# What kind of heater do you prefer? My reviews on Eheim and Fluval models...



## mattjm20 (Nov 2, 2013)

Hello everyone,

I'd love to know what heater brand/product you all prefer? I've tried two different ones and I don't really like either.

I first started with a 300W Eheim Jager for my 90G. First, i have to say that it's kind of annoying to turn the knob to adjust the heater without sticking your hand in the water to hold it while you twist. Second (and more importantly), it stopped heating after a year of use. The light would flick on but I couldn't get the temperature above 90 degrees. 

I'm now using a Fluval which in all fairness is spec'd for "up to an 80G tank" and even at max power I can't get my water past about 76.5 degrees now that it's cold out. I've got two other issues with it. First, the water "min" and "max" lines are ridiculously close together. With evaporation I can easily drop below the min line in a week. Second, the suction cup attachments don't stick out far enough to properly attach it to the back of my tank due to the size of the lip on the top frame. It's like they made a heater for large tanks but didn't account for that.

As a follow up question on the Fluval if anyone has one -- The directions say that the heater cannot be submersed. I've read that Fluval was obligated to state that in the directions for liability reasons, but unofficially says it is fine to submerge. Does anybody know if this is true? I admit that I have been filling above the "max" line by a bit and have not noticed a problem.


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

I no longer go by brands as many are no longer made in the way the brand got famous. Famous sometimes depends more on the advert budget than performance. 
I now look for features rather than name. 
Looking at some of the things I can see leads me. One is that I know that it is hard to seal things long term to make them waterproof if it has moving parts. A shaft that moves when I adjust it and it is underwater? I no longer assume it will last. I go for one that has the adjustment outside the tube where they can fully seal the heater tube in a permanent way. I want controls that are large enough to allow making them to last rather than making a tiny set that will fit inside the tube. 
I find the only heater that fits for me is the Via-aqua titanium like this:
http://www.marineandreef.com/ViaAqu...RCA73334.htm?gclid=CI6Yr_qw2sICFcbtMgod2j8ARQ
I add a small digital temperature controller for a second line of safety in case of heater failure.


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## NJAquaBarren (Sep 16, 2009)

I have a Fluval E-series and they have been reliable. Probably 4 years now. I like the digital display too. Comes in handy.


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## mattjm20 (Nov 2, 2013)

Rich -
I totally agree with your assessment. Buying the heaters online is probably not the best way to make such a judgment, but luckily you've pointed me towards a great heater. I have it bookmarked on Amazon and will one day buy it, I'm sure. Is that heater fully submersible?

Bump: Thanks, NJ. I don't have the E-Series so maybe that explains my disappointment. I will look into that as well.

By the way, where are you in New Jersey? Did you sell your set up (saw that in your tank journal thread)? I am in West Orange ... always happy to know other people in the hobby for trades, etc.

Final question - happen to know of any breeders that you like in NJ? I have a 90G with rainbowfish and I'd love to buy them direct from someone reputable. Ely's and Absolutely Fish sell some of the ones I want for $20 each which is kind of a lot when I'm making a school...


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

One of the points that I like about the via-aqua design is that the heater tube and the probe are all the go into the tank. The probe is on about a 9" wire from the heater itself and then there is the single wire going out to the controls. With this design, I can put the probe on some spot behind things and put the heat horizontal where it is easier to hide. With controls in the tube, I feel the heat rising will not work the same when horizontal and many say they should be vertical. This gives me better control of how to place the heater. Part of the decision is that the probe is a thermistor in an electronic circuit rather than a bi-metal spring with contacts. When the circuit calls for heat, I can hear and feel the relay in the control box snap shut. This might seem a bad thing but I know a nice good sized relay is moving and big relays last longer than tiny contact points. 
Call it lazy but I like looking in at the tank to see that the digital readout is right without going in, turning on a light and checking a thermometer!!! I sleep better?


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## wheatiesl337 (Mar 30, 2011)

I don't like that the via-aqua heaters cannot be recalibrated. While I like the design overall, mine is now reading nearly 10 degrees F low on a tank I want to keep 78-80. So when the power goes out, and the heater goes to the preset 78 degrees, I run the risk of overheating the tanks. And when the titanium heaters overheat, they really overheat. Would be a solid heater if it could be recalibrated.


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## Coralbandit (Feb 25, 2013)

I like aqueon PROs.
Lifetime gaurentee,extruded aluminum in black plastic,easy to adjust.
Always cheaper online.
On getting your tank to the desired temp , most heaters are misleading . They are labled upto xx gallons,when truly they will only raise xx gallons xx degrees above ROOM temp.
So the room you keep your tank in and its temp may be as important to consider as wattage.
A 250 watt aqueon Pro says it can raise a 90g tank 15 degrees above room temp based on an average room temp of 68-72 , which sounds like 87 at max?
I would use 2 heaters if you really feel 90 is important.


