Top-of-the-line heater?

ScottR

Surfing....
View Badges
Joined
Feb 12, 2019
Messages
8,365
Reaction score
28,233
Location
Hong Kong
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
What’s the best heater out there? I pulled my heater earlier this year and wasn’t happy with it. A typical drop and plop heater that had a mind of its own. Now I want a heater that at least an LCD stating the temp. What’s the best thing out there?
 

Lorenzo Angotti

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 14, 2019
Messages
346
Reaction score
1,223
Location
Staffordshire
Rating - 0%
0   0   0

AdamB

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 4, 2019
Messages
1,069
Reaction score
4,032
Location
Asheville
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I would like to know as well.
I have a true temp 500 watt in my 80 gallon which are about $170 each. I like having the remote sensor probe the display and has worked great so far in 10months I just looked at online reviews and I was shocked that they were not that good.
I have a Cheaper hydor heater in my 90 gal and It’s done well so far after going on 3 years
 

Aheinz

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 24, 2019
Messages
405
Reaction score
641
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
My 20g nano is running a cobalt neotherm holds steady and havent had an issue, for over 2 years now. Not a LCD display but uses leds to show current temp and set temp
 

jose hernandez

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 21, 2015
Messages
2,061
Reaction score
320
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
look at the via aqua i hear they are good also bulkreefsupply just came out with a titanium with a controller
 

newbie2014

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
May 16, 2019
Messages
141
Reaction score
93
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
look at the via aqua i hear they are good also bulkreefsupply just came out with a titanium with a controller

Yep, check out the new BRS's heaters. But if you want something that's both accurate and precise, according to BRS's study, go with Cobalt Neotherm.

Personally, I used to use a Eheim jaeger. Now I'm using a Finnex HM-X titanium heater. It has temp display, and I got it brand new for cheap. It doesn't look like my tank minds the 1-2 degrees swing.
 

exnisstech

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 11, 2019
Messages
7,056
Reaction score
9,981
Location
Ashland Ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have a few 300 Watt ehiem Jaeger heaters that have been in use for over 5 years. I prefer an external controller tho even with good heaters. I have had good luck with the finnex controllers digital and non digital. Been hit or miss with the inkbird controllers. I have even used cheap $10 heaters from ebay paired with an external controller with multiple heaters in case of a failure of one.
 

Auquanut

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 11, 2018
Messages
5,275
Reaction score
24,934
Location
Mexico, Mo
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
What’s the best heater out there? I pulled my heater earlier this year and wasn’t happy with it. A typical drop and plop heater that had a mind of its own. Now I want a heater that at least an LCD stating the temp. What’s the best thing out there?

I've been sweating this same issue for awhile now. After reading this thread, I'm going to stick with the Finnex titanium heaters (2 in the sump) and try out the new BRS controller.
 

Jeff Jarry reef

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 27, 2019
Messages
1,556
Reaction score
2,609
Location
Springfield
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
My favorite heater I use is the finnex 300w with digital controller ( titanium) and the heating element is only I think 13 " fits in sump no problems
 

lapin

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 16, 2017
Messages
10,572
Reaction score
17,709
Location
Austin
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
The best heater is one with a back up. Something to shut it off when it starts to cook your tank. A second heater to keep your tank from having no heat at all.
 

lavoisier

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 23, 2015
Messages
1,364
Reaction score
7,436
Location
Overland Park, KS
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Heaters fail and when they do it can be disastrous. I've come to believe it is better to put money into a controller so you have two points to turn the heaters off when they fail. I use a Ranco with my Apex and then a heating element but using a heater with a thermostat and a controller achieves the same result.
 

RJ F.

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 12, 2018
Messages
461
Reaction score
409
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I am an advocate for heater redundancy and protection more than the heater itself. As many have said brs just did a spotlight on a few heaters and the end result was that none of them were perfect. I have had expensive heaters fail and then the $10 petco set it and forget heaters run for years. I think the most important piece here is to run 2 heaters in case one craps out and also to run them through a controller for redundancy protection from being stuck on. I like the idea of what brs has come out with. Personally I just invested in an inkbird controller and couldn't be happier
 

Quietman

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 14, 2017
Messages
3,246
Reaction score
10,850
Location
Indiana - born and bred
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I don't think there is such a thing as a high end heater - more expensive maybe, at least not something I'm trusting without redundancy no matter what it costs or is advertised to do. And when you build redundancy, the 'high end' - read cost - of the actual heater is less important.

Multiple Eheim Jagers here (none of which can overheat tank on their own), with Ink Bird dual temp controller (set lower than Eheim internal), with AutoAqua Temp Security as fail safe.

I actually plan for the internal heater thermostat to be the least reliable. I want reliability in the coil and construction though.
 
Last edited:

Silver14SS

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 8, 2017
Messages
2,383
Reaction score
4,364
Location
NC
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Do you have any kind of temperature controller or are you looking for a heater with it's own?
 

newbie2014

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
May 16, 2019
Messages
141
Reaction score
93
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
My favorite heater I use is the finnex 300w with digital controller ( titanium) and the heating element is only I think 13 " fits in sump no problems
That's what I use also.

The best heater is one with a back up.............
No doubt. As BRSTV pointed out, trying to keep the tank temp constant is possible with a cost, the heater's life span. Having the heater "toggle" on/off every few seconds has its toll.
 

ca1ore

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 28, 2014
Messages
13,803
Reaction score
19,657
Location
Stamford, CT
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I've been sweating this same issue for awhile now. After reading this thread, I'm going to stick with the Finnex titanium heaters (2 in the sump) and try out the new BRS controller.

Isn’t the BRS unit just a rebadged inkbird? Better to use something like the ranco IME.
 

Mastering the art of locking and unlocking water pathways: What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing?

  • Ball valves.

    Votes: 44 46.8%
  • Gate valves.

    Votes: 50 53.2%
  • Check valves.

    Votes: 21 22.3%
  • None.

    Votes: 25 26.6%
  • Other.

    Votes: 9 9.6%
Back
Top