dodgerblew
Team RC
I went back to the Ebo Jäger on a controller
Cobalt neotherm heater just blew up!!!
- Thread starter fifthtoe
- Start date
I contacted Cobalt and will be receiving a 150W replacement. I know it's the 200W that had main issues, but I am weary of using the replacement in my tank because of my explosion experience.
I think I may be losing a soft coral, unless it's just being weird since the explosion on Sunday.
I think I may be losing a soft coral, unless it's just being weird since the explosion on Sunday.
frankabagnale
New member
My 150
watt blew up. I'd beware!
watt blew up. I'd beware!
It happened to me too.
It happened to me too.
I joined this forum in order to reply to this thread. Cobalt Aquatics was founded by three guys who left United Pet Group in April 2011, the same month that the recall was issued for the Marineland Stealth heaters that would explode and cause fires. Les Wilson, director of marketing for United Pet Group. Viral Surati, key accounts manager for United Pet Group. Randy Parham, national sales manager for United Pet Group. They all left in April 2011 to start Cobalt Aquatics. Here is some information from the Consumer Products Safety Commission regarding the recall and lawsuits from the Marineland/United Pet Group Stealth heater issue:
Hazard: A wiring problem can cause the aquarium heaters to overheat or break during normal use, damaging the aquarium and posing fire and laceration hazards to consumers. Overheating can cause the heater to shatter or the aquarium glass to break.
Incidents/Injuries: United Pet Group has received 38 reports of fires resulting in property damage and 45 reports of broken aquarium glass. United Pet Group has received one report of a consumer who suffered an eye injury when the aquarium heater forcefully broke while he held it.
There was a large lawsuit involving an apartment fire in Pennsylvania due to the stealth heaters, and United Pet Group was forced into this recall, which these guys from Cobalt Aquatics were working for. They quit or were maybe fired the same month and they then started Cobalt Aquatics. The neotherm heaters are made in Italy, possibly at the same production facility as the stealth heaters.
My goal in writing this is to urge anyone who has had a problem with these heaters to call the Consumer Product Safety Commission and file a complaint. Here is the number: 1-800-638-2772. If there are enough complaints, they will force them to recall these heaters.
Now, for my personal experience with the 200 watt neotherm heater. I came home after being gone for about 20 minutes and smelled sulfur. I knew it was coming from my aquarium room, but I couldn't figure out what the issue was. About 30 minutes later, my entire house smelled like chemical/electrical fire. There was smoke in the air. I looked in the sump and there was oil/tar floating on the surface of the water and I saw the heater bubbling smoke. The smell would be compared to road tar mixed with chemicals or paint thinner. I noticed my fish were swimming in circles upside down. The whole tank was nuked.
I was in contact with Cobalt Aquatics, but I'm not satisfied with their response. I spoke with a woman named Erin, spelled Erienne, which she rudely corrected me, and she was offering excuses and trying to get me to accept their bribes of free products which would equal the cost of the 200 watt heater. This whole incident has cost me over 500 dollars. Erienne suggested that my fish died because of electrical shock, which does not make sense because my pair of clowns survived. I have also asked for a material safety data sheet (MSDS) detailing the material that spewed into the aquarium. The company claims it is epoxy. No epoxy I have ever dealt with smells like that! It is a toxic chemical. It's like the Exonn Valdez went off in my aquarium. Run some carbon Erienne says, yah right, carbon is going to rid my house of this chemical smell.
Anyone who wants to join a class action lawsuit should contact me. Please at least contact the Consumer Product Safety Commission before someone's house burns down. Thank you.
It happened to me too.
I joined this forum in order to reply to this thread. Cobalt Aquatics was founded by three guys who left United Pet Group in April 2011, the same month that the recall was issued for the Marineland Stealth heaters that would explode and cause fires. Les Wilson, director of marketing for United Pet Group. Viral Surati, key accounts manager for United Pet Group. Randy Parham, national sales manager for United Pet Group. They all left in April 2011 to start Cobalt Aquatics. Here is some information from the Consumer Products Safety Commission regarding the recall and lawsuits from the Marineland/United Pet Group Stealth heater issue:
Hazard: A wiring problem can cause the aquarium heaters to overheat or break during normal use, damaging the aquarium and posing fire and laceration hazards to consumers. Overheating can cause the heater to shatter or the aquarium glass to break.
Incidents/Injuries: United Pet Group has received 38 reports of fires resulting in property damage and 45 reports of broken aquarium glass. United Pet Group has received one report of a consumer who suffered an eye injury when the aquarium heater forcefully broke while he held it.
There was a large lawsuit involving an apartment fire in Pennsylvania due to the stealth heaters, and United Pet Group was forced into this recall, which these guys from Cobalt Aquatics were working for. They quit or were maybe fired the same month and they then started Cobalt Aquatics. The neotherm heaters are made in Italy, possibly at the same production facility as the stealth heaters.
