Best heater for a 29g

[Zonotrichia]

I'm looking to upgrade the heater in my 29g tank. Currently we have a preset 100W from Aqueon, but it's running colder than I want (supposed to be set at 78˚ F, but I'm getting readings of 75˚ F).

1. Favorite brands/models (adjustable and submersible) for a tank this size? I have read good things about the Eheim Jager and am leaning in that direction, but open to others as well (as long as they are reliable, of course).

2. In terms of size, should we be looking for a 100W or 150W?

 

[BigManAquatics]

Aqueon would work as well, but definitely an adjustable. 100watt should work but i lean towards 150watt myself.

 

[Zonotrichia]

Thanks! Woke up this morning, and it was down to 72˚ F, yikes. Our house runs cold, and we're heading into the tank's first New England winter, so it is sounding like more wattage (ie, 150 W) might be the way to go. Would there be a reason NOT to go with the higher wattage?

 

[fish 321]

I love my fluval 200 watt heater. I have used it for a 38 gallon, 20 gallon, and a ten and it worked awsome for all of them.

 

[BigManAquatics]

Thanks! Woke up this morning, and it was down to 72˚ F, yikes. Our house runs cold, and we're heading into the tank's first New England winter, so it is sounding like more wattage (ie, 150 W) might be the way to go. Would there be a reason NOT to go with the higher wattage?

Here in the midwest, that is why i go with a 150w for a 29g. Today is like 70 with 30-40mph winds, but tomorrow is supposed to be about 40 degrees cooler with the same winds lol

 

[Zonotrichia]

Any thoughts on the Fluval M series? Amazon has them for $25 and 1-day delivery, but I'm not sure how the silver/mirrored finish will look against my black background. I like my equipment to blend in so the plants and fish pop.

 

[fish 321]

Any thoughts on the Fluval M series? Amazon has them for $25 and 1-day delivery, but I'm not sure how the silver/mirrored finish will look against my black background. I like my equipment to blend in so the plants and fish pop.

Thats the same one I have, the mirror look is suposed to reflect its suroundings to blend in. I don't have a backround so I'm not sure how it would look.

 

[NoahLikesFish]

Eheim jager is good quality I’d do a 150w

 

[CHJ]

Aqueon would work as well, but definitely an adjustable. 100watt should work but i lean towards 150watt myself.

A HUGE WARNING about Aqueon: I bought a big pile of their lifetime Pro heaters. Well after 6 failed I contacted Aqueon.. or at least tried to. They have outsourced their support to another company and will not honor their warranties.
They have changed their Pro heaters now to "limited warranty" instead of lifetime (probably due to horrific failure rate). Still it is fraud on their part to refuse to honor their lifetime that I paid a ton more for.
Aqueon is on my permanent "No purchase" list due to an absence of ethics.
I'm currently testing out Hyygers as I have tried most of the other brands (Joey from DIY said "no Cobalts" so I have never tried those). They all fail. Fluval will be next to test but I have had terrible failures of Fluval stuff and consider the FX6 to be their only good product, so I'm not looking forward to dumping big money on stuff I expect to fail in short order.
Hydor have been most reliable.
So my advice is inkbird + cheap heater + backup heater waiting for the first to fail. If you don't want to inkbird then divide the power you need by 2 or 3 and buy that many of the smaller heaters. If that is too spendy then fly by the seat of your pants like most of us do.
Here are some of the last 2 years dead heaters. I haven't updated it with the last 5 dead ones. Hmm, that looks like less than half the pile. I will have to take a new pic.

