125g Heater?

Hey guys, so I've been trying to pick out a heater for a 125g (first tank) but all I've learned so far is that heaters are super finicky. Even the well-known/trusted brands have like 30% bad reviews that say that the heater killed everything in their tank and then burned down a small village lol. I'm also not sure on wattage, the internet says it should be 3-5 watts per gallon, which would mean that my tank needs anywhere from 375w to 625w. Right now I'm thinking either x2 300 watt Aqueon pro series or x2 300 watt Fluval E. I've read that a lot of people like to distribute the work between two heaters. Is this overkill? Does anybody (especially with a bigger tank) have any reliable heaters that they can vouch for?

 

I have two 300W heaters in my 110g aquarium.

This means that the water will not get cold even when a heater has failed as both heaters are capable of heating the tank to the required temperature.

In fact only one heater comes on normally, though I have alternated the heater that does the work by adjusting them in order to check that both are working.

Here in UK Visitherm is the preferred heater, but I think the name is on a different and inferior product in the US.

 

I have two 300W heaters in my 110g aquarium.

This means that the water will gets cold even when a heater has failed as both heaters are capable of heating the tank to the required temperature.

In fact only one heater comes on normally, though I have alternated the heater that does the work by adjusting them in order to check that both are working.

Here in UK Visitherm is the preferred heater, but I think the name is on a different and inferior product in the US.

Yeah, Marineland makes a product called Visi-Therm that doesn't look great. I can only find the actual brand Visitherm heaters on a website called SwellUK and I'm really not sure how I'd go about buying something in euros with an american debit card!

 

Don't bother, the brands you mentioned will be fine.

Jaeger is another reliable one often mentioned.

Just get a standard heater that's common in your area, nothing fancy and unreliable.

But nothing too cheap and unknown either.

Good heaters are worth your money. I know, I've 50 years experience of them.

 

I have a 125g tank too and run 2x 300W heaters - one at each end.
I have set one to maintain the nominal tank temperature and the other one a notch down below nominal. Two heaters provide for redundancy, so I like them. The reason I set one just before nominal temperature is to ensure that there are no large swings in temperature. When however the temperature drops below the second one's threshold, both heaters run - that means that it is cold and the temp needs to rise quickly!

I use Eheim heaters.

 

LiveAquariahas 250watt Eheim heaters on sale for $22 each.

A pair of those plus a heater controller would be a good combo.

Amazon has digital Inkbird ITC-306T controllers for $27.

Finnex makes controllers also.

I use a single 250 Aqueon Pro heater in my 75 gallon for the past year without a problem.

Also been using a cheap Top Fin 100watt heater that came with my Top Fin 20 gallon kit for over a year without a failure.

If I were to ever get a larger tank, like the 125g you're talking about, I would put a heater in the back corners, and run them off a controller so they both cycle on and off at the same time.

Since water doesn't circulate evenly in a tank, one heater may work "harder" than the other one. Controllers prevent that so heating occurs more evenly.


With a controller, if a heater thermostat fails and wants to keep the heater constantly on, the controller still only sends it power as needed.

If the controller fails and constantly sends power to the heaters, if the thermostat is set up properly on the heaters they will still cycle off as needed.

So a controller is like having a back up safety plan and more accurate control over temps.

 

LiveAquariahas 250watt Eheim heaters on sale for $22 each.

A pair of those plus a heater controller would be a good combo.

Amazon has digital Inkbird ITC-306T controllers for $27.

Finnex makes controllers also.

I use a single 250 Aqueon Pro heater in my 75 gallon for the past year without a problem.

Also been using a cheap Top Fin 100watt heater that came with my Top Fin 20 gallon kit for over a year without a failure.

If I were to ever get a larger tank, like the 125g you're talking about, I would put a heater in the back corners, and run them off a controller so they both cycle on and off at the same time.

Since water doesn't circulate evenly in a tank, one heater may work "harder" than the other one. Controllers prevent that so heating occurs more evenly.


With a controller, if a heater thermostat fails and wants to keep the heater constantly on, the controller still only sends it power as needed.

If the controller fails and constantly sends power to the heaters, if the thermostat is set up properly on the heaters they will still cycle off as needed.

So a controller is like having a back up safety plan and more accurate control over temps.

Thanks, I didn’t even know those existed until now! Internet says the controller should be the same wattage as the heaters (combined), but would you recommend getting a higher wattage controller just in case?

 

The wattage rating of controller is what it can safely handle.

So a 500 watt controller can handle up to 500 watts worth of heaters (1x 500 watts or 2x 250watts).


If I were buying a controller, I would find a controller rated higher than the total watts your heaters will consume.

That way, if you ever upgraded to a larger heater, your controller will already be able to handle it safely .

Plus, I prefer not to max out the rated capacity of anything I buy, be it electrical or mechanical.

 

I had a controller fail.

You don't need a controller.

Controllers add complication and complication leads to failure.

For success simplify.