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  #1  
Old 01/04/2008, 04:47 PM
Im Lon 2 Im Lon 2 is offline
Get Tanked With SLASH!
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Granite City, IL (St. Louis area)
Posts: 4,627
Looking for a heater that really Works!!!

I have had

Ebo - Jagers, Won Pro, and Finnex

All of these have gone out in a little over a year? The Finnex one I have Will not kick on till the dial is set to 85°.. I thought the dial was off... But nope it heated the water up to 85°. I'm getting ready to switch to all T'5s and with out the extra heat I need a reliable heater. Right now my tank sits at 72-73° with out a heater, and I would rather have it 78-80°
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Lonnie
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  #2  
Old 01/04/2008, 05:05 PM
scbadiver scbadiver is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: St. Charles, MO
Posts: 774
Good luck, I can add a new Visa-therm to your list too. It only made a few months. Somebody must make one that will hold up!!??
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Robbie
  #3  
Old 01/04/2008, 05:13 PM
TWINPEAKS TWINPEAKS is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: st.jacob il.
Posts: 973
I've had real good luck with the 2 Via-Aqua titanium heaters that I have,their going on 2 years (knock on wood)These have a external controller.
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DENNIS
  #4  
Old 01/04/2008, 05:19 PM
ncox38 ncox38 is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Maryland Heights, MO
Posts: 381
Dont go with a Hydor either...see my post on the SLASH site for more details.
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Rock Chalk, Jayhawk, KU
  #5  
Old 01/04/2008, 06:03 PM
Baron Baron is offline
Premium Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: St. Louis (Manchester)
Posts: 358
Wow Lonnie it looks like the don't buy is getting pretty long I won't mention mine it is in the list but still works 3+ years
Ebo - Jagers
Won Pro
Finnex
Visa-therm
Via-Aqua titanium heaters
Hydor
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Brad

Working to pay for the Fish.
  #6  
Old 01/04/2008, 06:46 PM
panaboy95 panaboy95 is offline
Premium Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Pana IL
Posts: 507
i am on my second finnex i got it because it had an external thermostat. the first one lasted three weeks. they replaced it no problem the one i have now is still working kind of. i have to run the thermostat at 89 to get it to heat at 79. that makes me a little nervous. I think all heaters are junk. that is why i am loking at getting a controller and getting a heater with out a thermostat.
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Nathan Morrell
"A clear conscious is usually the sign of a bad memory"
  #7  
Old 01/04/2008, 08:18 PM
d.french d.french is offline
reef addict
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: granite city, IL
Posts: 1,184
i have a 300 watt rena that i have had for 2 years and still going, all my other less than a year or even six months on some.
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Darrick
slash member
  #8  
Old 01/04/2008, 08:44 PM
fazgood fazgood is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Ballwin MO
Posts: 286
I picked up a http://www.petsolutions.com/Titanium...I12516830.aspx about a month ago. It has a seperate controller so price gets to be an issue, $55.oo total for 300W. I got the 300W version for my 140 total gallon system and it keeps it right at 78. Cant speak for it's mtbf. The controller with remote sensor is another $25. The manufacturer is Jalli (never heard of them).

http://www.oceanproaquatics.com/shop...oducts_id/1269

http://www.aquariumsystem.com/shop/t...0w-p-1268.html

I also use it to heat up water for changes. Usually about 25 gallons and it will get it up to temp in about 10 miutes.

Faz
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  #9  
Old 01/04/2008, 08:47 PM
WhiteysTA WhiteysTA is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sikeston, MO
Posts: 80
I have 2 of the 150w Visa-Therm Stealths in my 75 gal and they worked for about a year. They still heat, but cannot handle the tank. So far my best heater is an old Marineland non-submersable 300w that came used with my tank. It alone can do anything in the tank, and has been for a few years now. Its my winter backup that gets all the action!
  #10  
Old 01/05/2008, 12:51 AM
ramtheory ramtheory is offline
Premium Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Columbia, IL
Posts: 2,949
Lonnie buy another Won Pro, have had a couple of them for years and haven't had an issue yet. You don't need the ones with the digital read out those I don't have a clue on.

