which heater to buy?

garyw68 · 10/04/2011, 09:03 PM

Since the colder months are amongst us…I am looking for a good quality heater. I have been looking online but I can't seem to settle on one. Can anyone please recommend a fine heating element I could possibly get for my tank? Thank you.

edsreef · 10/04/2011, 09:19 PM

Eheim Jaeger

ghostman · 10/04/2011, 09:32 PM

I've owned lots of heaters, and they all are garbage. I have had some luck with the Eheim Jaeger as mentioned above. I always have a spare, just in case.

sivel · 10/05/2011, 07:34 AM

ive got the catalina 500 w titanium. the thing is a beast .

mike

James77 · 10/05/2011, 07:43 AM

All heaters are garbage, and rely on a cheap thermostat to switch on/off. Get a dedicated controller like a Ranco or at least an aquarium controller, and either use the heater setting as a fail safe or just get a heating tube.

garyw68 · 10/05/2011, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sivel

ive got the catalina 500 w titanium. the thing is a beast .

mike

did you get that with the controller as well?

allsps40 · 10/05/2011, 08:29 AM

Jager

solitude127 · 10/05/2011, 08:39 AM

Eheim Jager with an external controller. Only bad thing about Eheims is that they tend to be a little long

garyw68 · 10/05/2011, 08:49 AM

im thinking about getting the Aqua Controller...Dual Stage. I found one at marine depot for 180 bucks

I have been using the single stage for my cooling and its been totally reliable. that with a good heater...which I think people refer the Jager...should fit my needs.

garyw68 · 10/05/2011, 08:51 AM

actually, its the Aqua Logic Digital Temperature Controller...dual stage

garyw68 · 10/05/2011, 09:10 AM

the jager only goes up to 250 watts? I need at least 400 watts for my 180gal reef.

solitude127 · 10/05/2011, 10:48 AM

they actually have a 300w model now. But i would do 2. I feel it's good to have a redundancy.

LegoZ81 · 10/05/2011, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by solitude127

they actually have a 300w model now. But i would do 2. I feel it's good to have a redundancy.

definately do 2x250w vs 1 400w. it will give you a slight bump in wattage and give you some redundancy

garyw68 · 10/05/2011, 01:07 PM

cool...ill do it. thanks everyone for your inputs

aleonn · 10/05/2011, 02:00 PM

I wanted to get the Eheim Jager heaters, but they were too long for my sump (and I didn't want to put them into my overflow). I got the JBJ Titanium heater with Tru-Temp controller. This is also attached to my Apex controller as a way to provide an additional fail-safe. If I could do it over, I'd get 2 heaters for additional redundancy as LegoZ mentioned.

layer3switchguy · 10/05/2011, 03:57 PM

I also "offset" the temp on each heater I have in my tank (I have two) by 2-3 degress and use a controller...

snorvich · 10/05/2011, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edsreef

Eheim Jaeger

Got my vote. But I would for sure run any heater on a controller.

snorvich · 10/05/2011, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LegoZ81

definately do 2x250w vs 1 400w. it will give you a slight bump in wattage and give you some redundancy

For sure. Excellent idea.

fishchef · 10/09/2011, 05:29 PM

Jager with a Controler. Best reviews on-line.

snorvich · 10/09/2011, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James77

All heaters are garbage, and rely on a cheap thermostat to switch on/off. Get a dedicated controller like a Ranco or at least an aquarium controller, and either use the heater setting as a fail safe or just get a heating tube.

I could not agree more. Do not be one of the sad stories about cooking your tank.

PoeticInjustice · 10/10/2011, 12:00 PM

I'm in the market for a heater too, I guess I'll go with Eheim Jager as well

JohnM99 · 10/10/2011, 03:21 PM

Every heater brand I have bought since the 1960s has failed at some point - Ebo Jager (or Eheim as they are now called) seem to be the "least badly made" - so my strategy has been to use 3 or 4 in my system on controllers. Also, check them once in a while as they don't do anything dramatic when they fail.

