Cheap Heaters, what is the deal?

Kiel'thalin

Kiel'thalin

AC Members
Jun 12, 2006
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Alright, I have been through 3 Visitherm (stray current), a Marineland (glass cracked), and now a Digital Finnex Titanium (stuck on). What do you recommend me to do. It seems like any heater has seriously potential for failure, it just takes time. The titanium heater laster well over a year before it's failure. I need a heater that will last that will be placed fully submersible horizontal. I want to avoid the high cost of a Ranco Controller, but is that my only option to avoid the inevitable failure? Any highly recommend heaters for my application (submersible and can sit horizontal)?
 
Ive never had any real luck with heaters. I do have a few rena ones, altho I do not use them on my tanks, the fish are happy at room temp, they have not failed me when I did use them. Whisper heaters are notorious for failing and frying fish.

Going to move this over to the frw equip and diy forum :)
 
Try a Hydor Theo I have had two for over a year with no complaints. Plus if the water level gets to low it has an auto shut off feature.
 
Visitherm Stealth (*not* delux)
Hydor

Would probably avoid the rest.
I've got 3 Stealths - no problems yet. Oldest one is nearly 2 yrs old now.

Heaters are just not something you mess with - get good ones as if they do fail, it is seldom in a safe mode.
 
I have a Whisper 200w that worked for many years but is now varying quite a bit. It is getting tossed.

I just bought a brand new Rena Cal Top 100w for my 20g I just setup because I was so happy with my Rena Filstar Canisters but the heater is crap, it is set to around 72* and the 2 digital thermometers show 78*... POS

I also have a Visi Therm 200w stealth heater on my 20g SW tank and it works perfect. I don't know why I didn't just buy another one of these.

I have a Hydor ETH 300w inline heater on my 75 gallon which also works perfect but it was also $55.

So either Visi Therm stealth or Hydor inline if you have a canister you can plumb it into.
 
I had a visitherm deluxe crack in my sump while I was on vacation and pretty much nuked my reef tank. I replaced it with a visitherm stealth and that seems to be working well so far.
 
The problems I had with the stealths is the stray voltage would occur if they where laid horizontal fully submersed for a period of time. The all failed, all different wattages. I hated the fact that sticking my hand in the tank would shock me.
 
Hrm... 2 of my 3 are horizontal - have been for months. No issues (yet). I wonder if your power cord got yanked a good one once, breaking a seal or something.
 
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