 

[BigManAquatics]

A HUGE WARNING about Aqueon: I bought a big pile of their lifetime Pro heaters. Well after 6 failed I contacted Aqueon.. or at least tried to. They have outsourced their support to another company and will not honor their warranties.
They have changed their Pro heaters now to "limited warranty" instead of lifetime (probably due to horrific failure rate). Still it is fraud on their part to refuse to honor their lifetime that I paid a ton more for.
Aqueon is on my permanent "No purchase" list due to an absence of ethics.
I'm currently testing out Hyygers as I have tried most of the other brands (Joey from DIY said "no Cobalts" so I have never tried those). They all fail.
Hydor have been most reliable.
So my advice is inkbird + cheap heater + backup heater waiting for the first to fail. If you don't want to inkbird then divide the power you need by 2 or 3 and buy that many of the smaller heaters. If that is too spendy then fly by the seat of your pants like most of us do.
Here are some of the last 2 years dead heaters. I haven't updated it with the last 5 dead ones. Hmm, that looks like less than half the pile. I will have to take a new pic.
View attachment 742737

I have not tried their Pro line. Haven't had issues yet with the regular Aqueons yet.

 

[fish 321]

A HUGE WARNING about Aqueon: I bought a big pile of their lifetime Pro heaters. Well after 6 failed I contacted Aqueon.. or at least tried to. They have outsourced their support to another company and will not honor their warranties.
They have changed their Pro heaters now to "limited warranty" instead of lifetime (probably due to horrific failure rate). Still it is fraud on their part to refuse to honor their lifetime that I paid a ton more for.
Aqueon is on my permanent "No purchase" list due to an absence of ethics.
I'm currently testing out Hyygers as I have tried most of the other brands (Joey from DIY said "no Cobalts" so I have never tried those). They all fail.
Hydor have been most reliable.
So my advice is inkbird + cheap heater + backup heater waiting for the first to fail. If you don't want to inkbird then divide the power you need by 2 or 3 and buy that many of the smaller heaters. If that is too spendy then fly by the seat of your pants like most of us do.
Here are some of the last 2 years dead heaters. I haven't updated it with the last 5 dead ones. Hmm, that looks like less than half the pile. I will have to take a new pic.
View attachment 742737

Geeze! thats a lot of broken heaters. I like fluval since they manufacture their products in Italy and not China, and they seem to make quality stuff.

 

[CHJ]

I have not tried their Pro line. Haven't had issues yet with the regular Aqueons yet.

Excellent, I hope your luck continues.
I have ~10 dead normals and 6-7 dead pros. I moved to pros due to the death rate of their normals and the lifetime warranty. I figured pros would fail the same but were a one time purchase. Then Aqueon laughed at me and told me to get bent, when I wanted them to honor that warranty.

Geeze! thats a lot of broken heaters. I like fluval since they manufacture their products in Italy and not China, and they seem to make quality stuff.

I run quite a few tanks and so have quite a few heaters. Those are not all failed from a single tank.
SPEC 3 and 5 light and pump failures are huge. Replacements cost almost as much as a whole new setup. Luckily China to the rescue with cheap pumps and lights. It has been argued that the lights and pumps in the SPEC series are garbage because they are oriented towards nano reefers who will be replacing those components anyway. Fluval offers a ~150$ light replacement right away.
The Flora had quality issues with its filter and then light.
The 30x and 40x filters are miserable to work with and you always worry they will never start again (this leads to not maintaining them like you should).
They do have support who will talk to you on the phone nicely but are worthless as to actually fixing issues.
PRO TIP: Don't call their support, just completely breakdown your 30x/40x and completely clean every part then reassemble. I think the filters just want attention and not new parts (that support recommends) every now and then.

Their FX line are God's own filters. Blessed be the FX6!

 

[BigManAquatics]

Excellent, I hope your luck continues.
I have ~10 dead normals and 6-7 dead pros. I moved to pros due to the death rate of their normals and the lifetime warranty. I figured pros would fail the same but were a one time purchase. Then Aqueon laughed at me and told me to get bent, when I wanted them to honor that warranty.