Question for the Jager fans above - how long would you keep one before replacing it? Do you wait until they fail? Replace at 5 or 8 years?

ThaBeast · 10/10/2011, 09:50 PM

all garbage...I have two eheim jagers that I bought less than one year ago, one shows moisture inside the glass and the other won't hold any resemblance of a calibration, top that off with the lack of response for warranty replacements

Anyone find a non chinese manufactured heating tube yet?

10/04/2011, 09:03 PM	#1
garyw68 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 648	which heater to buy? Since the colder months are amongst us…I am looking for a good quality heater. I have been looking online but I can't seem to settle on one. Can anyone please recommend a fine heating element I could possibly get for my tank? Thank you. __________________ My grandmother is over eighty and still doesn’t need glasses. Drinks right out of the bottle. Current Tank Info: 180 gal AGA reef - 55 gal sump/refuge - 235 lbs of LR - 3x250 14k MH w/ 4x96 blue actinic PC's - SRO 5000ext skimmer - 2 Vortech MP40w/es

10/04/2011, 09:32 PM	#3
ghostman Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Spring Hill, Florida Posts: 1,629	I've owned lots of heaters, and they all are garbage. I have had some luck with the Eheim Jaeger as mentioned above. I always have a spare, just in case. __________________ When you die, you don't know you're dead. It's only difficult for the people around you. It's the same when you're stupid. Current Tank Info: 40IM Fusion, 40lbs of rock, and 20lbs of sand. Just a few fish and corals....for now.

10/05/2011, 07:43 AM	#5
James77 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 8,158	All heaters are garbage, and rely on a cheap thermostat to switch on/off. Get a dedicated controller like a Ranco or at least an aquarium controller, and either use the heater setting as a fail safe or just get a heating tube. __________________ Jim Current Tank Info: 120g Mixed Reef and 75g Freshwater

10/05/2011, 08:29 AM	#7
allsps40 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Arizona Posts: 4,627	Jager __________________ __________ Current Tank Info: Past reef tanks: 20H softy, 29G mixed reef, 55G mixed reef, 40B sps dominant mixed reef and 75G sps dominant mixed reef. No tank currently

10/05/2011, 08:39 AM	#8
solitude127 Proud user of IO Salt! Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Torrance, CA Posts: 9,136	Eheim Jager with an external controller. Only bad thing about Eheims is that they tend to be a little long __________________ Mike <)))>{ <)))>{ <)))>{ <)))>{ ReefKeeping.com TOTM Nov 2012 Socalireefs Featured Reef Oct 2011 Current Tank Info: 603020, 8x54 ATI Powermodule, ReefBrite XHO, ATB Elegance 200, Aquamaxx CTech CaRx, Ecotech Vortechs, Apex Controls, WM Ecobak powered. RedSea Reefer 170, MP10, Apex Jr, Ecotech Radion XR15, Aquamaxx WS-1

10/04/2011, 09:19 PM	#2
edsreef Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Ohio Posts: 912	Eheim Jaeger

10/05/2011, 07:34 AM	#4
sivel Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 37	ive got the catalina 500 w titanium. the thing is a beast . mike

10/05/2011, 08:49 AM	#9
garyw68 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 648	im thinking about getting the Aqua Controller...Dual Stage. I found one at marine depot for 180 bucks I have been using the single stage for my cooling and its been totally reliable. that with a good heater...which I think people refer the Jager...should fit my needs. __________________ My grandmother is over eighty and still doesn’t need glasses. Drinks right out of the bottle. Current Tank Info: 180 gal AGA reef - 55 gal sump/refuge - 235 lbs of LR - 3x250 14k MH w/ 4x96 blue actinic PC's - SRO 5000ext skimmer - 2 Vortech MP40w/es

