# All Marineland Stealth Heaters Recalled



## dotbomb (Jan 5, 2011)

***See Page 5 of This Thread***

In case you didn't see in the other stealth pro thread...



> February 11, 2011
> 
> Dear Valued [chain store name here] Pet Parent,
> 
> ...


I returned 2 heaters today for store credit. I did not have a receipt and they did not require one. I purchased a Fluval M 300 heater for my main tank. The other heater was a spare so I have not replaced it yet.


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

Figures. I stopped using mine a few months ago, threw it out yesterday...


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## m1aman (Jan 3, 2011)

Gonna stop using mine as well. There is just too much bad juju going on with these heaters.


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## AZcichlidfreak (Nov 16, 2010)

Thanks for the heads up. :thumb: I guess I will be returning my tomorrow.


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## newforestrob (Feb 1, 2010)

Is there different models?mines all black with white writing,it has a red plastic dial.no light,I think its 250 watts,will any(B.As)do an exchange?without receipt?
I,ve seen alot of posts recently,got me worried :-?


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## jh82 (Oct 26, 2007)

So does this mean the 50W and 150W are "safe" to use? Since they're not mentioned in the email. Will they take these models back, also?


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## dotbomb (Jan 5, 2011)

Give their customer service line a call on Monday morning when they re-open. If they say they are not including their 150W or 50W express your concern for your fish and your safety and see what they say. I personally still have a 75w in use that I'm going to call about.

And yes, I took 2 back without receipts. The manufacturer reimburses the retailer for their costs.


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## walleye (Aug 20, 2007)

Is there a difference between the stealth pro and stealth? I have 2 stealth heaters, 150 and 250. I unplugged the 250. I thought I saw the pro has an indicater light on it. Neither of mine have lights on them. Is there anywhere to check actual heaters, or do we have to wait till tomorrow?


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## oneeyedclyed (Nov 10, 2010)

I took both my 150W and 200W regular Stealth heaters back back today and got replacements. They will take both back.


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

walleye said:


> Is there a difference between the stealth pro and stealth? I have 2 stealth heaters, 150 and 250. I unplugged the 250. I thought I saw the pro has an indicater light on it. Neither of mine have lights on them. Is there anywhere to check actual heaters, or do we have to wait till tomorrow?


Stealth pro's have the red/green indicator lights in the adjustment knob. The old style stealth does not.


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## m1aman (Jan 3, 2011)

If you don't have a receipt can you just take the heaters back and get a refund? Not a replacement....


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## dotbomb (Jan 5, 2011)

I got a refund in the form of store credit since I didn't have a receipt. I read some people are getting cash refunds though if they complain enough. So you mileage may vary. But if nothing else you'll get store credit.

If you'd rather wait and see if/when this recall spreads to other retailers that have a better selection of heaters then there is that option too. The recall was announced Saturday morning after their corporate HQ was closed for the weekend. I would expect this to be rolling out to other stores in the coming week.


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## Frigid Blue (Feb 12, 2011)

Would this also in include the regular Marineland Stealth heaters without the indicator light? Some say it is, while others say it's fine. :-?


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## olliesshop (Nov 21, 2010)

I'm still unsure whether this recall actually includes all Stealth Pro heaters or only some of them. I sure sounds from the note it's ALL of them, but this is an excerpt from an email I received from Marineland in December, regarding the heaters, and my heaters were built later than the early builds, so they said they were OK. I'm going to call them today to make sure ... assuming I can get through.

December 29th, 2010 - "The reports you heard were very seriously exaggerated. The New Stealth Pros are our top of the line heater and selling very well. *We had some quality issues with the first batch of heaters that shipped and we replaced all of the product on the distributor level. None should have reached you*. Just to be sure if you want to check your lot code. You will find it stamped on the top of the heater below where the line cord goes in. It will look like 01A32. Just let us know."

BTW ... I've had mine for 3 months and they've been fine ... so far. But I sure don't want to keep them if they're dangerous !!!

We'll see what they say today.


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## olliesshop (Nov 21, 2010)

I just talked to the manufacturer (800-526-0650) and they said there has been no recall of the heaters at this time and they stand by their products 100%. If I understood it correctly, they said if you're not satisfied with the heaters you can return them under warranty, though.

