What are some good brands of heaters?

DMD123

Administrator
Staff member
Contributing Member Level III
I have used Hydor in line heaters for years now on my canister filters and have had zero problems. I love the fact the giant glass tube is gone from the tank, gives a much more realistic appearance to the tank and is safer for the fish.

I also have been using Sera heaters. They are pretty compact and they include a protective cover so that your fish will not break it or burn themselves. Here is my review of the Sera: http://www.wafishbox.com/t4899-sera-heater

And of course the Jager heaters are also high quality and dependable, though they are huge.
 

pbmax

Active Member
I use mostly rena smartheaters, though they're starting to fail now after 2+ years. They've kept very consistent heat and like the hydor inline heaters they reduce equipment in the tank (they're still in the tank, but they replace your canister or HOB intake tube). They're discontinued now, unfortunately. :(

My new favorite is the Aqueon Pro (black plastic, not glass). So far they've been keeping stable, accurate heat. I got a fluval m100 pile of crap from petsmart last weekend when one of my smartheaters kicked the bucket. So far it's neither consistent nor accurate. Oh well... they didn't have the Aqueon Pros and I didn't want to be anywhere near the Olympia mall (the local Petco's over there) the weekend after thanksgiving! :affraid:
 
Definitely the jagers they are consistent and just keep going. I have recently tried a Via Aqua titanium 300watt with the separate temp probe and thermostat and it seems to be very good and it has been about 4 months now.

Not sure on the Hagens. I know the fluvals are junk like pbmax stated. I have tried 3 in the past and they are worthless if you need to rely on just them to heat your tank.
 

gobluecichlids

New Member
90% of my heaters are jagers. I don't trust store brands or cheap ones, the heat sensors melt and locks the heater to on all the time. Much wiser to invest more in good heaters than kill your fish stock.
 

pbmax

Active Member
Additionally, it's a good idea to use temperature alarms, ideally on all tanks.

I keep lifegard temp alarms on all but 1 of my tanks and they've come in handy. They let you set a temp range so that if the tank gets too hot or too cold the alarm lets you know about it.

I don't totally trust any brand of heaters... they all die, it's just a matter of when and how (stuck on or off).
 

Ubermunch

New Member
Thanks for all the responses i guess jagger is the way to go. I just saw the Hagen Elites for super cheap so i was considering them. Thanks again.
 

gobluecichlids

New Member
Ubermunch said:
Thanks for all the responses i guess jagger is the way to go. I just saw the Hagen Elites for super cheap so i was considering them. Thanks again.
I find them cheaper online than in stores. many online is offering free ship with min purchase requirements and best of all, no sale tax. Remember, gas isn't cheap driving around.
 
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