Why do all heaters suck and break!!! Arg!!!!

skunk, i looked up that STC-1000, that might be right up my alley. Got no money for a reef-keeper on a grad-school budget :(
 
I have the Neo-Therm it's pretty spot on in my 2.2g Nano, but in my other 2 system I use Finnex Heater Titanium controlled by Apex had that heater going on 4 years strong knock on wood and it's still pretty solid and keep the tank at 77.5 to 78
 
I've been using the Finnex Titanium but the controllers seem to die within a few months. I picked up a CoralVue Titanium Heating element and connected it to my Apex. The odd thing was it almost fried my Apex because it was somehow sucking water up to the plug and into the outlet. Water was actually seeping out from the plugs. Oddest thing I ever saw.
 
pacmann117 said:
Mike thats the one that just broke in my tank after 2 years!!!

I guess ill pick up a new heater, and pick up a controller, I'm sure i can find one on the cheap if i dig around.

Thanks for the input.
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Uh oh, i'll start keeping a close eye on mine then, not saying they have a 2 year life span but better to be safe.
 
I'm running the eheim jaeger as well on my 12 gallon nano along with the finnex max-300 controller. Both work like a charm. Doesn't make sense for me to get a full blown controller such as a reef keeper only for it to control a heater..
 
For a nano, a controller makes a lot of sense to me. It's so easy for the temp to swing real fast with less volume of water. One can pick up AC3 or JR used real reasonable anymore. I'm using an AC3 on 28 works like a champ.
 
skunkmere said:
Famous last words. it will bite you in the end. get a temp controller.
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And if you had read my post carefully you would see that I DO in fact have a controller on my heater outside of the internal one - I run the Finnex Max-300 controller.

In my case, a complete reef controller is overkill. I don't run fans, my retrofit LED kit has a separate controller, and I don't have a ATO to top off the tank. Once a week water changes and running Chempure Elite keeps up with pH so having a pH probe isn't something I've looked into.

Am I bashing or saying a larger reef controller is useless? Not at all. If price wasn't a issue and I planned to control multiple aspects of the aquarium - I'd buy one in a heart beat. But like the op, I am a student so money is tight. Having a full-blown controller just to control a heater doesn't make sense..
 
sorry i didnt know what a max-300 was. so you are good in my book. expensive reef controllers like the apex and RK elite are over kill but the rkl is a pretty good deal. I bought one for each of my tanks when they came out. they were $85 for a basic pc4, head unit, and temp probe. its a good jump off if you want to add on advanced controlling things like dosers, reactors, and ext. they now cost more which sucks and probably not worth it to some. the stc-1000 is $20 for heating and cooling. the MAx-300 looks like it only does heating. Every tank i got need a fan or chiller, so that thing wouldnt work for me.

ReefFanatic said:
And if you had read my post carefully you would see that I DO in fact have a controller on my heater outside of the internal one - I run the Finnex Max-300 controller.

In my case, a complete reef controller is overkill. I don't run fans, my retrofit LED kit has a separate controller, and I don't have a ATO to top off the tank. Once a week water changes and running Chempure Elite keeps up with pH so having a pH probe isn't something I've looked into.

Am I bashing or saying a larger reef controller is useless? Not at all. If price wasn't a issue and I planned to control multiple aspects of the aquarium - I'd buy one in a heart beat. But like the op, I am a student so money is tight. Having a full-blown controller just to control a heater doesn't make sense..
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No worries! I couldn't agree more that a backup controller is a must for any heater. For me, my nano sits on the second floor of the house above the garage. So during the winter, temps drop tremendously - which is why I only need heating. During the summers the tank stays constant around 78.

I'd have to say it's on a case-by-case basis as to what everyone needs. Regardless, a external controller to back up a heater is a must

skunkmere said:
sorry i didnt know what a max-300 was. so you are good in my book. expensive reef controllers like the apex and RK elite are over kill but the rkl is a pretty good deal. I bought one for each of my tanks when they came out. they were $85 for a basic pc4, head unit, and temp probe. its a good jump off if you want to add on advanced controlling things like dosers, reactors, and ext. they now cost more which sucks and probably not worth it to some. the stc-1000 is $20 for heating and cooling. the MAx-300 looks like it only does heating. Every tank i got need a fan or chiller, so that thing wouldnt work for me.
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