BTW ... my LFS had not heard about any recall either.

I hope this helps.


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## dotbomb (Jan 5, 2011)

Well that's a bummer. To me that just means they have a bad corporate communication policy in place. I bet they'll get all their ducks in a row over there eventually but who knows when that will be.

For the time being here is a direct link to the letter sent by PetSmart. I know we don't normally allow vendor names here but this is a safety concern and hopefully this reference can slide.

http://petsmart-mail.com/P/v3/Microsite.asp?E=1524;002227;1930608856;25;02&R=T1_ONL&A=1007

For anyone who wishes to return these heaters just print out that letter as your reference and take it in to PetSmart. They will give you a store credit if you don't have a receipt.

If you'd rather return to another store you may have to wait a few days while Marineland gets their act together.


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## curlylox92 (Feb 14, 2011)

I just went to my LFS and they didn't know about it either, but he was happy I said something and now he's looking into it. I just picked up a Aqueon Pro Heater 250 for now. I needed something on my tank.


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## Twisted_Reality (Jan 18, 2003)

Had to take back two different Marineland Heaters back to the store. One which electrocuted my Wife and killed most of the fish in the tank.


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

I just got this in an email.



> Dear TIM,
> We're contacting you with important news about your Marineland Stealth PRO Heater. Marineland is investigating quality issues involving the Stealth PRO Submersible Heater line, and out of an abundance of caution, they have stopped selling 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 watt models. If you have questions about this stop sale or to return these heaters under your Marineland warrantees, please call Marineland Customer Service at 800-338-4896.
> Please stop using it immediately and take the following steps:
> 1.	Unplug the heater from the wall to stop the flow of electricity
> ...


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## dotbomb (Jan 5, 2011)

That's good to see. I'm sure they are working through their retail channel and it is just taking time to get it all set up and organized. :thumb:


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## lelandgray (Jan 19, 2011)

I've got three that I'm taking back this afternoon.


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## LSBoost (Jan 21, 2010)

I took both of mine back today. Not taking any chances, even though I love them for the past year. FYI: I got the Visi-therm (non pro, glass version) in my 55gallon for more than 5 years without any problems but maybe it's time to replace that one too just to be safe.


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## m1aman (Jan 3, 2011)

Is Petsmart the only store known to be accepting these heaters or will other stores follow suit.


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## lelandgray (Jan 19, 2011)

The only reason I went to Petsmart is because they're the ones that put a letter out about bringing them back. They didn't have any issues whatsoever, although two of mine were still in the box and one was not. They had to do a seperate return for the one not in the box.. so, if you have 10 unboxed heaters, they might make you do 10 seperate returns.


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## Rhinox (Sep 10, 2009)

grumble grumble...

figures I just bought some of these, a 50W, a 100W, and a 200W. I knew the stories about the exploding heaters but chose to go with them anyways. Now it seems I should probably return them per this recall. If its a bad enough problem to allow a recall, then it must actually be a problem.


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

I pulled mine yesterday, but am keeping the 50's and 25's. The notice I recieved was for 100's and up only. That'd make sense as they'd have more potential for overheating or whatever they're doing to cause them to blowout. Seems all reported cases on the forums were for larger wattage heaters.


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## Rhinox (Sep 10, 2009)

prov356 said:


> I pulled mine yesterday, but am keeping the 50's and 25's. The notice I recieved was for 100's and up only. That'd make sense as they'd have more potential for overheating or whatever they're doing to cause them to blowout. Seems all reported cases on the forums were for larger wattage heaters.


Thats why I figured I'd be fine even up to 200W but if they're even recalling the 100W I'm going to return the 50W as well. Not that anyone wants water on their floor, but I'm a renter and though I have renters insurance I suppose I could still get evicted if I destroy a lot of property. I can't take that risk.

Only problem is, I don't know what heater to get instead... :-? I had an aqueon 100W in my 55, but it turned the glass a brown color on one spot on the inside like it was burning, and I'm pretty sure it is now in the stuck on position. It only lasted a year....


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## Glaneon (Sep 27, 2010)

But.. but but.. I don't wanna take my heaters out...

I have 3 of that type in my tanks. *grumble grumble*


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## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

I had no trouble returning mine to Petsmart last night. I replaced it with a Fluval M-200.

