from everything i have used and other people say api is the best. as for the heater its really important not to go cheap. i use a Visi-Therm Stealth Heater and never had problems for the years i have used it.
Posting on here worked! Scared the Nitrite right off. Tested today 0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrite, 40 nitrate. Going to do a 25% percent water change to hopefully drop Nitrate but at least the Nitrite is gone.