Heater is Stuck

[Vinh]

Looks like my heater is stuck at 77 degrees no matter what I adjust. I did some searches and it seems like this is not uncommon. Luckily I'm only cycling the tank at the moment. Few questions.

I was running near 80 degrees at the start of my cycle. Will this impact the cycle until I get a new heater?

I've read a controller is the way to go but I can't invest in that right now. Anyone have heater recommendations?

Anyone have experience with the Finnex Heater with controller? Are the heaters that come with a controller even worth the extra few bucks?
http://www.amazon.com/Finnex-150-Wa...C_UL160_SR92,160_&refRID=0JJ4P9M8PRHSXSBVY2FZ

 

[TheEngineer]

77 is fine. A little cool, but not terrible. You can get a Finnex controller for about $30. Well worth it considering how much the tank inhabitants cost.

 

[ngvu1]

stuck at low temp is a lot better than keep running until everything is cooked in the tank. I would put a second temp monitor around the heater to prevent it from going nuts on my water.

 

[Vinh]

I decided to roll the dice on the Finnex with controller. For the price I'm not expecting miracles but I'm hoping it's better than the el cheapo heaters I've been using. Hopefully temp won't dip any further for the next two days.