As for the person with three in their tanks and not wanting to take them out . . . yeah, it's a pain. But the stories about cooked fish prompted me to act (I had not had an issue with the heater myself). Personally, I always have extra heaters on hand for back-up, so it wasn't hard to swap one out and bring back the StealthPro when I happened to drive by a Petsmart . . .


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## Glaneon (Sep 27, 2010)

Yeah, I know.. better safe than sorry.

I replaced my 250 & 200 with 2 Aqueon 250's.
I replaced my 200 in my turtle tank with a M300.
I replaced my M150 with an Aqueon 150.

I know Fluval says fully submersible, but when the product says "Do not submerge below this line" (ie, high water mark); I get nervous.


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## Rhinox (Sep 10, 2009)

hollyfish its not cooked fish, its EXPLODING heaters busting tanks.

I don't have a petsmart that is really nearby so it is a hassle for me. I bought my heaters at a pet supplies plus right down the street anyone know if they are accepting exchanges per the terms of the recall yet?

I feel like I'm playing russian roulette now 2 of my 3 are still running out of necessity they haven't exploded yet....... I was able to pull the 50W because I moved my fry out of the 10g last night but of the 3 I have that was probably the least likely to explode.


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## Glaneon (Sep 27, 2010)

Apparently it's the 150+, I have a 50W I'm not pulling out of my hospital tank.


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## Rhinox (Sep 10, 2009)

Glaneon said:


> Apparently it's the 150+, I have a 50W I'm not pulling out of my hospital tank.


Well they letter says they're recalling the 100's as well, but I also have a 200. I assumed it would be the higher wattages, but if they're recalling as low as 100's and I already have my 50 pulled and not in use, I might as well see if I can return it as well just to be safe.


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## lelandgray (Jan 19, 2011)

I don't think they'll take back the 50W, but you could try. When I went the other day, they were still selling the 50W heaters but all the others had been pulled. The letter states 100W, 150W, 200W, and 250W


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## biglove (Jan 4, 2010)

I was discussing the issue with my LFS owner today. He stated he has not been contacted by Marineland; but, had the exploding/cracking/overheating on four of his store tanks with the heaters back in 12/2010. He contacted Marineland at that time and they sent him a box of the heaters to compensate. He is, of course, not using them.

When I spoke with the folks at Marineland this week regarding a bad impeller on two Penguin 350B's that are less than a week old, I told them I appreciated their recalling the heaters. The female rep said she appreciated that I understood and said they are swamped with calls.


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## olliesshop (Nov 21, 2010)

I just called Marineland, and they said they are conducting a product investigation of the heaters. Right now, there is no recall, but it sounds like a product investigation is the step before a recall actually happens, if one actually does happen.

It sure sounds like we're getting different answers from her Marineland !!! I'm going to call back in about a month and see if they've issued an official recall or not. I have two 250 Watt heaters right now in my 125 gallon, that I don't want to have explode on me, obviously. So I want to get this issue resolved as quickly as possible. They said I should be okay for now ... how comforting !!!

They also confirmed that PetSmart had sent a letter to people, that have had problems with their heaters, can return them and get a replacement/alternate heater.

I just thought you would all like to know.


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## wdywarrior (Feb 25, 2010)

just returned my 250 watt to petsmart. they gave me cash return. manager said they pulled all the 100,s and above off the shelves. also i had no reciept. petsmart gave me no problems. bought a fluval e series heater to replace the marineland.


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## olliesshop (Nov 21, 2010)

Well, after reading all of the bad reviews online. I finally decided to return my two 250 Watt Stealth Pro heaters to PetSmart today. I also did not have a receipt, and they did not give me any hassle whatsoever. I replaced them with what they had available, which were two 200 Watt Aqueon heaters. I haven't plugged them in yet, since they said to wait a while to let them acclimate to the water temperature before you turn them on. I hope they turn out to be good heaters. I really liked the Stealth Pro heaters, but in the end I was unwilling to take the risk of blowing out the side of my aquarium with them.

I hope this helps someone. I sure do feel a lot better now, in terms of peace of mind, that I have heaters that won't potentially blow up.


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## mambee (Apr 13, 2003)

I called Marineland yesterday. They refuse to call it a recall. I had one of their filters in my 150 gallon tank and I was shocked when I touched the water. My fish are a lot happier since I unplugged it. Marineland is sending me 2 replacement heaters in 2-3 weeks.

