We don’t expect innovations in aquatic technology to come from the reptile side of pet keeping, but that’s exactly what happened with the new Turtletherm from ZooMed. Unlike virtually all tube-shaped aquarium heaters, the Turtletherm is actually a disc with a ring-shaped heating element inside.
What makes the Turtletherm particularly useful with water turtles is that it has a beefy protective cover that allows water to flow through unimpeded, but which is out of reach for curious turtle snouts. This would be a welcome feature for a variety of fishes as well, especially the tank busters who tend to be a little belligerent with their aquarium ornaments and devices.
The Turtletherm also has a useful digital thermometer display which glows a bright, hard to miss red light. The Turtletherm is non-adjustable with a preset temperature of 78ºF, perfect for tropical aquatic creatures. Zoomed is making the Turtletherm in a 50 and 100 watt size, suitable for 15 or 30 gallons respectively.
Although the Turtletherm was designed with jostling turtles in mind, it should be definitely safe to use in a freshwater aquarium. While we don’t think this version of the Turtletherm is suitable for saltwater aquariums, we’re smitten with the form factor and the feature set and think this type of heater would be a welcome addition to our saltwater aquariums, especially with the space-saving size that should make it very flexible to place inside our smaller aquariums. [ZooMed]
