Finally a Heater that Keeps Temps Stable

[DaddyFish]

Playing Russian roulette putting any kind of Amazon China product in your tank, I had a Amazon vivosun power head I used to mixed up new saltwater and didn’t realize the rotor started to rust until I lost all my acro colonies in my tank...lesson learned

I sorta agree with you, but in this case I ran that exact heater in two freshwater setups for nearly a year without any issue. I now have six of them in three saltwater tanks and gave a seventh one to a friend a few months ago. Several of mine have been running over a year without a glitch, which is BTW the recommended replacement interval on most heaters.

In my educated electronics experienced opinion, anyone running a glass tube/nichrome wire element/bimetallic contact strip thermostat heater is the one standing on the edge of a cliff in a thunderstorm with a loaded revolver pointed at their temple. At least I'm hiding under a tree! You should warn them NOW!

 

[ccurnick]

Recently received my new Helios system... I think you can tell when I switched from the Inkbird :p

 

[Fakegolfnews]

The ocean is not a steady temp, so I would say no...

The ocean temp goes up or down by the day, not by the hour or minute like these charts

 

[Fakegolfnews]

Not attempting to hijack this thread at all!
I have had great success with these titanium heaters and Inkbird combo. I run two 300w in every tank.

My tanks that are in interior conditioned space run a flat line temp history. My tank in the uninsulated basement with propane wall heater varies by 1 - 1.5 degrees.

That being said, I'm a big believer in titanium heaters, and there's no reason in today's technology to still be using mechanical strip thermostats or mechanical contacts. That's 1940s garbage.

Here's the variation I get when my refugium lights and UV shut off at dawn. The rest of the day looks like a flatline.

The graphs everyone else showed have a 1-2 degree range, yours has a 40 degree range. Thats why it looks flat

 

[zalick]

The ocean temp goes up or down by the day, not by the hour or minute like these charts

Tropical coral reefs fluctuate by the minute/hour all the time. Certainly by .5 - 1 degree, or more. This happens as currents change and warmer surface water is brought down and colder deeper water is brought up. I can check my dive computer to see if I have it logging temps as an example.

The one thing that is not natural at all, in my first hand diving experience (1000 logged tropical dives), is to have a reef stay at a single temp 100% of the time.

 

[Fakegolfnews]

Tropical coral reefs fluctuate by the minute/hour all the time. Certainly by .5 - 1 degree, or more. This happens as currents change and warmer surface water is brought down and colder deeper water is brought up. I can check my dive computer to see if I have it logging temps as an example.

The one thing that is not natural at all, in my first hand diving experience (1000 logged tropical dives), is to have a reef stay at a single temp 100% of the time.

Ill eat my shoe if you can show me proof ocean water changes a degree in one minute.

 

[zalick]

Ill eat my shoe if you can show me proof ocean water changes a degree in one minute.

I'll check my dive comp shortly.

It doesn't stay at the "different" temp. The warmer or colder water flushes through and it returns to it's baseline. Also important to note: If I'm diving in a certain location it's not that the entire location changes temp in a minute. It's just pockets. One pocket may be only 10-20ft long for example. Sometimes you can even see the temp differences via salinity differences.

Here are a few interesting links:

https://coralreefpalau.org/research/oceanographyweather/water-temperatures/

The Great Temperature Debate, Part IV

By Chris Jury Introduction Throughout this series I’ve begun by discussing the predominant temperature conditions in the tropics and subtropics, where m

reefs.com

 

[PeterC99]

Recently received my new Helios system... I think you can tell when I switched from the Inkbird :p

Which Helio did you get for your 90 gallon?

 

[DaddyFish]

The graphs everyone else showed have a 1-2 degree range, yours has a 40 degree range. Thats why it looks flat

I wasn't making a comparison between my graph and others. I was pointing out the change when I switch off UV and how (relatively) stable it trends after that.

If we're getting picky here, we need confirmed data on everyone's graph as to heater size(s), heater placement(s), tank size(s), ambient room temp graphs, and much more. What wattage heating element is used, where it's placed, where the probe(s) are placed, many many factors affect the temperature histograms of a setup.

It would take a very controlled setup (BRS Investigates type video) to accurately compare these heating systems.

 

[Fakegolfnews]

I'll check my dive comp shortly.

It doesn't stay at the "different" temp. The warmer or colder water flushes through and it returns to it's baseline. Also important to note: If I'm diving in a certain location it's not that the entire location changes temp in a minute. It's just pockets. One pocket may be only 10-20ft long for example. Sometimes you can even see the temp differences via salinity differences.

Here are a few interesting links:

https://coralreefpalau.org/research/oceanographyweather/water-temperatures/

The Great Temperature Debate, Part IV

By Chris Jury Introduction Throughout this series I’ve begun by discussing the predominant temperature conditions in the tropics and subtropics, where m

reefs.com

You mean the same way a pump would be pumping hotter water sometimes and colder water sometimes, dpending if the heater is heating at the moment?

