Heaters

[mr544]

What brand heater do you recomend and use? I am using a heater, forgot the brand, and I am not getting the temperature I want.
Thanks, Michael

[neonmkr]

I've got an Aqueon & 2 Visa-therms on separate tanks (all are 300 watts). The Visa-therms are a number of years old (don't remember exact age) & the Aqueon is a couple of months old. All are maintaining the temp within a degree of two of their settings. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another of either brand.

[ewok]

visi therm stealth heaters have been good to me
their shatterproof design is good, and they seem more heavy duty that the ones that are all glass...

[White Worm]

visi therm stealth heaters have been good to me
their shatterproof design is good, and they seem more heavy duty that the ones that are all glass...

These seem to work well for me too.

[kaceyo]

I use Via Aqua titaniums, Ebo Jeager and Stealths. The Via Aqua's are a number of years old and still working, tho I did lose two in that time also.
The EJ's work great, keep an even temp, but haven't used them long enough to tell how thay last.
Stealths are also dependable and tough but I really don't like the fact you can't tell if it's on or off.
HTH

Kacey

[troyclark]

Out of the total 10 stealth heaters I bought 5 of them are still working OK. The other 5 I will be sending back to get replaced. HTH

[alpine]

Michael, after having the expensive controler-titanium heater combos I have gone o Visi-Therm stealth heaters. If you can split the wattage need and have two smaller heaters in each tank, do it. Don't ask me why I recomend that !

Roberto.

[MSD]

The new Ebo-Jaeger's from Eheim are very good so far, I replaced failing stealth heaters with them. I see why they are called stealth, they fail and leave no heat trail!!! :D

[Harriett]

I also had a 50% failure right out of the box rate on the stealths--I'm over that nonsense. I got a couple of the ETH in line Hydor heaters 300W and they are PERFECT and keep the water exactly where I set it all the time. First heaters I have ever had that feel this reliable. --got the first ones maybe a year ago and am now slowly replacing the rest of my heaters with the hydors--you need to have a canister filter to use it,of course. THey are more expensive than the usual fair by 15-20 bux.
Best regards
Harriett

[rick.c]

i use the stealth heaters and have only had one go bad ,so far:confused:

[thebigone]

I have a THEO heater. I think that is the name brand. I havn't had any trouble from it so far. I only have it cut up half way. Its a 400 watt heater. I got it from PetSmart for about $35. It keeps my tank at about 86 degrees and I have it in a 125 gallon tank. Everyone else told me that i would need at least two 250 or two 300 watt heaters. I found that everyone else had to special order the 400 watt heater but PetSmart had them in stock. For me this has been a great heater so far without any problems. It is suppose to be unbreakable by fish as well.

Wish you luck !

Josh

[1Chuck9669]

I have a THEO heater. I think that is the name brand. I havn't had any trouble from it so far. I only have it cut up half way. Its a 400 watt heater. I got it from PetSmart for about $35. It keeps my tank at about 86 degrees and I have it in a 125 gallon tank. Everyone else told me that i would need at least two 250 or two 300 watt heaters. I found that everyone else had to special order the 400 watt heater but PetSmart had them in stock. For me this has been a great heater so far without any problems. It is suppose to be unbreakable by fish as well.

Wish you luck !

Josh

I use the THEO too, two 300w on my 125g. They keep my tank in the desired range with no problems. My local Petsmart price-matched them out of the Drs. Fosters & Smith catalog. Saved around $10 bucks each!

May Our Threads Cross Again...

[1077]

I use a 400 watt Theo in 80 gal. discus tank and have no complaints.:)

[chintz]

Just bought Rena's SmartHeater 300W, set it to 85F and stays exactly at that for the last 2 days in my 75g BB discus tank.

Particularly good if you have a Rena canister XP filter because this heater replaces the intake tube and can be used as an inline. So looks good with no clustter in the tank.

[OIF03VET]

Of the two stealths I bought a couple months ago I only have one that still works. It worked good while it lasted but I wont be buying another one.

