Review on Efficient Submersible Heater for Marina Betta Fish Tank Aquarium, 1.5 Gallons by Katrina Harrison

If you have a small aquarium (1 gallon or less) it will be difficult to find a heater that will work with it. There are only a few to choose from, and they are all fully enabled or fully disabled. I bought this for my Marina EZ Care Tank Marina EZ Care Betta Kit, Black when I realized I needed a heater. (The sales lady didn't tell me that.) I put it in a tank (it has a suction cup which is finicky at first but sticks really well once you set it up correctly) and was disappointed by how bulky it is. was. I left it on for a while and came back to find a very excited Cockfish. After checking the temperature of the water with an infrared thermometer, I saw that it was quite hot - around 80 degrees. So I thought maybe it was too hot. I experimented over the next few days, observing its behavior and regularly checking the water temperature. This particular fish turned out to be much happier at room temperature than when I warmed the water even a few degrees. So I removed the heater and decided to keep it until winter. But then I got a second rooster, and I decided to check if he likes the heater or not. Turns out he loved it. He'll actually be sitting next to him like a human curled up in front of the fireplace, so I've even put a small hammock made out of leaves in front of him so he can rest there and still be close to the heater. As with my other fish, I experimented with how long I left the heater on and checked the temperature regularly. He seems to like water up to 80 degrees (I didn't allow hot). So I left the heater in its tank permanently, turning it on for a while when I see the temp dropping too low, then turning it off when it approaches 80. (This takes about 2 hours, at "room temperature" water temperatures is about 70 degrees.) Of course, the biggest downside to this heater is that you have to unplug it and you can't leave it on for very long. I plan on putting some kind of switch or timer on, but when I'm not around I just leave it unplugged for now, and if so I set a timer to make sure I don't forget it and leave it on for too long on. I love that it has a light so you can easily see if it's on or off so you can easily see the little red light when checking your fish. ADVANTAGES: - Works well for a small plastic aquarium - Heats water for 30-120 minutes depending on desired temperature. The suction cup sticks well to the aquarium wall. CONS: Despite being a Marina Betta brand heater, there is no cord exit on the EZ grooming tank. (I plan to make a notch in the plastic to accommodate the cable.) - No temperature control; no auto shut off feature - bulky size/design takes up a lot of space in a small tank Overall I would recommend this heater especially if you have a small plastic tank. However, with regular use, you will need to consider the temperature and personal preferences of your fish to find the ideal temperature. an expensive heater that can set a specific temperature.