My goal in writing this is to urge anyone who has had a problem with these heaters to call the Consumer Product Safety Commission and file a complaint. Here is the number: 1-800-638-2772. If there are enough complaints, they will force them to recall these heaters.
Now, for my personal experience with the 200 watt neotherm heater. I came home after being gone for about 20 minutes and smelled sulfur. I knew it was coming from my aquarium room, but I couldn't figure out what the issue was. About 30 minutes later, my entire house smelled like chemical/electrical fire. There was smoke in the air. I looked in the sump and there was oil/tar floating on the surface of the water and I saw the heater bubbling smoke. The smell would be compared to road tar mixed with chemicals or paint thinner. I noticed my fish were swimming in circles upside down. The whole tank was nuked.
I was in contact with Cobalt Aquatics, but I'm not satisfied with their response. I spoke with a woman named Erin, spelled Erienne, which she rudely corrected me, and she was offering excuses and trying to get me to accept their bribes of free products which would equal the cost of the 200 watt heater. This whole incident has cost me over 500 dollars. Erienne suggested that my fish died because of electrical shock, which does not make sense because my pair of clowns survived. I have also asked for a material safety data sheet (MSDS) detailing the material that spewed into the aquarium. The company claims it is epoxy. No epoxy I have ever dealt with smells like that! It is a toxic chemical. It's like the Exonn Valdez went off in my aquarium. Run some carbon Erienne says, yah right, carbon is going to rid my house of this chemical smell.
Anyone who wants to join a class action lawsuit should contact me. Please at least contact the Consumer Product Safety Commission before someone's house burns down. Thank you.
alton
Well-known member
A friend of mine told me he was getting shocked sometimes when he stuck his hand in his tank. I went by with my meters and noticed he had two stealth heaters still in his tank. I told him there was a recall and to contact Marineland. He did and they are refunding his money.
dodgerblew
Team RC
I started to use my 150 to warm water for water changes. That's it for me.
Metal Man 1221
FMMAS Executive Director
Subscribing. No issues thus far with our 50W. If it does fail in the way the 200/150w have, it will be posted here.
Unfortunately, I have to add myself to this list.
I purchased two 200-watt Neotherm heaters in April of this year, and started using them mid-May. After a couple of months using them, one of them started putting out some stray voltage, which gave me a light shock when I touched the water. I didn't toss it, but kept it in case I needed a backup for heating fresh saltwater. I left the other heater in my aquarium until last night. I suddenly began smelling a burning smell throughout the house, and my husband and I searched for the source of the smell. We finally determined it was the Cobalt heater in the aquarium. I quickly turned it off and removed it from the tank after a safe amount of time. Upon inspecting it, I found an approximately 3 inch crack along the heating element. Fortunately, I was at home when it malfunctioned, so I was able to get it out quickly without any adverse affects to my livestock (it seems so at this point, anyway) or my home. I feel very fortunate for that. Both heaters were installed correctly. While the first heater (with the stray voltage) could still be used for heating fresh saltwater, I no longer feel comfortable using it for that purpose.
I sent the above text to Cobalt Aquatics and requested a full refund. I don't want any of their heaters. I plan to follow up by calling the customer service number on Monday if I don't hear from them.
I purchased two 200-watt Neotherm heaters in April of this year, and started using them mid-May. After a couple of months using them, one of them started putting out some stray voltage, which gave me a light shock when I touched the water. I didn't toss it, but kept it in case I needed a backup for heating fresh saltwater. I left the other heater in my aquarium until last night. I suddenly began smelling a burning smell throughout the house, and my husband and I searched for the source of the smell. We finally determined it was the Cobalt heater in the aquarium. I quickly turned it off and removed it from the tank after a safe amount of time. Upon inspecting it, I found an approximately 3 inch crack along the heating element. Fortunately, I was at home when it malfunctioned, so I was able to get it out quickly without any adverse affects to my livestock (it seems so at this point, anyway) or my home. I feel very fortunate for that. Both heaters were installed correctly. While the first heater (with the stray voltage) could still be used for heating fresh saltwater, I no longer feel comfortable using it for that purpose.
I sent the above text to Cobalt Aquatics and requested a full refund. I don't want any of their heaters. I plan to follow up by calling the customer service number on Monday if I don't hear from them.
I just joined reefcentral to make a post about this heater. Add me to the list. I'm fairly new to saltwater. I've been into freshwater for more then 10 years, but when I moved recently I decided to take the plunge into saltwater and set up a 270gal reef tank. I set it up around April and I've been having fun learning about different corals and fish. I had two 200 watt neo-therms in my sump. One day i came home from work and my house smell like it was on fire. I thought my wife had burned something in the oven. My tank is in the basement yet the entire house smelled bad. I finally figured out it was coming from the basement and I immediately thought maybe my sump levels were low and the pump had been running dry. One look told me that wasn't the issue. It took me a while to figure out what the problem was. I disconnected everything and eventually realized there was this oily film on the water in the return part of my sump/refugium. There was also some black crap floating in the water. I kept thinking my pump must be malfunctioning (i keep the heaters in the same section) even though i've never known an ehiem to malfuction. Eventually i figured out it was the heater or heaters. mine didn't crack wide open but they definitely were covered in oily black stuff and they smelled smelled awful.
