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Heater Recommendations
- Thread starter Flame Angel
- Start date
You know the Finnex that has the electronic controller that you showed might be ok.
Just stay far away from digital controlers from Finnex.I'll do a search,there's a control unit you can purchase that is very reliable.
Then you can just get the titanium heating element.
Just stay far away from digital controlers from Finnex.I'll do a search,there's a control unit you can purchase that is very reliable.
Then you can just get the titanium heating element.
Ok,from what I understand(no 1st hand experience),but this is suppose to be very reliable.
It's most likely going to be my next purchase.
A Ranco controller.
Maybe somebody will comment on this as well.
It's most likely going to be my next purchase.
A Ranco controller.
Maybe somebody will comment on this as well.
OP
OP
I would venture to say no for safety and easibility of swapping out. I doubt anything would be UL approved if you had to be an electrical engineer or electrician to start playing with it.
Pretty much what I am deducing myself is Titanium and controler if one can afford it. Or if you have to stay with glass I have heard a few say Ehiem Jager heater. At best try and stay away from glass encased if at all possible. Decisions, decisions. I would keep quality, possible issues that could occur based upon how each is manufactured/materials and Return on Investement in mind.
I will have to check the RANCO out myself. My only advice is go slow, ask many questions and come to your own consencus as you will be the one that has to live with the decisions.
Just my .02
Hack21
Non-member
I just bought a Finnex 500W Heater with Analog Controller HMA-500 from Bulk Reef Supply, it arrived on November 25th. I got it into my tank on December 1st, and this thing had no clue how to keep an accurate temperature. It had to be set on the dial at 88 degrees just to keep the tank at 76. I moved it around just to make sure it wasn't a water flow issue. I unplugged it and let it rest for a couple hours to see if it might recalibrate, and nothing worked. I am convinced the only way this heater could meet the + or - 2 degrees it of the setting temperature like Finnex claims it will, is if I set it the same as the room temperature.
I contacted Bulk Reef Supply and they put me in touch with the manufacturer. A brand new product doesn't work out of the box and I have to deal with the manufacturer. Well Finnex said sorry, but that it is still covered under the warranty so they will fix it. But I have to pay shipping and handling both ways. I am going to end up paying for it twice and it has never worked. Finnex is made in China, which seems to be a synonym for junk. Or that at the very least you can expect a high failure rate on products they produce.
Look I do read reviews that claim they work, which is why I bought one. But it really appears to be a flip of the coin that you might be lucky enough to get a good one.
I contacted Bulk Reef Supply and they put me in touch with the manufacturer. A brand new product doesn't work out of the box and I have to deal with the manufacturer. Well Finnex said sorry, but that it is still covered under the warranty so they will fix it. But I have to pay shipping and handling both ways. I am going to end up paying for it twice and it has never worked. Finnex is made in China, which seems to be a synonym for junk. Or that at the very least you can expect a high failure rate on products they produce.
Look I do read reviews that claim they work, which is why I bought one. But it really appears to be a flip of the coin that you might be lucky enough to get a good one.
I have yet to find a reliable heater. I have gone through every major brand in my many tanks without really finding any that I would recommend. The titanium ones seem to be the safest since they typically just stop working and not stay on cooking the tank. Finnex titanium heaters last about 6 months to a year, although one of my 1000watt ones is going on 2 years and will probably be dead when I check on it today just because I brought it up. Ive gone through 3 1000 watts and probably 5 800 watt and 6 300 watt finnex in the last year alone. I also went through two of the super expensive JBJ 1000 watt ones in 2 months. Im trying the blueline ones now. Ive also switched to using the aqualogic temperature controller, which is probably just a rebranded ranco controller prewired with a female plug end. I hate heaters.... I have a 30 year old 50 watt non submersible clip on the rim heater in my freshwater tank in my office though... They really dont make them like they used to.
Hack21
Non-member
The only problem with Eheim Jager is they don't make heaters larger then 300W. They make a great heater for sure.
As someone noted, the reason they don't make heaters like they used too, is quite simply because they are now made in China. They can be made so cheaply in China, that even with a high failure rate companies can still make huge profits. With all the horror stories of China made products like lead in kids toys, toxic chemicals in drywall, to name but a few. Makes me wonder how much Titanium the Finnex made in China heaters actually contain. Maybe their high failure rate is a good thing, that way people don't leave them in there tanks long enough for something to start leeching from the product.
As someone noted, the reason they don't make heaters like they used too, is quite simply because they are now made in China. They can be made so cheaply in China, that even with a high failure rate companies can still make huge profits. With all the horror stories of China made products like lead in kids toys, toxic chemicals in drywall, to name but a few. Makes me wonder how much Titanium the Finnex made in China heaters actually contain. Maybe their high failure rate is a good thing, that way people don't leave them in there tanks long enough for something to start leeching from the product.
You know, I used to swear by them back when they were Ebo Jager. I only used them for years. Then about 6 or 7 years ago I bought somewhere around 25 of them for a fish room and I had to replace about 20 of them in less than a year. I was not pleased and have never bought another one.
Honestly a controller is really the only safe way to go. I actually use two levels of control. I have the aqualogic controller with a probe in the sump which is then plugged into a Apex with a probe in the display. The reason for the two levels is if the probe from the aqualogic gets knocked out of the sump and tries to overheat the tank, the apex will shut it off when the display reaches 82. Is it expensive? Yes, but cheaper than losing everything in the tank.
OP
OP
That was my pick if I was going to go with glass to keep the cost down... my concern is the big oh, oh of the glass breaking or something leaking into the tank.
OP
OP
Anyone have any first hand experience with WON, Catalina or Blueline? In regards to titanium heaters?
