Best Saltwater Aquarium Heaters for Winter 2020/2021

[Ippyroy]

This is why we have air conditioning. LOL

No AC needed here. Most days only 70s in the summer. Mid 80s are really hot and I only saw 90 twice in 6 years. -47 is not as bad as people think. It feels more like the 20s in the South with high humidity. Plus I get to blow bubbles and they freeze and shatter like glass.

 

[burningmime]

Maybe it's a coincidence, but in the last week I've seen 2 threads about the Inkbird failing on and overheating tanks. For electrical reasons, I can't plug it into my Apex; heaters need to be on a separate circuit. So I'm real, real scared.

My tank just crashed!

I am so bummed out! Thanks to an Ink Bird heater controller that didn’t shut off the heater my tank was at 97F when I got home from work 2 days ago and fried 90% of my corals! Don’t know why it didn’t shut down heater, probes where in the water, 2 temp setting where set at 78.0 and 78.5 temp on...

www.reef2reef.com

BRS Heaters are Terrifyingly Strong

This week, one of my trusted Cobalt Heaters decided to crap out, so I decided to take an opportunity to get my tank's temperature under greater control with an Inkbird controller and ordered 2x BRS 200w titanium heaters for my 80 gallon. I posted yesterday about some concerns about what I...

www.reef2reef.com

I know every piece of gear can fail, but heaters have a much shorter time window before stuff dies.

 

[Radicalrob1982]

MOST of us will need a heater soon or have been using one all year. But during the next few months we will need them the most! We've had MANY similar threads about heaters and which ones are best but times change, technology changes and people change their preferences! So let's do it again! Answer the poll to please!

1. What brand of aquarium heater are you using right now and are you happy with it?

2. What brand do you think is the BEST aquarium heater brand?

I'm using eheim 100 watt for my 20 long. It works well but was too long lol. Want to try the cobalt brand one. They have good reviews

 

[Biglew11]

I'd rather -47 with 9% humidity than 100 with 100% humidity any day. I can always dress warm enough, but I will get a ticket for indecent exposure and still be sweating.

i thought new york got cold, but honestly i've always said the same thing i can add more layers to stay warm, but there's only so many layers to remove and i'd still be hot and sweaty. i hated my time in southern california (29 palms) with there 120 degrees in the summer. over 75 and i'm starting to get hot.

 

[Ippyroy]

i thought new york got cold, but honestly i've always said the same thing i can add more layers to stay warm, but there's only so many layers to remove and i'd still be hot and sweaty. i hated my time in southern california (29 palms) with there 120 degrees in the summer. over 75 and i'm starting to get hot.

Clothing has come so far in the last 10 years or so. For cold weather anyway. It is too cold to snow here sometimes. I love it. Southerners will never understand the concept of layering, and the ability to walk a mile in the rain without drowning. I don't miss the South for it's heat and humidity at all.

 

[josh.workman]

(2) 300w Titanium Finnex on a 120gal, GHL controlled.
Staggered programing. One runs 12am-12pm, the second runs 12pm-12am.
If either one can't keep up with demand, or doesn't heat, the other will kick in.

I run 2 300W Finnex as well GHL Controlled. Maintains 78° perfectly. I like your idea of running it staggered. How did you program that in your Profilux?

 

[George209]

Eheim, extremely satisfied.

 

[N.Sreefer]

I have four enhiem jagers that won't turn on some chepo aqueon heaters that never shut off and Rubbermaid tote full of burned out heaters. Can't say I'm to satisfied with any brand.

 

[BigAsh]

I'm using a Finnex heating element with a JBJ Tru-temp controller connected to APEX with shutoffs and notifications set up. I bought a BRS titanium with controller that I've been meaning to install. When I do, I will add a redundant heat element. I'm interested in the "inline" heaters I've seen on a couple of Mark Callahan's builds.

 

[GuppyHJD]

I have two Finnex HMA 300w titanium heaters but just saw today someone on Facebook had one break (think it was just the cage). Am wondering if having them in a acrylic sump is harmful to the sump.

