and not China? Another tick in their favor. So why four instead of five stars? Because of the price. These cobalts will cost you twice as much as a traditional heater of the same power. However, if this is required to get a reliable, quality product that is not made in China, then I say it's worth paying the extra price. Maybe I should reconsider the fifth star.