NoToRiOuS Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 ok guys i need some recommendations on what u think is the best heater and why because im bout to buy a new one for my 200 liter tank but dont know what is the best brand to get i heard jager where good and visi therm but i dont know.the reason why im getn a new one is because i noticed condensation in the tronic one i currently have now and it did this with the 1st one i had so i thought its time for a different brand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evilknieval69 Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 If you go to http://www.hydroponics.co.nz You can pick up a 300W stainless steel heater for around $50. They are over $100 in the shops i think. I bought one off that site for my 250L tank and they were awesome with delivery etc. Stainless steel heaters are very hard to break, as they are very solid, AND, they have an external controller so you can adjust the temperature very easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 Jager are fully submersable, not cheap but very good quality and can be properly adjusted to read the correct temperature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharn Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 if this is for your discus tank i would get an SS heater (IMO). i have been told by an electronics guru that they cannot (ever, impossible, 0 chance) fail on as they have an electronic thermostat which means no bimetal strip to stick on, fish prefer to get cold and can stand that better than to cook :lol: i personally have aqua one ones on my discus and oscar tanks. the problem alot of discus keepers have with heaters is their failing as they are set at higher temps so a good heater is worth the investment. Jager is also another good brand as alan said Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richms Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 I would call bollux to that statement of never failing on. This is since they use a triac for control, just like a light dimmer. And the most common failure mode for a triac is always on, Anyone that has run cheap GU10 downlights off a dimmer will know this since the bulbs will often take the dimmer with it, and they then just go full brightness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoToRiOuS Posted October 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 if this is for your discus tank i would get an SS heater (IMO). i have been told by an electronics guru that they cannot (ever, impossible, 0 chance) fail on as they have an electronic thermostat which means no bimetal strip to stick on, fish prefer to get cold and can stand that better than to cook :lol: i personally have aqua one ones on my discus and oscar tanks. the problem alot of discus keepers have with heaters is their failing as they are set at higher temps so a good heater is worth the investment. Jager is also another good brand as alan said lol yea sharn it is for the discus tank how'd u guess :lol: hmmm maybe i shud just get a jager one then oh yea what size wattage should i get?and shud i get 2 smaller ones or just get one bigger one?and with the jager i was reading that they get condensation in them to is this true?becayse thats y im replacing my tronic one thanks for ur opinons guys and gals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 I always recommend getting two smaller one's, that way if one fails on its going to take long to over heat the tank, and if it fails off, the other one will keep the temp up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpidersWeb Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 I would call bollux to that statement of never failing on. This is since they use a triac for control, just like a light dimmer. And the most common failure mode for a triac is always on, Anyone that has run cheap GU10 downlights off a dimmer will know this since the bulbs will often take the dimmer with it, and they then just go full brightness. Thanks for that, interesting. What are the chances/life expectancy for a triac (the one used inside the thermostat specifically if you know)? Would you trust the AquaOne stainless heaters electronic thermostat over a bi-metal thermostat, and for how long? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoToRiOuS Posted October 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 so if i get two smaller ones what sie wattage would u guys recommend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpidersWeb Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 I use 2 x 150W in my 200L tanks I always try to go for 1.5W per litre, with the pair going they'll hold up against a cold winter, and if one fails the other 150W will still be able to hold temp until the failed heater can be replaced. Also if a single 150W gets stuck on, you've got a few more hours to notice than a single 300. Tuning multiple glass heaters to the same temp can be a bit of a PITA, the AquaOne externals (stainless steel) make this task much easier and you dont get your hands wet all the time trying to adjust them either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoToRiOuS Posted October 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 oh thanks for that spidersweb but didnt richmssay that those stainless ones crap out?think il just get 150w jagers althought i wud like those stainless steel ones but dont know how long they would last Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richms Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 They may crap out, Nothing is totally foolproof. It will depend on how overspecced the triac is. There should never be a surge thru it since the element wont blow like a lightbulb, but powerspikes on the input can lead to latchup as well, this is resolved simply by powercycling the device. Just like bimetalic devices, it comes down to quality and design for reliability, but it would be harder to stuff up. You also have the case where the probe gets damaged or goes crazy, a good industrial thermostat will hold its current duty cycle and sound an alarm, a cheaply made circuit will usually end up going full on or off. No idea what those ones will do since budget constraints mean I am stuck with cheap as hell glass ones in my tanks still. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharn Posted October 14, 2006 Report Share Posted October 14, 2006 interesting to learn, thanks richms i personally use 2 100W for my discus tank (220L, both heaters are near inlet/outlets). i split my heaters where possible and recently found it to pay off when one heater failed in my oscar tank (luckily i had the old back up to use) so its definatly worth the little extra cash to get two. when it comes down to it they can all crap out, you might spend $100 on some fancy top of the line heater to have it fail within a month where a $25 heater could work for years :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dasher Posted October 16, 2006 Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 I would call bollux to that statement of never failing on. This is since they use a triac for control, just like a light dimmer. And the most common failure mode for a triac is always on, Anyone that has run cheap GU10 downlights off a dimmer will know this since the bulbs will often take the dimmer with it, and they then just go full brightness. Yeah - I "HAD!!!!!!!" a ViaAqua with external controller and Stainless Heater Element very successfully cook my tank last summer. Now I go to having two lesser powered heaters. If one goes AWOL it will only heat the tank to the maximum of its ability - I tested the Wattage needed by having one of the pair set to maximum and found that it only got the tank to a bit over the required temp. It is unlikely both would fail at the same time. Way I see it is that if one goes on full, the other will just turn off, and if one fails and wont turn on then the other kicks in and takes over the load. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richms Posted October 17, 2006 Report Share Posted October 17, 2006 That sounds like the best way to do it. I have 3 in mine for that reason. Well I had 2 and then found it wasnt enough when the loungeroom was a chilly 15° during winter since we are saving power and not heating it since we hardly use it. Ideally I would like to run the power to them thru something so I can monitor the on/off of the heaters and the temperature and alarm on failure of anything heat related, but at the moment I need to sort out my rangied up 1 wire temperature probe since its leaked _again_ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devon Posted October 17, 2006 Report Share Posted October 17, 2006 Ive got a 3ftx1.5x1.5 wit ha aquaone 200 or 300. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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