 

[Fakegolfnews]

I wasn't making a comparison between my graph and others. I was pointing out the change when I switch off UV and how (relatively) stable it trends after that.

If we're getting picky here, we need confirmed data on everyone's graph as to heater size(s), heater placement(s), tank size(s), ambient room temp graphs, and much more. What wattage heating element is used, where it's placed, where the probe(s) are placed, many many factors affect the temperature histograms of a setup.

It would take a very controlled setup (BRS Investigates type video) to accurately compare these heating systems.

I guess i misunderstood when you said yours was a flatline when comparing it to other heaters and charts on this thread

 

[Hydrored]

I will be returning the 700-watt setup I got today, cord for the heaters is 56 inches with a connector that has to go back to the controller, not even close to making it from my mid chamber to the control panel on my 8' tank. Why even produce a product for 700 to 1000 watts with such short cords, seems like an oversight. I do not want anything mounted over my sump.

 

[zalick]

You mean the same way a pump would be pumping hotter water sometimes and colder water sometimes, depending if the heater is heating at the moment?

Did you read the articles I posted? Reefs do in fact have temp swings over 1f by the minute. How does that shoe taste? ;)

 

[Flexin]

The ocean temp goes up or down by the day, not by the hour or minute like these charts

Actually not true, currents can contain dramatic changes in temperature, and those currents are not on the same plane, they also move over and under each other all the time.... And looking back over these charts presented, look closely, there are no major changes in the matter of minutes :) That would mean the environment (room)_in which the tank is housed would have to have a huge variation in temp, as if the tank was 80F and the room was 30F.

 

[Viva'sReef]

This is a bummer to hear. I really liked the design of the Cobalts and I'm running 2x 200w wands in my 75g and now that I have them dialed in with my Control4 they seem to hold the temp pretty stable between 78.5 and 79. Prior to the use of the controller the Cobalt thermostat/dial really sucked holding a stable temp and trying to control them individually was near impossible without the controller.

Here they are now on the Control4 seems to have kept it pretty stable for now. Even if the Cobalt breaks and gets "stuck on" not sure I would ever know if the switch on the controller just keeps turning them on and off. Anyone have a better way using a Control4 to have it alternate the heaters that I'm missing?

 

[Innovative Marine]

I will be returning the 700-watt setup I got today, cord for the heaters is 56 inches with a connector that has to go back to the controller, not even close to making it from my mid chamber to the control panel on my 8' tank. Why even produce a product for 700 to 1000 watts with such short cords, seems like an oversight. I do not want anything mounted over my sump.

@Hydrored I'm sorry to hear that the length of the cord from the element to the controller isn't long enough. I can definitely see why a longer cord would be required if you have a fixed control board/panel set up for longer aquariums. I can check if we can get you longer cords for the higher wattage elements. If are willingly to use the current cords, we can send out new ones with longer cords once they come in free of charge. BTW, how long would you require the cord length to fit your set up?

thanks,
IM Team

 

[kkircher]

@Hydrored I'm sorry to hear that the length of the cord from the element to the controller isn't long enough. I can definitely see why a longer cord would be required if you have a fixed control board/panel set up for longer aquariums. I can check if we can get you longer cords for the higher wattage elements. If are willingly to use the current cords, we can send out new ones with longer cords once they come in free of charge. BTW, how long would you require the cord length to fit your set up?

thanks,
IM Team

Hi there,
I recently bought the 1000w and actually spoke to Paul in customer service this week about longer cords on a tech call. I too need longer ones if available.

 

[Scorpius]

For those of us who don't have a tank controller here's what you need.
Dual stage Aqualogic or Ranco controller.
Eheim-jager thermocontrol-e preferably two of these equaling wattage needed to heat your system. If one fails on/off your tank will not cook/freeze as fast.
Fan/chiller/whatever you need to cool your tank if you have hot summers.
A separate audible temperature alarm to backup said previous scenario.

Wam, bam, thank you ma'am.

 

[Brian_68]

It's not only the stable temps but a different design so that the heater is more energy efficient and can't overheat.

It will take the same energy to heat up the water to a certain temperature since both these heaters are nearly 100% efficient resistive heat. If the one draws more wattage it will be off longer on average given the same water temperature setting.

 

[Fakegolfnews]

I'll check my dive comp shortly.

It doesn't stay at the "different" temp. The warmer or colder water flushes through and it returns to it's baseline. Also important to note: If I'm diving in a certain location it's not that the entire location changes temp in a minute. It's just pockets. One pocket may be only 10-20ft long for example. Sometimes you can even see the temp differences via salinity differences.

Here are a few interesting links:

https://coralreefpalau.org/research/oceanographyweather/water-temperatures/

The Great Temperature Debate, Part IV

By Chris Jury Introduction Throughout this series I’ve begun by discussing the predominant temperature conditions in the tropics and subtropics, where m

reefs.com

I knew when you lazily posted 2 links and no receipts or quotes from the article that it would be a fools errand to read. But i did it anyway and not one time did it mention how much the water changes in one minute in either article you sent me. (The second was rather lengthy so thanks for wasting my time)

I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul