What Heater?

[RyanG]

Ok so Im still getting used to marine aquria, what brand heaters do you all recommend. And what size should I get for a 235 gal total system volume. I know I should use multiples as well 2 or 3? Thanks for helping me out folks.

 

[McCrary]

I would get a couple 500 watt heaters and use a Ranco to control them, unless you have a controller for everything.

 

[RyanG]

No controller in the plans as of yet

 

[McCrary]

Then I would use a Ranco to control the heaters, as most heaters can eventually stick on and it would be a shame to lose your livestock due to a failure. The Ranco switches the heaters on and off based on the temperature of the tank, well worth it if you have some money in livestock.

 

[reeffreak]

I'm using three 200w Stealth heaters.Somebody here(forgot who) had a problem with them sticking.I been use them forever without a problem.I like that it is encased in plastic.Like with most heaters,they should be replaced once a year,maybe 18 months which I do.

 

[fatman]

Really all the heaters are pretty much doo doo if you are depending on their internal thermostats to control your heating. They all use bi-metal thermostats that are worth a few cents each. The place to put your money is in a temperature controller, then it does not really matter the brand or size heaters you buy. A ranco dual mode temperature controller is about the best you can do short of going up to a controller such as an AquaController or AquaDyne. A dual controoller such as the Ranco or AquaLogic will allow heating and cooling control as will the full controllers. A Ranco dual controller runs $160, and an AquaLogic $180. A Aquacontroller starts at $180 but you would need at least a $160 direct connect module to go with it.

 

[Altohombre]

I use Eheim Jager, heard nothing but good stuff about all the eheim products.

 

[sen5241b]

I have a couple visi-therms and the temperature will not go below what I set it at.

 

[fatman]

The problem with all the heaters with built in thermostats is that the have bi-metal controllers/thermostats. A bi-metal thermostat is to dissimilar metals bonded together. Each metal expands at different rates when heated, causing the metal strip to bend. This bent metal strip makes contact with the gap in the electical circuit therby causing the resistive metal (heater) to heat up thereby warming your water. As I wrote before these bi-metal strips cost pennies each and their dependability is of course directly proportional to their costs. They are inherently innaccurate over time and tend to return to their original straight selves less over time. They being hooked up directly to resistive heaters tend to occasioanlly weld themselves to their contact points. The heaters are fine the bi-metal controllers use to control them are junk.

 

[LionFish]

no heater here.
Havnt had the need
I have an eheim for back up but have yet to get er wet

 

[RyanG]

Well I just got back from doing a little shopping and it turns out that the only thing available for cash and carry in Buffalo are 300w marinelands so I grabbed one until I can mail order one.

 

[Piggy]

I have two heater in my tank. I replaced my Theo heaters with Stealth because the Theos were not working properly.Tank always way to hot even when set at lowest temp. The hardest part for me is trying to figure out how to keep the tank at a consistent temp (give or take a few degrees) when the daily weather changes.

 

[fatman]

The only simple solution is, as usual, an expensive solution. A two stage temperature controller. It controls both cooling and heating. For small temperature decreases have it turn a fan(s) on when the temperature gets to hot. Single stage controllers will only control the heat or cooling not both at the same time. Of course a systems controller will do even more, but costs substantially more. The will actually control a fan, more fans, shutting down part of the lights, shutting down all the lights, turning on a chiller. You just program it so that if one doesn't work it tries the next, and if that doesn't work then the next and so on. Or there is the hope you notice it and can do something manually method. That gets pretty frustrating and tiring though.

 

[RyanG]

Fatman are these contollers compatable with electronic ballasts?

 

[fatman]

Fatman are these contollers compatable with electronic ballasts?

A temperature controller such as a Ranco is not effected by electronic ballasts as the heating and cooling units are plugged directly into the control units outlets. When using systems controllers there are two options, either the controller, by a small hard wire, control a remote outlet strip(s) which is not effected by an electronic ballast or you can use the controller to electronically control X-10 units that are effected by electronic ballasts.

 

[Ironman]

I personally had great success with visitherm and jager heaters for alot of years, they were very dependable and I found to be accurate. The down side as fatman has stated is there thermostats. I learned the hard way about a year ago when one of my small reefs I had setup for my son had the heater stick on and boiled everything, the water was 120 degrees and soupy when I found it. So I took out all the heaters from my tanks and installed titanium heaters and used my controllers to turn them on and off. that being said, there are good heaters out there. if you cant afford a controller then buy a good standard heater and before it gets very old save your money for a descent controller of some sort.
I would say the total wattage you may need depends on alot of variables such as how low your temperature gets. I would guess if your just maintaining nightime temps a 500 watt might be good, I have a 300 watt in my 120, if it ever runs it isnt much, my temps stay pretty stable, my chiller runs several times a day though.

 

[jhnrb]

I use visitherm on a Ranco controller.