Heater madness

[Cztardust]

Hope everyone here is good and well!
The 36 gallon bowfront I started a few months back is doing very well. All on the vintage equipment I had as a kid.
(Air driven HOB filters, etc.)
Thank you for your input and updating me on new info!
One thing I wanted to address is trying to upgrade my heater.
I still have a stash of brand new (old stock) 200w Supreme Heeters from my store and I'm currently running one with fantastic accuracy.
Back in the day they were the best of the best and one lasted 10 years or more, but again... even though they are "new," they were made in 78-
I've tried a few new Tetra and Marineland heaters and I have to say I was not impressed. (The HT's, the Visi-therms)
Wild temperature swings, etc.
They're certainly not something I would trust leaving the house,
I thought for sure, with all the new tech out there, that aquarium heaters would have improved far beyond what I had.
So far, the HOB Supreme Heeters I have are a testament to the quality of old US products... AND you can repair them!
Holding 76.7 degrees right on the button w/o fail, the "good old reliables."
They were the work horses of yesteryear and to be honest I'd continue to use them indefinitely if it were not for glass getting brittle with age.
I do prefer a HOB to submersibles, any suggestions folks?

 

[FreshyFresh]

I love to see and hear about the vintage stuff. It was about 1978 when my mom and dad got me my first aquarium. Are these heaters you are referring to the old thumb-screw attach ones? Pics? I'd love to see the air driven HOBs in action too. I've got something hanging off the back of my 75g, with pothos plants in it. It's an air driven breeder-box made by Marina. You could stuff it media and use it as a filter, but it only passes a trickle of water at best.

 

[fishorama]

Eek! I had many less than reliable Supreme heaters back in the day. Just tighten the screw a tiny bit or move them & who knew what temp might be? While I think heaters are the weakest part of modern equipment, there's no way I'd go back to those days. You've been very lucky!

 

[chenning]

I'm lucky I just heat the room to 78f.

 

[tanker]

I'm lucky I just heat the room to 78f.

To me, that would be a sweat box. I have 2 big tanks, and they currently use Eheim Heaters.
IMO, the older Eheims are better, but my currant ones have not had any issues, and I have spares just in case.
I do remember using the old "screw in" Supreme heaters, and I had no issues with them. Actually, I broke them more often then them going bad.

 

[chenning]

Yep, stays 82f very tropical