Everything has a chance of failing at some point its basic electronics. When it gets hot and cold so many times over an extended period of time nothing is perfect. I might have a 300-350 watt in the box downstairs give me a call if you want it.

rams
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  #11  
Old 01/05/2008, 01:00 AM
Reefbox Reefbox is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Butler, PA
Posts: 350
I like the Visitherm Stealth heaters, since they are not made out of glass, because glass heaters eventually break. I would never use a glass heater again.

Heaters do fail and I'm now just using them a year, tossing them to the trash and buying brand new reliabl ones. So far so good ith thi method.
  #12  
Old 01/05/2008, 01:00 AM
JEFFTHEREEFER JEFFTHEREEFER is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: WA
Posts: 174
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_search...orcode~AQ.html

I had the same problem as you. I have an inwall tank 90 AGA with a 30 gal sump in my garage. I kept burning out heaters
and had high temp swings this one is a little more expensive, but if the element burns out, I only have to replace the element

I am using a 500 watt
  #13  
Old 01/05/2008, 01:05 AM
fade32 fade32 is offline
overcompensator
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Ofallon Mo
Posts: 1,517
I would use a ac jr or a madusa temp controler.
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  #14  
Old 01/05/2008, 01:09 AM
Reefbox Reefbox is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Butler, PA
Posts: 350
I use the Visi therm Stealths and I like them. I would try any heater as long as it is not made of glass. Glass heaters break eventually.

I run double heaters and buy brand new heaters every year. To me the investment is not worth the risk of $50 or so in heaters annually. I have not had a heater problem in years with this method.
  #15  
Old 01/05/2008, 09:01 PM
sheepdog43 sheepdog43 is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: midwest
Posts: 70
I have a Penn-Plaxx 200w on my 55, it is 9 years old and I have an Ebo Jager 55w that is over 10 years old. Neither has been anything but great.

Bought something for my 75 reef when I started it, just to get it going, it did not last 2 months. I then bought Penn-Plaxx due to my other one, but it lasted about 2 months. Bought Visi-therm Deluxe to replace that. 4 months, so far so good.


I blame cheap overseas manufacturing
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  #16  
Old 01/05/2008, 11:56 PM
Lost Marbles Lost Marbles is offline
Premium Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: I'm out there
Posts: 1,007
I use a madusa and a 500w finnex and it is still going for 2-3 years with no problems.
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  #17  
Old 01/06/2008, 11:38 AM
DrBDC DrBDC is offline
Team RC Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ballwin, Missouri
Posts: 9,622
I'm using a finnex titanium with a finnex controller but mine isn't a digital controller and the probe isn't permanently connected to the controller. Then that controller is plugged into my aquacontroller. Then I have it set just a couple degrees higher than I have the aquacontroller set at just in case.

The first one I had developed what looked like a rust bubble and it threw a fuse in the controller. At that time I didn't have the aquacontroller and relied on just the finnex controller. I looked up finnex and returned it to an Illinois address and they replaced it. I think it was over a year old but they didn't ask any questions and just replaced it.
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  #18  
Old 01/07/2008, 01:51 PM
simmons797 simmons797 is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Maryville, IL
Posts: 27
I started using the visi-therm stealths in my tanks about six months ago and have had no problems. The biggest selling point for me was that they are plastic and you don't have to worry about them cracking.
  #19  
Old 01/07/2008, 02:11 PM
Im Lon 2 Im Lon 2 is offline
Get Tanked With SLASH!
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Granite City, IL (St. Louis area)
Posts: 4,627
Yeah I talk to Premium Aquatics and that was one of there best selling Heaters.
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Lonnie
WWLD

------------------------------------------------
Friends don't let friends buy PC lighting.
  #20  
Old 01/07/2008, 04:49 PM
babybull babybull is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Dardenne Prairie, Mo
Posts: 44
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...52&pcatid=3852

I HAVE HAD A 300 W FOR ABOUT 5 YEARS AND IT IS STILL RELIABLE.
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