heater and contoller ideas.....

[zukiGS500]

I had two 300 watt titanium via aqua heaters that had the controllers go bad on. So I cut the controllers off and and just attached a plug. Then hooked them up to an STC-1000 controller. It's been running for over two years with no issues.

http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/temperature-controller-STC-1000/1305777_2004466302.html

A lot of home brewers use them, and the only failures I've read about come from people using cheap knock offs, or using too small a gauge of wire.

 

[Pharaoh]

All heater whether glass or titanium and controllers seem to have issues. Absolurtely no one makes a so called trouble free unit. Some just make them more reliable then others. Actually the most reliable heater I have ever used is a Aqueon and it was also the least expensive. But the heaters I mainly use are Visi-Therm. However I have used Titanium and they were simply okay. As far as controllers. I have used Jalli and on a scale of 1 to 10 I would give them a 6. The next controller I am going to buy is a Blueline Biotherm Temp Controller. If they are still available.

I'd say putting such a broad opinion on heaters and lumping them together is a bit off in this instance. sure, nothing is perfect and no one has 100% quality. But to imply that titaniums are just as unreliable as glass is, IMO, completely wrong. I have yet to see any titanium heaters fail when paired with a good controller. Sure there are probably a few I don't know about, but on a site with over 100,000 members, if titaniums were just as bad, I'm sure we would have quite a few more negative reviews.

 

[RD.]

All heater whether glass or titanium and controllers seem to have issues. Absolurtely no one makes a so called trouble free unit. Some just make them more reliable then others.

I think that's a fair comment, if you don't think so simply google the words titanium heater failed.
I had one fail on me a few years back, but I didn't start a thread on MFK about it. Just sayin ....

 

[smitty03281964]

I'd say putting such a broad opinion on heaters and lumping them together is a bit off in this instance. sure, nothing is perfect and no one has 100% quality. But to imply that titaniums are just as unreliable as glass is, IMO, completely wrong. I have yet to see any titanium heaters fail when paired with a good controller. Sure there are probably a few I don't know about, but on a site with over 100,000 members, if titaniums were just as bad, I'm sure we would have quite a few more negative reviews.

Well I have had 3 titaniums and 2 controllers. 2 1000w and 1 500w. One of the 1000w after a while caused my circuit to trip as soon as I plugged it in. Granted it could have been the brand. So my opinion is based on one brand and maybe they made an inferior product. But like I said my next one will be a Blueline.

 

[Woefulrelic]

I think that's a fair comment, if you don't think so simply google the words titanium heater failed.
I had one fail on me a few years back, but I didn't start a thread on MFK about it. Just sayin ....

I would argue that titanium heaters have a smaller and more skilled user base that might skew perception.

 

[Pharaoh]

I think that's a fair comment, if you don't think so simply google the words titanium heater failed.
I had one fail on me a few years back, but I didn't start a thread on MFK about it. Just sayin ....

True. I'm not personally going to lean either way. My sample size hasn't ever really been large enough to establish a trend. I've had a couple bad glass ones, but couldn't speak to their age. Of the three titaniums i've had, they all still work. I'll probably never have any more input as I heat the room versus heat individual tanks.

Well I have had 3 titaniums and 2 controllers. 2 1000w and 1 500w. One of the 1000w after a while caused my circuit to trip as soon as I plugged it in. Granted it could have been the brand. So my opinion is based on one brand and maybe they made an inferior product. But like I said my next one will be a Blueline.

Makes a bit more sense now that you have elaborated.

I would argue that titanium heaters have a smaller and more skilled user base that might skew perception.

There is probably some truth to this. Fewer people using them, means fewer people praising/complaining about them. Also, most titaniums are much larger (500W & Up), which lends that the common fish keeper would not have a use for them.

 

[DN328]

True, the Catalina Aquarium brand I use actually has many lower wattage heaters, but starts at 50-100watts.

I think most common people with tanks just like the convenience of a heater that has it's own thermostat, vs. getting controllers. Hence, lower usage of titanium ones too.

 

[RD.]

Catalina, Finnex, Won, there are a number of titanium aquarium heaters on the market that start as low as 50 watts. Some of those companies have been around for a long time, hence the reason for easily finding negative reviews on their products.

Most hobbyists are cheap, and as suggested already seek convenience over cost, and quality. This is why we have a plethora of low cost electrical components on the market. There are pros & cons about all of these products.

Personally I prefer non glass heaters with integral thermostats, with their temp controlled by a commercial controller.

The commercial controller will keep the tank from overheating. If the controller some day fails, it will typically be in the open position (failed relay contact) so your fish won't boil. The thermostats in the heaters will never cycle if the heaters themselves are set a few degrees above what the high limit on the controller is set at. This will prevent the most common type of failure when using most aquarium heaters, metal fatigue of the thermostats. No constant off & on, no wear.

With this type of a set up one has some redundancy in the system. If the controller fails you still have the thermostat of the heater to fall back on for protection, and in the rare chance that both fail - then hopefully you have two or more lower wattage heaters running, vs one big mother of all heaters, which is one of the main reasons for fish tanks getting overheated. No Timmy, you don't need a 500W heater on your 55 gallon tank, in a room with a year round ambient temp of 74F.

 

[flukekiller]

wow,, didnt realize i would start a debate.. some good info here, thats what i like to read about though. the best info is personal experience. Im sure all heaters can fail at some point and some people just have a personal preference. personally i like titanium for many reasons, thats why i asked for opinions. i like the fact that they are basically unbreakable due to human error. i have always used titanium that had their own controller this will be the first time i will be using a separate controller.