I've had this heater for a couple weeks now, and after reading some reviews and doing my own research, I believe the only trouble some people might have with this heater's glass breaking or anything is due to incorrect usage of it. To be on the safe side, when I do water changes or anything that involves the glass being expose out of water, I make sure to turn off the heater at least 15 minutes before. Any major temperature changes can cause the glass to break. Also, I just stand it vertically with the plastic top out of water, just to insure no water leaks in. As long as you make sure the water level doesn't drop past the minimum, I feel like this heater can last a long while!

We now own 3 heaters with controls and it is marvelous! They are keeping my water in my tanks within 1 degree or less of whatever temperature I have set for them in each tank! This has been and still is a very cold winter and now I am so relieved knowing my fish will be kept comfortable in just the right amount of heat for each tank I have. I have one more to buy at this time and I will have all my tanks just fixed up for the good health of "My Kids" , my fishies of course! I recommend trying one and see for yourself if you have very cold temperatures especially and/or extreme weather changes. My hubby and I are truly enjoying our new hobby. To think that my wish for a Siamese Fighting Betta Fish I had asked for last year started our growing collection and our knowledge of tropical fresh water fish... Yes! Makes us feel young again. Enjoy! :)

I was all set to buy Elite Submersible Preset Heater Mini, 25-Watt from Amazon for my 5 Gallon Tank but the price was hiked suddenly by 7$. I usually purchase items with good reviews and neglect those without any reviews or ratings. But I decided to take a chance with this one. I am into two weeks of ownership and the following are my views.

Good:
1. Price :)(Great pricing by the manufacturer)
2. Heats up pretty quick for a 5 Gallon Tank(larger tanks might take more time)
3. No discomfort for the fish when the heater is on, my Betta swims comfortably around it.(he even rests at the bottom of the heater :))
4. Perfect size for a 5 Gallon Tank.(I was a bit worried about the height initially, I have reduced the height of gravel where the bottom of the heater touches the gravel.)

Not so Good:
1. I found the temperature adjustment a bit inaccurate. However the manufacturer suggests to use it in conjunction with a thermometer. I bought one which sticks to the tank on the outside and it took some days for me to find the exact setting for the heater to keep the tank at 78 degrees.( It took longer as the days are warmer these days(I live in the south east side))
2. Not a great looking heater, the concealed ones from Fluval looks great. I am also bit nervous to handle glass objects.

From the pictures, I thought the heater comes with a built-in thermometer, but it is just the display for the temperature adjustment.

Overall, a great buy for the price. Recommended!

I will update this review with my experience as it goes on.

I got this heater for my 10 gallon planted betta tank, and over a year after purchase, this heater is still working great. it has no problem heating my tank even when my apartment gets cold in the winter, and the adjustable temperature is just what I needed. I really appreciate the indicator light which lets me know the heater isn't working too hard to heat the tank, and it easily heats the whole tank. My fish never feels the need to huddle around the heater and happily explores the whole tank all day. It has also survived at least 4 moves (I'm in college so the tank goes with me on breaks) with no trouble. Great heater for the price, if I ever got another tank I would definitely get another.

Not a lot to say here. You take it out of the package. Clean it off. Install in tank. Let it set for some time before plugging it in to let the temp inside the heater thermostat settle.

I have it setup in a 5g tank. It brought up the temp from 69 to 74 and it has been steady at that temp for a week or so. Little cold up north here and the house is at 67 most of the time, steady in the tank. I think most people don't let heaters settle before plugging them in. This usually causes erratic behavior in a heater.

Cons: Dial is stiff and difficult to turn which is inconvenient in any tank but more so in a small 5g tank.