 

[Ratsinmyhead]

Say Rev, you must have ESP (ESPN per Homer Simpson)

Heaters seem to be my bain/nightmare/project lately. And todays question came perfectly timed.

I have Finnex & Eheim heaters & have had decent luck w/them connected to my Apex. I purchased 2 Inkbird 306As for redundancy & thats where trial & tribulation came in. No matter how many times I calibrate the inkbirds they waiver out by almost a degree. So I set the Apex at low 78 high 79 and Inkbirds higher and lower and everything is pretty consistent.

Here's where "mad scientist" comes in. While buying frags from local reefer I notice "NO HEATERS". Turns out he's using waterbed heaters under his sumps & has for years - controlled off of his Apex. So I'm currently testing a 300w waterbed heater under my 120s sump and so far it's do-able. It draws less amps but takes longer to reach max temp settings... To be continued....

I have heard of this before also. Seems to be a decent idea. I would just watch how high the temp gets after shut off. Have been in a house where the in-floor heating was turned up a bit too high and it took forever for it to cool back down from the resonant heat in the concrete I guess? Also the temp expansion/cycles on the glass itself would worry me but I admit I don’t know much about that side of things.

 

[Sylvester]

MOST of us will need a heater soon or have been using one all year. But during the next few months we will need them the most! We've had MANY similar threads about heaters and which ones are best but times change, technology changes and people change their preferences! So let's do it again! Answer the poll to please!

1. What brand of aquarium heater are you using right now and are you happy with it?

2. What brand do you think is the BEST aquarium heater brand?

2 Eheim Jaggers and I’ve had them for 2 years. Hands down the best heaters and a better warranty. I had a Jagger prior to these for 2 years and it gave out due to water exposure. I took back and got a free no question swap. You can’t beat that!

 

[Emerson]

I have two 300w Finnex Heaters plugged in to Inkbird and BRS Inkbird controllers, plugged in to APEX. One heater will keep my tank warm enough in Texas. The Apex Turns on the outlet T < 78.5 deg, off at T > 79 deg. The primary heater is set for 78 deg, with the backup at 77. If the backup ever powers up (indication of the primary heater failed or is failing) I have an APEX alarm that lets me know. I have to BRS 300w heating elements ready to replace the Finnex, and an extra BRS Inkbird controller in reserve.

 

[UkiahTheTurtle]

1. What brand of aquarium heater are you using right now and are you happy with it?
I am using a Eheim heater that is 100 watts
2. What brand do you think is the BEST aquarium heater brand?
IDK maybe Eheim

 

[ScottJ]

Aqueon pro. Very satisfied.

 

[takitaj]

I'm using the Finnex TH-500 titanium element on a 90gal and the Finnex 810 controller plugged into the Apex. Controller keeps temp within 1/2 a degree F. I like the cover on the element and the rubber bumpers on the end. It's not the cheapest but I'm hoping it was money well spent!

It's only been on for 4 months so time will tell but I do have a second set that I use for water changes and just in case. Will probably get another element directly controlled by the Apex in case of failure.

I dunno what the best would be. I like the Finnex so far.

 

[vetteguy53081]

1. What brand of aquarium heater are you using right now and are you happy with it?

Using twin Finnex 800 wt titanium with probe and connected to inkbird controller and other to Apex

2. What brand do you think is the BEST aquarium heater brand?

Being a former retailer . . . . best brands for reliability and performance:

- Finnex
- ViaAqua
- Ebo Jeager

 

[Nburg's Reef]

Eheim Jager all the way. I have been using them since I started reefing in 2007 and I don't think I have ever had one fail on me.

 

[Opus]

Keep the house warm and you don't have to worry about it.

 

[Anchor]

In 40-ish years of fishkeeping.. I have used just about every heater ever manufactured.. My most reliable has been, without a doubt in my mind, the Ehiem/Ebo-Jagar. And most recently double redundancy with inkbird and Apex.. Rock solid temps for 2 years on a pair of 150 within 110 gallons of volume. Even back in the 1980's this brand was my most reliable. though was only called Ebo-Jagar then.. Eheim was not in the heater market around here.