This all happened about a week ago. I tried to do a water change but over the last week most of my fish have died and some of my corals look terrible. I'm obviously not an expert with saltwater so I'm probably being hit harder than most. I've been dealing with aquariums long enough to know that there are going to be ups and downs, but to me this is an unnecessary issue. This product is obvioulsy defective and dangerous. I'll write the company, but at this point what does it really matter? My fish are dead. My corals are shrinking. Talking to a customer service representative won't really change any of that.
I just wanted to add my story to the list in hopes that others with steer clear of the neo-therm.
This all happened about a week ago. I tried to do a water change but over the last week most of my fish have died and some of my corals look terrible. I'm obviously not an expert with saltwater so I'm probably being hit harder than most. I've been dealing with aquariums long enough to know that there are going to be ups and downs, but to me this is an unnecessary issue. This product is obvioulsy defective and dangerous. I'll write the company, but at this point what does it really matter? My fish are dead. My corals are shrinking. Talking to a customer service representative won't really change any of that.
I just wanted to add my story to the list in hopes that others with steer clear of the neo-therm.
Dapg8gt
New member
This thread will continue to be victims added until they are recalled. I can't believe the few people on here still in denial it can happen to them. It's obviously a bad design and the risk is just to high. They say it's only the 200w one but imo that's BS.
I'm sure cobalt is a good company they just obviously have a bad product with this one. So glad I didn't get one of these I was attracted to the length of them initially but the tank size to watts turned me off..
I'm sure cobalt is a good company they just obviously have a bad product with this one. So glad I didn't get one of these I was attracted to the length of them initially but the tank size to watts turned me off..
Christian J
New member
The Neotherm looks very similar to the Aquael Neoheater, but a quick web search didn't turn up any failure stories about the latter.
Do you have a source for that? Aquael seems to be a Polish company, but I don't know if they build their heaters in their own factories or buy them from some (Chinese? Italian?) OEM. I did find the Neoheater on Alibaba though, but I'm not sure how to interpret this page: http://pl102086189.fm.alibaba.com/product/101673274-0/aquarium_heater_NEOHEATER.html
GroceryGetterS4
New member
I too have suffered from the Neo-Therm heater "malfunction", which almost caused my house to burn down, and my entire tank was nuked in a matter of a couple hours while running out for a bite to eat. My entire house smelled like burned gasoline for almost 2 weeks. I lost over $2000 worth of fish and corals. I contacted Cobalt directly, as I was the original purchaser of the 150W heater new. I told them what happened, asked them for some sort of help with replacing my entire inhabitants/rock/etc multiple times (I was very polite and professional) and they would blow me off every time. I brought the heater back to the store I bought it from (as they said they would take care of it). Emailed Cobalt again
and all they did was replace my heaters. Why in the blue hell would I want to put those POS's in my tank and risk burning my house down again?
and all they did was replace my heaters. Why in the blue hell would I want to put those POS's in my tank and risk burning my house down again?
I wouldn't wait for it to fail. I would probably replace it before it does. You don't realize how much smoke is released from these things. If you're not home and you have any pets, that could be bad for them to breath in the smoke and fumes. Also, I sticky oily black goo is released into the tank that is really hard to get out.
Christian J
New member
I count to around 27-28 Neotherms in total so far, of these 6 have been with 150W units.
(Only including units that melted, smoked or produced stray voltage, not a couple that simply stopped working.)
Yeah it seems that that there has been a bunch more that have gone up just recently even. Kind of sucks but yeah it'd be nice if after the new fixed ones come out if they would replace the old ones still out there in tanks for free.
Neotherm heaters are made in Poland by AquaEl for Cobalt. They also make some of their pumps and the canister filters. It is not unusual for most branded items to have an international OEM.
Stealth Pro and Stealth heaters that started exploding were made in China. Stealths were originally made in Italy but the problems started after UPG moved production to China to cut costs.
Aqueon Pro heaters are made in Italy at the same factory that made the original Stealth heaters. Original Stealth models did not have an LED indicator light. Aqueon Pro heaters have an LED indicator light.
Andy
Christian J
New member
I still haven't found a single catastrophic failure of an Aquael Neoheater mentioned anywhere on the web (at most someone's heater just stopped working). To me that supports the theory that only a limited batch meant for the US market were faulty (unless the Cobalt-branded production volumes are much larger than the Aquael-branded ones).
Last edited:
