I've had this heater plugged in for over an hour and the temperature hasn't risen at all. My tank is still at 62 degrees as it was before I put this heater in (the heat in our apartment isn't working and we're all freezing). This was an emergency buy as I don't want my Betta to freeze to death.

I really dislike the fact that there's no indication (an "on" light? anything?) of whether it's on and working or not.

I'm going to return this tomorrow as soon as possible and hope my Betta can last another night without heat.

I was hoping it would AT LEAST raise the temperature to a bearable level until I could afford a better one. The heater I wanted for the same price (that has better reviews) wasn't in stock at my store, so I had to get this one knowing it barely works, but come on. It doesn't work WHATSOEVER.

Don't buy this heater. Mine was broken out of the box. As is with most Top Fin products. This has happened with an air pump and a tank that I bought from this brand.

Cons: didn't work

+3points

3of 3voted this as helpful.

Review 3 for Top Fin(r) Mini Heater

Overall rating

3 / 5 7 reviews

Temperature fluctuates too much

January 17, 2013

by dsquad48

fromNew York

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?2

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

Performance

3 / 5 7 reviews

Quality

3 / 5 7 reviews

Ease of Use

4 / 5 7 reviews

I bought this heater for my 2.5 gallon betta tank. It was working fine as long as the heat was on in the room I keep the tank in (temp was at a near perfect 81 degrees). However, as soon as I turned the heat off in the room for the night and the ambient room temperature dropped, so did the water temperature (down to about 74 degrees). Unless you have warm ambient temperatures where you keep your fish at all times, i wouldn't recommend this. I'll definitely be buying an adjustable heater soon.

Pros: easy to install

-2points

0of 2voted this as helpful.

Review 4 for Top Fin(r) Mini Heater

Overall rating

1 / 5 7 reviews

Useless and underpowered

November 27, 2012

by AquaticEngineer

fromSouth Carolina

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?3

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly

Performance

1 / 5 7 reviews

Quality

1 / 5 7 reviews

Ease of Use

5 / 5 7 reviews

This heater wouldn't keep a goldfish bowl warm. I bought the 15W unit for a 5 gallon tank (it's rated for up to 10 gallons). It couldn't even keep the water in the 70s, let alone the 76-78 range that my fish required.

Interestingly, the more traditional glass tube-type heaters recommend at least 25W for a 5 gallon tank. That's what I've replaced it with, so my fish are happy again.

So the upshot is that this unit is underpowered for the tank sizes it's targeted at. Don't waste your time!

Pros: easy to install

Cons: didn't work

-2points

2of 6voted this as helpful.

Review 5 for Top Fin(r) Mini Heater

Overall rating

4 / 5 7 reviews

Easy to install, but may overheat the water.

August 28, 2012

by Jamielynn14

fromLancaster, NY

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?5 or more

Performance

4 / 5 7 reviews

Quality

5 / 5 7 reviews

Ease of Use

3 / 5 7 reviews

This is my first tropical fish tank. It's 5 gallons. I bought the 15 watt heater for the 5-10 gallon tanks. It was really easy to install, and the water heated up very fast. The problem I have is that there is no temperature setting, and with the hood light on, the temperature went up 9 degrees within an hour. I have to unplug the heater every time i notice the temperature is above 82, which is very inconvenient. Just be cautious when you have the light on in the tank, because you can't lower the setting of the heater.

Pros: easy to install, price

+10points

12of 14voted this as helpful.

Review 6 for Top Fin(r) Mini Heater

Overall rating

1 / 5 7 reviews

NOT GOOD FOR 10 GALLON TANKS!!

August 18, 2012

by redtailedshark01

fromMacomb, Michigan

Performance

1 / 5 7 reviews

Quality

2 / 5 7 reviews

Ease of Use

5 / 5 7 reviews

Pro:
Looks cool
Doesn't take up a lot of room

Con:
Does not heat 10 gallon tank!!!!

Cons: didn't work

-13points

3of 19voted this as helpful.

Review 7 for Top Fin(r) Mini Heater

Overall rating

5 / 5 7 reviews

July 30, 2012

by Bettttttaaalovvver

fromOhio

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?1

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly

Performance

5 / 5 7 reviews

Quality

5 / 5 7 reviews

Ease of Use

5 / 5 7 reviews

My Top Fin Mini Heater can help you maintain an ideal environment for my fish, and its compact size won't take up too much space. I hang it on the glass with the included suction cup for setup and there's accessibility in almost any marine or tropical aquarium

Pros: works great, easy to install, price

0points

9of 18voted this as helpful.