Best Heater

Visualeyes2

Visualeyes2

AC Members
Nov 4, 2000
169
0
0
White, GA
Ok, I'm about sick of dealing with my heaters dieing every year. :mad2: Can someone recommend a heater brand that has a great record? I'm not saying one that never dies, but dieing after a year just isn't good enough for me. It makes this hobby more expensive than it should be. So, I guess tell me what kind of submergible heater you have (brand and watts and how long it has lasted) and let's see who stacks up the best. I'll start by saying I have the kind manufactured by Aq. Pharmaceuticals and they die after a year almost consistently.
 
What size tank are you trying to heat? What's the difference between ambient room temp and the desired temp of the tank?

I use a variety of brands--mostly Ebo Jagers, but a few titaniums, and one cheapo. The cheap ran for 4 years with no problems, then died last year after the AC kept the room ~60F--meaning the heater was on pretty much 24/7 for about 4 months. I replaced it, but doubt that a pricier heater would have performed much better, given the conditions.
 
If you do a search on "best heaters" you'll find some specifics. Usually on this message board you have folks recommending one of two heaters: Ebo-Jager and Tronic. I own both brands and will tell you I prefer the Ebo-Jagers hands down. Not that the Tronic isn't reliable, it absolutely is, it's just that I think the Ebo-Jagers are just as reliable, but built better, more accurate, and I think cheaper, if I recall correctly. FWIW, I have used one of the new All-Glass submersibles and found it accurate and seemingly well-built, but I only used it for a short time so cannot comment on its long term reliability.
 
I absolutely love my Via Aqua titanium heaters! I have read they are not accurate but that has not been a problem for me. They don't break like the glass ones, and I love being able to adjust the temp. from outside the tank instead of getting my hands wet. They are also very reasonably priced. ;)
 
I've been using the Visa-Therm Stealth heater for about 6 months now and so far so good. I really like this heater...it's shatter-proof and colored black which makes it easier to hide. Against a black background, it's almost undetectable. As far as reliability is concerned, I guess time will tell. It's been pretty much dead on with it's temperature accuracy so far.
 
I'd be hard pressed to recommend anything but Ebo-Jager or Tronic. They are two of the most reliable heaters (if not THE most reliable) and reliability is an important quality in a heater. The price differential between these quality heaters and junky ones is pretty small, too. With heaters, it's hard to justify getting anything but the best.

Jim
 
I've used Tronic heaters for several years now without any problems. The main feature I like about them is the high-temp shutoff. If you forget to unplug your heater during water changes, your heater will turn off automatically rather than shatter.
As far as accuracy goes- how big of an issue is this? Once you set your heater and reach your desired temp, you should be set to rock and roll. If you have extreme weather, you may find yourself adjusting your settings twice a year.
 
Yes the old Ebo Jagers are great, but you all seem to foget that they sold out to Ehiem. The Ebos (well I think they are just called Jagers now) are complete crap now. So if you can get some of the old ebos do it, but the new ones avoid like the plauge. Visitherms are great, most of the stuff from Hydor I have been impressed with, also heaters from Sera are super and I've been very happy with them so far.
 
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