Mike


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## fubu56 (Aug 23, 2008)

I just returned my Stealth 250 to Pet Smart with no hassle. I proceeded to exchange my old heater with a Fluval-M300 submersible heater . However once I got all the way home and began to open the heater package and noticed that this particular heater has a water level line marked on the tube that states do not submerge past this line - HUH ?
What part of the word (SUBMERSIBLE) does Fluval not understand ? The whole point to having a submersible heater is not to be restricted by the tank water level !

submersible |sÃ‰â„¢bÃ‹Ë†mÃ‰â„¢rsÃ‰â„¢bÃ‰â„¢l|
adjective
designed to be completely submerged or to operate while submerged.

Well I took it back and I'm going to try a new model Aqueon 250 - looks just like the old Stealth , I hope it works okay. Seems like heater quality has really hit rock bottom in the last few years. I'm showing my age but back in the old days it seems like heaters were made to last, put it in the tank and forget it. I remember the old green Jager heaters they worked flawlessly for years. Now it seems like there are no truly reliable heaters being made. I think big company's like Marineland should make a better attempt to insure the quality of the merchandise they sell !
We all work hard for our money and we should be treated with more respect and not be seen as mindless consumers who are willing to pay for JUNK. I am willing to pay a bit extra for quality if I can find it !


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## Narwhal72 (Sep 26, 2006)

That water line mark found on the Fluval M heaters is also found on the old and new Ebo Jager heaters as well. It is a requirement by UL for glass tube heaters that are sealed at the top with an O ring. That doesn't mean that the heater isn't completely submersible. It is designed to be that way. UL doesn't feel that a gasket is sufficient seal so in order for the manufacturer to get the coveted UL listing they must make that statement.

Epoxy filled heaters such as the Aqueon and Marineland Stealth heaters are a better seal and do not require that marking.

Andy


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## fubu56 (Aug 23, 2008)

Thanks for the clarification regarding the water level line , I guess that makes sense however it also creates a bunch of confusion. I guess I don't think it should be the consumers job to second guess what the water line statement (really) means. If a package states that something is submersible they should stick by that statement and not have a contradictory statement on their product.
I don't think the majority of consumers are thinking about O rings when they go shopping for aquarium heaters and they should not have too. Most people just want a reliable heater they can put in the aquarium and forget. I thought the Stealth heaters were better too and look where we are at now.


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## Narwhal72 (Sep 26, 2006)

From the manufacturer's viewpoint they are really in between a rock and a hard place.

If they do not put the water line in there and don't pursue a UL listing they can say whatever they want about use of the heater. However many dealers and distributors may choose not to carry the item without a UL approval. This can doom a perfectly good heater brand.

If you go for UL approval they have requirements that you have to follow even if your design is made superior to the minimum requirements of UL. In reality UL approval does nothing to protect the manufacturer from liability. But many dealers and distributors believe that it does and it is a major selling point that can't be ignored.

Unless your heater comes with a bracket to clip to the frame of the tank (like the old Penn Plax and Supreme heaters) it is pretty safe to say that it is a submersible heater.

Andy


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## cichlid_baby (Jan 28, 2003)

Unfortunately.... the Marineland Stealth heaters were all UL listed... which did not do much in terms of protecting the consumer from poor quality and design flaws ultimately bringing the Stealth Pro to it's current doom... hence many of these kinds of threads.

On another note... the EBO Jagars line of heaters no longer have that maximum water line.. instead it has been reworded to reflect a minimum water line.


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## mambee (Apr 13, 2003)

I called Marineland too and they refused to call it a recall. Obviously they have a problem with their heaters, and calling it a recall is a legal admission of this problem. I have Stealth heaters but not the Pro line. I described my heaters as black with a red dial, and they said that these heaters above 50 watts were also included in the product action. They offered me the choice of a refund or replacement with glass heaters.


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

anyone know if petco is taking them back? i bought both of mine there and they have the aqueon i might want to try

any info on the black aqueons yet


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## shellies215 (Jan 7, 2011)

I've been using a black aqueon for just over a month, The temp dial is dead accurate, and it has indicator lights so you know when it is heating


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

well i returned mine today, the problem though is i guess petco wasn't the one with the black aqueons, maybe it was petsmart, so i ended up with a glass aqueon because that was all they had... i hope i didn't just trade down


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## John Doe (Nov 13, 2002)

Thanks for posting about this recall.