[rowedder]

I use the Rena smart heaters as well in my garage tanks and in my 210 gallon, they work very well. I just started using the Ebo Jager heaters with great results so far, both have indicator lights to tell if they are on or not. I only had one Rena go crazy on me, kept on turning on and off irradically. I know they flash if the set temp drops and they flash fast if the temp gets to hot but this thing looked like it was shorting out or something. Anyway, I just took it down to my LPS and got it replaced for free.

[troyclark]

Finally sent in the 5 defective stealth 250 in on Oct 1. As of today I have not got the replacements. I called the other day and they said that all were sent to testing. The lady I talked to wanted to know why that many of them went out and I told her I was wondering the same thing. Some of them would still heat but not reliably. I told her I had to much invested in the fish to have a heater I could not rely on. Hopefully the newer ones will be better but i seem to doubt it. They will probably be put into storage barrels instead of tanks. Thats all for my rant now......

[fishy_dude]

Lucky for me I still have the old school ebo-jagers in all 18 of my tanks and not a one has failed or given me any problems. (knock on wood) I was curious as to how the new ones are since Ehiem bought them out? I hear the glass is not as thick, wonder how well they heat?

[rowedder]

I use Ebo-Jagers from Jehmco, the 250 watt ones. I just ordered 5 of Jehmco's submersible heaters, there's no name on them but they are 300 watt heaters. The Ebo-Jagers work very well and have a light to tell you wether it's on or off.

[marnold]

ebo's are the way to go!but Ive also had luck with visa therms

[Eddie]

I used the new ebos when they first came out and I felt they were a little off on the temp but when you get the temp right, they stick to it and fully dependable. The construction is a heavier build than the other heaters I've used. I used the stealth heaters and rena heaters but the ebo definitely seems more durable. I never had the old ebos so I am not sure how thick the glass was on them but the new ones seem super thick. Won't change to another brand as of now. ;)

[seanyuki]

My Stealth heaters won't heat up the required temperature these days.....now changing them to Ebo heaters.

Cheers
Francis:)

[keiffer123]

visa therm stealth heaters are awesome

[Peachtree Discus]

my local petsmart takes back any failed equipment for in-store credit....so i stay with them. i use stealths for my fish tanks and pro-fin (cheapos) for heated water storage. even i have had stealths to fail or gradually lose heating ability. just return and get a new 1. i will try a rena upon next failure. the pro-fins are supposed to be lifetime guarantee

[troyclark]

I just got the replacements for the 5 stealth heaters I sent in and they sent me 5 visitherm deluxe heaters instead of stealths...

[marielou20]

I have been using Ebo Jagger since years; very satisfied with those heaters...:)

[cyang]

No heaters are 100% reliable. It is more expensive, but get a temperature controller from Jehmco and problem solved. Piece of mind doesn't come cheap, but I have temp controllers for both of my main tanks. For my water storage I use a 200w ebo jager; it keeps the temperature pretty darn close.

Just my two cents...

[Peachtree Discus]

....get a temperature controller...

interesting. can these temp controllers run multiple heaters? max of 2?

[poconogal]

I also had a 50% failure right out of the box rate on the stealths--I'm over that nonsense. I got a couple of the ETH in line Hydor heaters 300W and they are PERFECT and keep the water exactly where I set it all the time. First heaters I have ever had that feel this reliable. --got the first ones maybe a year ago and am now slowly replacing the rest of my heaters with the hydors--you need to have a canister filter to use it,of course. THey are more expensive than the usual fair by 15-20 bux.
Best regards
Harriett
I agree, got the Hydor ETH 300W inline over 2 years now. It's still keeping perfect temperature, with an occasional variance of 0.2 degrees, tops. I love this heater. Even though its a bit more expensive it is worth every penny spent.

[cyang]

interesting. can these temp controllers run multiple heaters? max of 2?

You can run as many heaters as the controller is designed for.

Some are designed for 800 watts, some 1000 watts. I use 800w rated controllers for my two tanks but I only have two 250w heaters plugged into each.

Call Jehmco.com...the guy there knows a lot about it. They are pricey though, so I wouldn't use them for anything but discus or 6+ year old clown loaches (or other fish that are individually more expensive than heater+controller combined, which would be about minimum $100).

...or if you are fed up with faulty heaters...

[dwilder]

Hydor ETH 300W inline best heater there is imo