Heater Brands for Freshwater 120g tank

[maadi]

I have two secondhand heaters in a120g tank. Nights are getting cold, and one of the heaters (Eheim, I believe) seems to have given out. What are reputable brand heaters?

I'm looking at:
Hygger
HiTaurig
Eheim

Open to other recommendations. Thank you!

 

[AquaBarb]

I have two secondhand heaters in a120g tank. Nights are getting cold, and one of the heaters (Eheim, I believe) seems to have given out. What are reputable brand heaters?

I'm looking at:
Hygger
HiTaurig
Eheim

Open to other recommendations. Thank you!

Id always recommend the Eheim jager heaters. Very reliable and reasonably priced.

Fluval e series are also very good but a bit more pricey

 

[Byron]

I had good luck with Eheim Jager too. Something to keep in mind is that the wattage has a lot to do with reliability. Assuming this tank is at minimum 4 feet in length, possibly 5 feet, you want two high-wattage heaters, one at either end and preferably beside the filter intake (at one end) and the filter return (at the opposite end). And I would go with a 250w or 300w heater for both.

Another option is an inline heater with the filter. I had an Eheim Pro II canister with the heating element in the canister, and on a 90g tank it never failed in more than 20 years of continuous use, and the water temp never varied more than one or maybe two degrees. Truly reliable.

 

[connorlindeman]

Eheim jager 100%

 

[Aqua67]

Just my two cents…

I also recently changed out an Eheim Jager which to me, was always hard to get the temperature that I wanted. I was probably confused by the temperature setting at the top, never sure where I had the temp adjusted to. The red thing moved, the blue thing moved…to me it was frustrating.

I replaced it with a Aqueon Pro and the temperature setting at the top was very easy and straightforward. I’ve been much happier with this one.

Another heater I’ve been very happy with is the Cobalt Neo-Therm Pro heater. This one has an easy to ready (like a clock face) display and a center button to press which moves the temp around the face. It is a solid color at the actual temperature. If the tank becomes a little cooler and the heater needs to come on, you see the next temp down start a blinking light which stops once the solid light temp has reached. I have it set for 78 (solid light) and the 76 (blinks) when it is warming back up to 78.

I have a manual thermometer reading on the opposite side of the tank and a digital temperature reading hand held meter and both of the heaters I am using confirms the accuracy. I am very pleased with these two heaters.

 

[Back in the fold]

Eheim Jäger heaters are the Gold Standard. I have only one gripe with them. You could tie up the Battleship Bismark with the cord. It's way heavier than it needs to be. For a cheap heater that works good and is reliable try the Penn-Plax Cascade. As for the numbered heat settings , I've never seen one yet that was right on. All are either high or low. You will have to fiddle with it to get where you want. Now , my complaint with all submersible heaters. The suction cups always fizzle out but Eheim's are the best of the bunch.

 

[maadi]

Thanks, everybody! Is there any reason heaters are setup vertically, or would it be ok to set up horizontally? It seems heat distribution would be better horizontally.

 

[Fishmanic]

I set mine up diagonally

 

[maadi]

I set mine up diagonally

Is there a reason for it?

 

[Archerfish]

In my opinion, vertical or horizontal depends on you aquascape (what looks best) but most important is adequate water flow past the heater. Good water flow is essential.
I like the Cobalt and Fluval E-heaters for their precision. The best warrantee I've encountered is through Marineland. They are amazing. I have all three brands and they work well. I have found they run at peak performance for about 3-5 years and then should be replaced. I move the older heaters to non-essential use such as my water barrel seasoning tanks or fishless plant tanks.

 

[Byron]

As already noted, vertical or horizontal really makes no difference. This is because heated (warmer) water like warmer air rises, and cooler water/air falls. So without water movement from the filter, the heat from the heater will rise vertically. It is the water movement right around the heater that is important, which is why the heater(s) should always be positioned next to the filter return (back into the tank) or intake (into the filter).

You will still have a difference in temperature depending upon the size of the tank, especially depth, but this is natural in all habitat waters to some extent. Ever swim in a lake or the ocean in summer and dive down into much cooler water? Same occurs in the tropical habitats though not to such a degree. When I used to do work on the substrate of my 90g tank the water there was noticeably cooler than higher up. But fish expect this, and provided it is not extreme it is not problematic.

 

[Uberhoust]

Having your heaters horizontal at the bottom of the tank allows you to leave them running when doing a large water change, because they will not typically be ever out of the water. I have had my clips to hold the heater in place deform due to the heat of the heater during a water change on my vertical heater setups if I forget to turn them off before performing a water change, and I have forgotten to turn the heater back on. Otherwise I don't think there is much of a difference. You can also use longer heaters horizontally which don't get as hot but still provide the same heating amount. I personally like the Ebo heaters because they have a large diameter tube that distributes the heat to the water better, but I have also found the fluval m series pretty good as well, and they don't seem to stand out as much in the tank, I have a couple of Fluval E series heaters which seem too picky to me.

 

[lnsaneM]

I agree with the above, it doesn't matter which brand you choose as long as the wattage is sufficient enough for your tank.

 

[Byron]

Agree. Higher wattage heaters tend to outlast lower wattage. My only three heater failures were all 50w heaters. I used a 100w in a 10g tank for years, and 150w and 200w and 250w heaters. Having two per tank is also less chance for failure.

 

[lnsaneM]

Agree. Higher wattage heaters tend to outlast lower wattage. My only three heater failures were all 50w heaters. I used a 100w in a 10g tank for years, and 150w and 200w and 250w heaters. Having two per tank is also less chance for failure.

I'm using 300 watts for my 75 gallon and 1000 watts for my 200 gallon, maybe it's an overkill but I like to make my water up to temps fast.