10/05/2011, 08:51 AM	#10
garyw68 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 648	actually, its the Aqua Logic Digital Temperature Controller...dual stage __________________ My grandmother is over eighty and still doesn’t need glasses. Drinks right out of the bottle. Current Tank Info: 180 gal AGA reef - 55 gal sump/refuge - 235 lbs of LR - 3x250 14k MH w/ 4x96 blue actinic PC's - SRO 5000ext skimmer - 2 Vortech MP40w/es

10/05/2011, 09:10 AM	#11
garyw68 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 648	the jager only goes up to 250 watts? I need at least 400 watts for my 180gal reef. __________________ My grandmother is over eighty and still doesn’t need glasses. Drinks right out of the bottle. Current Tank Info: 180 gal AGA reef - 55 gal sump/refuge - 235 lbs of LR - 3x250 14k MH w/ 4x96 blue actinic PC's - SRO 5000ext skimmer - 2 Vortech MP40w/es

10/05/2011, 10:48 AM	#12
solitude127 Proud user of IO Salt! Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Torrance, CA Posts: 9,136	they actually have a 300w model now. But i would do 2. I feel it's good to have a redundancy. __________________ Mike <)))>{ <)))>{ <)))>{ <)))>{ ReefKeeping.com TOTM Nov 2012 Socalireefs Featured Reef Oct 2011 Current Tank Info: 603020, 8x54 ATI Powermodule, ReefBrite XHO, ATB Elegance 200, Aquamaxx CTech CaRx, Ecotech Vortechs, Apex Controls, WM Ecobak powered. RedSea Reefer 170, MP10, Apex Jr, Ecotech Radion XR15, Aquamaxx WS-1

10/05/2011, 01:07 PM	#14
garyw68 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 648	cool...ill do it. thanks everyone for your inputs __________________ My grandmother is over eighty and still doesn’t need glasses. Drinks right out of the bottle. Current Tank Info: 180 gal AGA reef - 55 gal sump/refuge - 235 lbs of LR - 3x250 14k MH w/ 4x96 blue actinic PC's - SRO 5000ext skimmer - 2 Vortech MP40w/es

10/05/2011, 02:00 PM	#15
aleonn Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 4,041	I wanted to get the Eheim Jager heaters, but they were too long for my sump (and I didn't want to put them into my overflow). I got the JBJ Titanium heater with Tru-Temp controller. This is also attached to my Apex controller as a way to provide an additional fail-safe. If I could do it over, I'd get 2 heaters for additional redundancy as LegoZ mentioned.

10/05/2011, 03:57 PM	#16
layer3switchguy Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Southern NJ Posts: 843	I also "offset" the temp on each heater I have in my tank (I have two) by 2-3 degress and use a controller... __________________ 120g Oceanic Tech (48x24x24) 90lbs of Live Rock ATB Small Cone ATI 8 Bulb Powermodule (T5) 2 Vortech MP40W Prodibio Profilux P3ex Controlled Current Tank Info: 120g Oceanic Tech

10/09/2011, 05:29 PM	#19
fishchef Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: St. Louis, MO Posts: 1,222	Jager with a Controler. Best reviews on-line.

10/10/2011, 12:00 PM	#21
PoeticInjustice Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Northern New Jersey Posts: 86	I'm in the market for a heater too, I guess I'll go with Eheim Jager as well

10/10/2011, 03:21 PM	#22
JohnM99 Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Victoria, BC, Canada Posts: 747	Every heater brand I have bought since the 1960s has failed at some point - Ebo Jager (or Eheim as they are now called) seem to be the "least badly made" - so my strategy has been to use 3 or 4 in my system on controllers. Also, check them once in a while as they don't do anything dramatic when they fail. Question for the Jager fans above - how long would you keep one before replacing it? Do you wait until they fail? Replace at 5 or 8 years?

10/10/2011, 09:50 PM	#23
ThaBeast Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 332	all garbage...I have two eheim jagers that I bought less than one year ago, one shows moisture inside the glass and the other won't hold any resemblance of a calibration, top that off with the lack of response for warranty replacements Anyone find a non chinese manufactured heating tube yet?

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