I sold one of my video game systems so I could afford a heater for my tank, so that I could stop using the space heater and my fish wouldn't freeze (dang house gets *way* too cold)...

Now I have three to four days to pick out a heater while my bank processes the money transfer...

So I need to pick which heater to get. I have a 40 gallon tank, so that is a 200 watt heater right?

I need to do this as cheaply as possible, but I also want to be able to get one that is going to be reliable and not end up giving me boiled babies. If I have to replace it a few years down the road, I don't mind so much, as long as it works well right now.

So does anybody have any suggestions about which heater to get, and where to buy it in order to get the best deal possible?

I have $38 to spend, but I'd like to try and keep it under $25 (including shipping), so that I can sneak down to my LFS and bring home a new baby.

Here is a link to MOPS (mail order pet supplies). I buy from them all of time and get most of my supplies from them. They are terrific.

At the moment, they have Marineland's Visi-Therm Stealth heaters on sale ... here is the link:
http://www.mops.ca/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/sk...xlc2306ff9cca9c

Here is the link to their heater page:
http://www.mops.ca/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/sc...ca9c+1164900879

I am not sure what shipping would be to you, but it would be worth it for you to take a look.

Would you recommend the Marineland visitherm stealth heater?

It is about $10 cheaper other places online, including the petsmart online store, which I could print the ad out, and get it for that price at the store (in theory, then not having to pay shipping)... Bringing it down to $19.99 plus tax... being in the US, I think stuff is a bit cheaper than in Canada.

Most of my heaters are visitherm they are great heaters.Others I use are Elite and Sera which are also pretty good heaters

Yes, I would recommend the visi-therm heaters, and if you can get one for that price, I would go for it

And you are right, aquarium stuff is cheaper in the U.S. Big market, lower prices.

Okay then I think I'll go with that one.

*waits for bank to process money transfer*

Why do you need a heater with goldfish??
Just kidding, I've run one before to keep the temp stable. Go for the Visi-Therm Stealth. With a black background on your tank, they essentially disappear.
Looks like you could get a 200 watt unit from PetSmart or Drs. Foster & Smith onlne for under $20! +S& H. If the retail store will match the online price, I say, PetSmart, here I come!
Cheers!

I ended up going with the marineland stealth, I ordered it from petsmart online, and picked up enough stuff to make the order over $50 for free shipping, and then I found out they are doing a promotion where right now you get an additional 10% off if you purchase using paypal . . . so the transfer wait was entirely pointless.

But I got a new testing kit, a cuttle bone, a heater and a few other things.

I go with the "I'm running a temperature controlled tank" statement rather than trying to explain why you're heating a tank for a coldwater fish :P