cheap heater that you can set to a low temp?

[CT_]

I'm in a hurry to boot up my tub again this year.  last year I threw a heater in early but the fish mostly huddled around it.  I think part of the problem was that the heater brought the temperature up too high relative to the air temp and so part of the tub was cold and part of it was warm.  Besides buying a temp controller, which I'm too cheap to do, has anyone found a cheap heater that I can set to something like 60F/15C ?

[Fish Folk]

On 4/5/2022 at 9:18 PM, CT_ said:

I'm in a hurry to boot up my tub again this year.  last year I threw a heater in early but the fish mostly huddled around it.  I think part of the problem was that the heater brought the temperature up too high relative to the air temp and so part of the tub was cold and part of it was warm.  Besides buying a temp controller, which I'm too cheap to do, has anyone found a cheap heater that I can set to something like 60F/15C ?

I tried this last year. Things went badly with my little outdoor ponds. I used a used heater I'd gotten on a bargain / used "as-is" shelf at my LFS. Like you, I think it didn't provide balanced heat.

The last Club meeting I was able to attend featured Dr. Ted Coletti as the presenter. All about outdoor tubs and ponds. I learned so much. I'm going to be patient this year, and wait until the window is right - from June through September in my region. I've also learned not to use sponges, and to build terraces in the tubs for plants to rest on and grow emmersed (out of water). Balancing sunlight is crucial, as is managing high-temperature days.

I'm hoping my eldest son will take over the ponds as his summer project. 

[Patrick_G]

I’m looking for something similar. My goldfish are starting to look pretty thin. Their pond is in the shade and even on a nice day in the high 50s the water is only reaching 45f. I’d like to get it up to 60 but don’t really need it to get any warmer, just enough so that the fish can digest. I bought a 500 watt cheap Amazon heater but it’s settings start at 68F.