I traded in my stealth (not pro) to petsmart. I was changing the water in my tank and was shocked. I had a small cut on my finger from washing sand for my new tank, and when the cut touched the water I felt a shock. When I tounched the water with fingers that didn't have a cut I didn't feel anything. Began to unplug things, and when I disconnected one of my two stealth heaters, I wasn't shocked anymore.

I've had this heater for several years, and can only imagine how long my fish have been getting shocked. I never would have known if not for the cut on my finger!


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## benny71 (Sep 30, 2010)

I just got a letter in the mail from PetSmart about this.

I returned two of them in a paper back with no box or receipt for $86.00...About $26.00 more than I paid(PetSmart rewards discount). :thumb:

I picked up some Aqueon 250s to replace them and since they had a PetSmart discount sticker on them, I walked away with a little extra money.


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## redfish (Nov 30, 2002)

I got rid of my other for these when they came out were bullet proff, now I read this after
i fryed 4 of my best fish. Go to any petshops and no one uses heaters spoke to owner don't
use them because there all junk they keep the temp in the store at 78 degress. This was working well for me this winter till my wife decide she going to save money and sets the heater to go
to 65 at night, caused fish to get ick, clould eye etc lost 4 more so no longer overstocked. Im 
speaking about the home heater unit.


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## shellies215 (Jan 7, 2011)

John Doe said:


> Thanks for posting about this recall.
> 
> I traded in my stealth (not pro) to petsmart. I was changing the water in my tank and was shocked. I had a small cut on my finger from washing sand for my new tank, and when the cut touched the water I felt a shock. When I tounched the water with fingers that didn't have a cut I didn't feel anything. Began to unplug things, and when I disconnected one of my two stealth heaters, I wasn't shocked anymore.
> 
> I've had this heater for several years, and can only imagine how long my fish have been getting shocked. I never would have known if not for the cut on my finger!


Your fish were not getting shocked. You got shocked because you are grounded, your fish are not grounded.


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## xxbenjamminxx (Jan 22, 2011)

Since they are on recall should stores still be selling them? The LFS up here has a bunch out on a clearance table.


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## Narwhal72 (Sep 26, 2006)

If they are 100 watt or larger they should be sending them back to their distributor for credit. the smaller sizes are not subject to the recall and they can continue selling them.


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## mambee (Apr 13, 2003)

I called Marineland and they replaced my 2 250W Stealth heaters with Visitherms. I'm now returning one of the Visitherms because it will not turn off.

All heaters are ****.


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## TheBreeve (Mar 23, 2011)

I received a recall letter from Petsmart for my Marine Stealth Pro 100w heater. I took it back and picked out a 150w Fluval M series. The Fluval was about $7 more expensive but they did an even swap anyway. I'm happy with the Fluval, (as I was with the stealth) it seems to be calibrated near perfect.


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## xxbenjamminxx (Jan 22, 2011)

Narwhal72 said:


> If they are 100 watt or larger they should be sending them back to their distributor for credit. the smaller sizes are not subject to the recall and they can continue selling them.


If I remember right they were all above the 100 watt size. Like 150's and 200's, wish they werent recalled cause they are marked down REAL cheap. They probably don't even know about the recall, or do they?


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## dotbomb (Jan 5, 2011)

Updating this thread since it ranks pretty high on google...

All Stealth heaters are now affected.

Here is the official release.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11202.html


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

Since this thread was updated, I deleted the new one. Let's not get multiple threads going about this issue.

Please and thanks.


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## dotbomb (Jan 5, 2011)

Thanks, I only thought of that after the fact :thumb:


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## DrgRcr (Jun 23, 2009)

Just read this on another forum. It seems now that ALL Marineland Stealth Heaters including the regular Stealth, not just the higher wattage Pro models, are being recalled. Here is the link.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11202.html

They really shot themselves in the foot with this one IMO. Now I have to look for 2 to replace the 2 250w models in my 125.


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## dotbomb (Jan 5, 2011)

Petsmart sent a letter yesterday. You can take your heaters to them for an exchange without receipt.


