Heater

I am so sick of heaters at this point I'm about to go nuts. Heres the scoop

I had a 200watt stealth
- result: fried my tank

Replaced for free with a visitherm 300 watt:
- result: sprung a leak and died

Replaced for free with a visitherm 250:
- result: would not keep constant temp w/in +/- 7

Replaced for free yet again with visitherm 250
- result: set at 75, water temp 80.

A few days ago it got real warm out (50 f) and my tank went up to 85! The house was only at 74! How is that even possible?! Can any one tell me a really reliable heater that I never ever will have to worry about? I am sick of researching heaters, it is lame. BTW I have a visitherm 150 from 20 years ago that was made in Italy and it works +/- 1 degree, but it is too small for my tank. All the new ones are made in.......can you guess?

Thanks

 

I have a cheapy Deep Blue now that works great. Got it at my LFS for 50% off sale.
I just tossed two old, old cheapys, both well used. One was making a clicking noise so I yanked it and the same day, my spare, a nice one with a remote probe stopped working.

I've never bought a titanium one but I take care of the cheapys and have always had good luck overall. I have a $15 temp probe with a high and low alarm.
I'm only keeping one heater in the tank now, the alarm will let me know if it poops the bed and I have a backup heater on hand.

I keep a glass thermometer in the tank to verify every day too.

This problem would be solved with an aquarium controller to control the heater(s).

I believing in going way oversized for your tank too, that way the heater isn't working as hard when it is working.

 

I have a cobalt heater in my 60g and it work great. Has digital settings and digital temp readings. Box says they are unbreakable

 

controllers are the most reliable

 

eheim heaters have worked well for me. i have 3 saltwater systems and use eheim heater in all of them. had my one tank for over a year and no issues yet. (knock on wood)

 

Eheim by far!

 

Sorry for your woes.

I use a cheapy Aqueon 300W, said lifetime guarantee.
First one stayed on all the time- called their CS, they were actually in my hometown, took it there and they exchanged it.
This one works OK.

I would never really worry about the temp markings on the heater, just that it will adjust up or down, and use a thermometer, to set it, etc.

Good luck,

 

I had good luck with Hagen Fluval E-Series for 2y now. 1 of 1 is not much of a statistical analysis.

 

Cobalt is made in Europe and relatively well priced (40$ shipped for 300 watt) anyone else have one or should I just go with Eheim?

 

I use Eheims in all 6 of my tanks (including mixing tank). My reef tanks use controllers as I still don't trust them enough to never fail, and my FOWLR has a temp alert that you can set the high and low temps and it will alarm you. Not a controller, but cheap insurance as long as you are home.