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## pheo (Nov 28, 2014)

Coralbandit said:


> I like aqueon PROs.
> Lifetime gaurentee,extruded aluminum in black plastic,easy to adjust.
> Always cheaper online.
> On getting your tank to the desired temp , most heaters are misleading . They are labled upto xx gallons,when truly they will only raise xx gallons xx degrees above ROOM temp.
> ...


+1 on the Aqueon Pro. Without getting into the high reef titaniums, they're easily the best you can get. I've had about 5 different heaters now. The others have become spares for water change buckets.


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## mattjm20 (Nov 2, 2013)

wheatiesl337 said:


> I don't like that the via-aqua heaters cannot be recalibrated. While I like the design overall, mine is now reading nearly 10 degrees F low on a tank I want to keep 78-80. So when the power goes out, and the heater goes to the preset 78 degrees, I run the risk of overheating the tanks. And when the titanium heaters overheat, they really overheat. Would be a solid heater if it could be recalibrated.


Sorry, I'm kind of following you but what do you mean by "recalibrated?"

And you're saying if the power goes out whatever heat setting you have set the unit to will go back to 78 automatically?


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

Calibration on heaters is for those who want it as a "feel good" item. Most who run tanks for very long have discovered how meaningless the numbers are. In fact, the numbers are a pretty recent thing to be added to heaters. It does give you a kinda/sorta place to start but the old +/- works just as well. If it is a big issue, try pulling the knob off the shaft and put it back on at what you feel is the correct point. But keep in mind that it will only be a temporary fix as electronic parts do drift over time. For me, it is much more to the point to not look at the numbers on the dial. 
The reason for some heaters to be designed to go back to 78 is that it is a safe heat range for most fish. Depends which design of digital heater you get whether they reset to a specific point or not.


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## mattjm20 (Nov 2, 2013)

Fair points, and I totally get the resetting to 78 degrees part. That part is fine (actually awesome), except when your heater thinks 88 is 78


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## Coralbandit (Feb 25, 2013)

mattjm20 said:


> Fair points, and I totally get the resetting to 78 degrees part. That part is fine (actually awesome), except when your heater thinks 88 is 78


Lets give cheer for analog!


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## wheatiesl337 (Mar 30, 2011)

mattjm20 said:


> Fair points, and I totally get the resetting to 78 degrees part. That part is fine (actually awesome), except when your heater thinks 88 is 78


Yes, that is the problem with my via-aqua titanium heater. When the power goes out, it resets to what the heater thinks is 78 degrees, which, checked with infrared thermometer, actually heats the tank to 88. As for the heater rating, this is a 100w model (rated for 25g) on a 40g breeder. That says something about the potential for this model to overheat a tank.

The ability to recalibrate the heater could be as simple as raising or lowering the default temperature on reset. As it stands, my default temperature on reset (78) is taking my tank to 88 degrees, which is unacceptable. Without the ability to recalibrate the heater, the via-aqua fails as a heater I would purchase again.


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## goodbytes (Aug 18, 2014)

I had problems with temperature fluctuations in my tank of around six degrees as well even with a powerhead pointed directly at the 250w stick heater in my 55. I got a Hydor ETH inline heater for my SunSun HW-302 and now the temperature is rock steady. Even when it gets down to 58 degrees in the house the tank stays at a constant 80 degrees even with the thermometer at the exact opposite end of the tank. However, I've only had it for a little over a month so I have no metric for their reliability. Some have had them quit in relatively short order so I'll have to wait and see.


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## AquaDean (Nov 20, 2009)

I really like the Catalina Aquarium Titanium Aquarium Heaters. I've used them for about 8 years and never had a problem. They are relatively small for their wattage and all adjustments are external to the aquarium. As in most other heaters I use the scale for reference only as it is not always accurate. But it is accurate in going up or down in temperature once you determine where you are at.


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## DefStatic (Feb 19, 2013)

I have had good results and reliability (knock on wood) with Aqueon Regular heaters. The temp setting numbers are not accurate but oh well. Just adjust to get the results you want. I currently run them in my 30g, 10g, and soon to be 29g reef. 

In my two betta tanks, I have some el cheapo Top Fins. I am not the biggest fan of the temp adjuster, as I always forget which way it what, but they work well. I do not like those non-adjustable ones. But cheap as they were ($8 for an adjustable 25w heater) they are doing just fine.


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## mattjm20 (Nov 2, 2013)

Thank you everyone for your responses! Really great reviews. It sounds like the two titanium heaters mentioned are pretty good save for some "outlier" problems (albeit huge problems). 

I guess I will have to give this some thought...


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