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## cichlid_baby (Jan 28, 2003)

I hope Marineland recognizes that they have just done wonders for all their competitors not to mention hurt their bottom line and repuation with this Stealth fiasco.

I know many places that could not stock enough of the EBO Jager heaters as consumers were in a pinch to replace their stealth heaters. EBOs have been sold out at many places including many of the online resellers for months now since these forums have been hot with this issue.

It's a good thing Marineland is trying to do the right thing.. but it's a BAD thing to put out any product with your company name on it without fully testing it yourself.

This is what happens when you outsource manufacturing and can't commit to quality control.

I am sure many of the other heater manufacturers are just loving it.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

Now the question comes up of how many other manufacturers are also doing the same thing. Most likely all are in some ways.


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

Merged topics. Brings same attention to the latest without starting a new thread.

Thanks.


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## bighog85 (Apr 24, 2011)

So I have a stealth heater and last night every one of my fish except a pleco was killed. Is it possible for one to survive if the heater is sending a current through the water? My cousin was saying that the same thing happened to him and that Marineland reimbursed him for the entire stock that was in his tank which was over $2,000. If that heater killed my fish I am going to try the same thing. Has anyone else ever done this?


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

Did the heater 'explode'? That's what's been happening to them. And I think the fish die because it blows out the tank. Doesn't sound like your situation.


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## bighog85 (Apr 24, 2011)

prov356 said:


> Did the heater 'explode'? That's what's been happening to them. And I think the fish die because it blows out the tank. Doesn't sound like your situation.


It didn't explode but his cracked and electrocuted his fish. I'm gonna pull mine out today and check it but I have read where people have not found a huge crack but water had gotten in around the cord and dial because of some very small damage that you wouldn't really see.


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## bostonjon (Sep 2, 2003)

petco refused to take mine back!!!!


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## dotbomb (Jan 5, 2011)

bostonjon said:


> petco refused to take mine back!!!!


That's why everyone has been going to Petsmart instead.

Your options are Petsmart or calling UPG and working out an exchange with them directly. The phone number is included in the link to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission in a prior post in this thread.


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## newforestrob (Feb 1, 2010)

The kid at BAs said he wouldnt exchange my stealth heaters on Saturday,but his supervisor did.


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## the blur (Oct 4, 2010)

I called them. the girl was not too nice on the phone, but I sent back 2 heaters, and got 2 replacements mailed to me in about 1 week.


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## exasperatus2002 (Jul 5, 2003)

bighog85 said:


> prov356 said:
> 
> 
> > Did the heater 'explode'? That's what's been happening to them. And I think the fish die because it blows out the tank. Doesn't sound like your situation.
> ...


The casing started bubbling on mine & I found out when I got a mild shock when I put my hand in the tank. I took it out & put a back up heater in. Im glad I caught this thread.


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## londonloco (Mar 31, 2011)

I still had 2 stealth heaters (150w and 200w) I pulled out of my tanks last year when all this started. I've had several of them split on me, never explode. I called today, took 6 mins including waiting time. They are sending me 2 visa therms as replacements with a return label to mail back the Stealths. There is a 4-6 week waiting period tho. I hate heaters!


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## exasperatus2002 (Jul 5, 2003)

I got an email today after I posted on this thread from dr foster & smith who I had ordered it from. they're contacting everyone the sold one to online about the recall. They are emailing me a ups mailing label to send it back & replacing it with a fluval M 300 watt heater since I had the stealth 250 watt & Fluval opnly has 200 or 300 watts. I didnt want to wait for the visitherm back order to arrive. their customer service was quick & very friendly about the recall.


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## RyanR (Apr 29, 2008)

Got an e-mail from F&S this AM, too.

Has anyone had their plain ol' Stealth go wrong? I know the PRO's are exploding, but I haven't head anything of the older Stealth units .

I'm running all Stealth's 2-3 years old. They're all switched off for water changes. Never had a problem... guess I'll look into it. Is what Marineland is replacing them with of decent quality?

Thanks!
-Ryan


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

The issue going is just for the 'Pro' stealths. The older ones used to get really good marks from folks, and I don't recall anything like this with the older ones.

Regarding quality of replacement, F&S was offering, well I'll let you read it.

