Comparison

Compare AquaTop Quartz Platinum QPH aquarium heaters

AquaTop’s Quartz Platinum family has five distinct glass-heater sizes in the fixed V1/2021 owner manual: QPH-50, QPH-100, QPH-200, QPH-300 and QPH-400. They differ in wattage, body length, UPC and manufacturer-stated aquarium band. The family documentation and pictured cartons do not agree on the upper rating for three sizes. This comparison preserves those differences rather than treating a shared “QPH” label as one specification.

Five model-specific rows, not interchangeable wattages

• QPH-50: 50 W, 9-inch manual length, UPC 810281019031, official 10–15 gallon band; the pictured carton says 15-gallon maximum.
• QPH-100: 100 W, 10-inch length, UPC 810281019048, official 20–30 gallon band; the pictured exact carton says 25-gallon maximum.
• QPH-200: 200 W, 13-inch length, UPC 810281019055, official 40–60 gallon band; the pictured carton says 55-gallon maximum.
• QPH-300: 300 W, 15-inch length, UPC 810281019062, official 55–100 gallon band; the pictured carton says 80-gallon maximum.
• QPH-400: 400 W, 17-inch length, UPC 810281019567, official 80–130 gallon band; the pictured carton says 130-gallon maximum.

The manual and 2022 cutsheet list the same five sizes and bands. The exact QPH-200 manufacturer page also gives 40–60 gallons and a 1.25 × 1.25 × 13-inch specification. The differing carton values for QPH-100, QPH-200 and QPH-300 are visibly printed in model-specific listing photos; the reviewed official family documents do not explain the mismatch. Their assessments therefore use the lower package number as a conservative comparison ceiling while retaining the official ranges as unresolved source claims. Verify the actual package and current written manufacturer guidance near a boundary. The QPH-50 and QPH-400 upper numbers agree between carton and documents.

Why none appears in the active volume finder

Every QPH row above has a positive lower edge in AquaTop’s published tank-size band. The current catalogue matcher can enforce only an upper maximum—whether the heater’s recorded maximum is at least the volume entered. It cannot apply a simultaneous minimum. If these heaters were active candidates, a visitor with a much smaller aquarium could receive a match unsupported by the manufacturer’s own band. For that reason, all five models are fully reviewed but reference-only: they remain available for comparison and are not active finder recommendations or purchase-landing options.

This is not a claim that the lower numbers are universal biological or safety minima, and it is not a finding that the products are discontinued. It is a conservative limitation of the available matching rule and the evidence. The volume screen reports what the current authored candidate library can support; it does not prove that no other heater exists for an aquarium outside these bands.

Shared controls and installation, with limits

AquaTop describes a top-mounted analog adjustable thermostat, 68–93°F setting range, an indicator light and automatic shutoff at the target. The manual says the light indicates when the heater is heating and goes off once the desired setting is reached. No numerical thermostat-accuracy tolerance is supplied, and the indicator is not described as an actual-water display. Set animal temperature goals from appropriate species guidance and use an independent aquarium thermometer to check the water.

The owner manual says the quartz-glass heaters are fully submersible, support freshwater and saltwater use, and can be mounted vertically or horizontally with included suction cups. It calls for good water movement and maintaining water above the minimum mark. Follow its model-family instructions for acclimation and cool-down waits, drip-loop routing and power disconnection before maintenance. No inline external-filter route is documented; “fully submersible” is not permission to install a QPH heater in canister plumbing.

The phrase “shatter-resistant quartz glass” does not satisfy a hard shatterproof-body requirement. The sources give no impact rating and do not establish an included guard. Exact-model images show a body label identifying each wattage and AC 110–120 V / 50–60 Hz; verify the actual label on any offered unit. These are source and image observations, not electrical or performance tests.

Check more than wattage before comparing

Use the exact QPH model code and UPC, printed tank information, physical length, available clearance, intended installation, water type and outlet label as separate checks. Do not assume that a 200 W or 300 W heater is a safe substitute for a neighboring size or that a maximum rating predicts how quickly water will warm. AquaTop’s manual notes that a colder room can require more wattage, while the reviewed materials do not provide a heating curve for each tank condition.

AquaTop’s owner manual and 2022 cutsheet document five distinct QPH configurations, and model-specific package images visibly identify their wattage. The current complete All Items heater listing does not show QPH cards, so this comparison describes supported model facts rather than promising a current official offer; absence from that list is not a discontinuation finding.

Sources and limits: AquaTop’s QPH owner manual, 2022 Platinum cutsheet and Quartz Platinum family page. Exact package/body photographs are linked and inspected in each model review. Retail listing wording is used only for image identity and visible labels, not for prices, stock or performance.