_UPG will provide purchasers of the affected products your choice of a free replacement heater (Visi-Therm Deluxe) or mail you a refund check. Please contact UPG at (800) 338-4896 between 7:30 am - 5:30 pm EST Monday through Friday to begin the process. 
If you'd prefer to arrange your return/refund through Foster & Smith Aquatics, or to discuss trying a Fluval M Submersible Heater as an alternate replacement instead, please contact Customer Service at 1-800-443-1160. Our friendly customer service representatives are always happy to help you, 7 am-10 pm, CST, 7 days a week. _

The Fluval M is NOT fully submersible, and the other is a Marineland product, so I passed. I'm going for the refund, then shop around for something else. But, I've already replaced the heaters, so maybe I'll buy more fish with the funds. I had quite a bit wrapped up in these.


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## londonloco (Mar 31, 2011)

The Fluval M *is* fully submersible, this has been confirmed several times with Fluval, there are threads here about this.

After I wrote this I called Fluval. Dottie at their Customer Service Dept stated "we are a global company. Some countries, Canada is one I think, require we put minimum and maximum water levels on the heater. The US is not one of these countries. These heaters are fully submersible, we have never had a problem with them".

I'm buying two of them for a 125g I'm setting up next week. I'll use the visa therms as back ups.


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

Interesting, because F&S customer service made a point of telling me that they weren't fully submersible even though they knew I was in the US.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

The voluntary recall is for the Stealth and the Stealth Pro. It states this directly in the link provided by the CPSC.


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## dotbomb (Jan 5, 2011)

prov356 said:


> The issue going is just for the 'Pro' stealths.


The recall has been expanded to include both Stealth and Stealth Pro of all wattage ratings.

Please see the US Consumer Product Safety Commission link below

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11202.html


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

> Has anyone had their plain ol' Stealth go wrong? I know the PRO's are exploding, but I haven't head anything of the older Stealth units .


Yes, the recall was expanded to include all, but I was responding to the above question.

To be honest, the whole thread is making me crazy. :x :x :x How much more can we say? Yes, there's been a recall on Stealth heaters, so return yours for replacement or refund.

I bet we get 3-4 more pages out of this, at least. opcorn: :lol:


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## dotbomb (Jan 5, 2011)

Ah, I didn't understand the context. Stuff like that will keep this thread going strong indeed. :thumb:

So hey, did you know they expanded the recall? :lol:


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## newforestrob (Feb 1, 2010)

I would just like to add,you dont have to deal with marineland for exchange or refund,I went to bigals with my stealth heaters,they gave me a refund, and I replaced them with my choice from the selection of heaters they carry


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

I know we've covered that.  I'm telling you, 3-4 more pages easy. opcorn:


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## newforestrob (Feb 1, 2010)

:lol: opcorn:


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## Amp (Dec 12, 2003)

RyanR said:


> Got an e-mail from F&S this AM, too.
> 
> Has anyone had their plain ol' Stealth go wrong? I know the PRO's are exploding, but I haven't head anything of the older Stealth units .
> 
> ...


I had a problem with a regular stealth. It didn't explode but it expanded and split open. This was about a year or so ago. I sent it back to Marineland and they sent a replacement.


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## exasperatus2002 (Jul 5, 2003)

Got my fluval M 300 w replacement from foster & smiths the other day. I like it. Hasnt blown up yet.


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## marik (Sep 15, 2009)

wow, i'm needing to get a new heater and always heard the marineland stealth heaters were really good. glad i saw this before i went out and bought one.

i'll stay away from these heaters until i hear everything has been resolved.


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## allierw (Apr 20, 2006)

I love the Stealths...I am sad they are all recalled. How much of a refund is Marineland giving back per heater? I have 7 heaters that need to be replaced.


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## Amp (Dec 12, 2003)

I took 2 back to Petsmart without a receipt and was given a giftcard equal to the amount they used to sell for. I believe the 250w was 36.99. I can't remember what I given for the 50w I returned. I'll have to check the receipt.


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## allierw (Apr 20, 2006)

Oh wow, sweet. Thanks Amp. Of course, the manager might have a heart attack if I return 7 at once... :lol:


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

I think everything we need to know and more is in the current 7 pages of this thread. We don't need to get into specific retailer return policies and prices.


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