I run quite a few tanks and so have quite a few heaters. Those are not all failed from a single tank.
SPEC 3 and 5 light and pump failures are huge. Replacements cost almost as much as a whole new setup. Luckily China to the rescue with cheap pumps and lights. It has been argued that the lights and pumps in the SPEC series are garbage because they are oriented towards nano reefers who will be replacing those components anyway. Fluval offers a ~150$ light replacement right away.
The Flora had quality issues with its filter and then light.
The 30x and 40x filters are miserable to work with and you always worry they will never start again (this leads to not maintaining them like you should).
They do have support who will talk to you on the phone nicely but are worthless as to actually fixing issues.
PRO TIP: Don't call their support, just completely breakdown your 30x/40x and completely clean every part then reassemble. I think the filters just want attention and not new parts (that support recommends) every now and then.

Their FX line are God's own filters. Blessed be the FX6!

Currently my longest lived heaters are Top Fin, if you can believe that!! Looking at ordering a Marineland heater for the wife's new 29g.

 

[CHJ]

Currently my longest lived heaters are Top Fin, if you can believe that!! Looking at ordering a Marineland heater for the wife's new 29g.

Marinelands, Aqua tops, and Top Fins last about the same for me. If you get a year you are doing well.
Consider a Hydor. I have 1 dead one and many that have been running for years.
From looking at videos on heaters the idea behind inkbirding (aside from safety) is that you can give it a temp window so the heater doesn't kick on as much and therefore lasts longer.
I'm not sure his video was correct though as I have had external probe quartz filled saltwater heaters die inside 6 months. I have clean power so it is not dirty power doing that.
I'm hoping the new Hyggers do well as I just want a brand I can buy and not worry about.

 

[RayClem]

I have had a lot of different brands of heaters over the years. Years ago, I purchased one of the Marineland Stealth heaters that was supposed to be the best heater available. Nope! It failed along with many others that were recalled. Fortunately, I had a GFCI on the outlet, so when the heater shorted out, the breaker tripped. Thus, my fish (saltwater tank) did not get electrocuted. the new Aqueon Pro heaters are similar in design to the Marineland Stealth. Hopefully, the quality issues have been corrected.

I have a couple of the Aquaclear heaters which are now called Fluval M. I also have one of the Aqueon glass heaters (not the Pro) and so far it is OK. My most recent purchases have been ViaAqua heaters. They have done OK so far. No matter which brand of heater your purchase, you can be sure that it will fail sooner or later.

A "normal" sized heater is designed to heat an aquarium approximately 10 degrees F. Thus, if your fishroom is 68 degrees F at night in the winter and you want to keep the tank at 78 degrees F, then a 100 watt heater will be OK for a 29 gallon tank. However, if the room gets any colder, you will need at 200 watt heater. If the room gets below 60 degrees, you might need an even larger heater.

By the way, if you can afford it, it is best to get two slightly undersized heaters. If the thermostat of one heater sticks open such that it will not heat, the second heater will keep the tank from getting too cold. If the thermostat sticks closed so that the heater will not turn off, the tank should not get hot enough to kill the fish. That is why you should never purchase a heater that is oversized for the tank. Thus, it would not be wise putting a 300 watt heater in a 29 gallon tank unless the fishroom gets quite cold. One forum thread told of a guy who had a 20 gallon tank that was out on his unheated/uncooled porch. In the summer, he had to use a coller to keep the tank from overheating. In the winter he needed TWO 300 watt heaters to keep it warm.

 

[Zonotrichia]

Great discussion, thank you! I've kind of accepted the fact that one person's One True Heater is on another person's blacklist—they are all bound to fail eventually, some sooner, some later.

My living room (where the tank is) tends to be in the low-mid 60s at night during the winter, hence my thinking that 150 watt is the way to go. Here's question: would it make sense to keep running the preset Aqueon heater as a backup to supplement whatever I end up getting? Or would that not even be worth it, as it's struggling already.

 

[RayClem]

Great discussion, thank you! I've kind of accepted the fact that one person's One True Heater is on another person's blacklist—they are all bound to fail eventually, some sooner, some later.

My living room (where the tank is) tends to be in the low-mid 60s at night during the winter, hence my thinking that 150 watt is the way to go. Here's question: would it make sense to keep running the preset Aqueon heater as a backup to supplement whatever I end up getting? Or would that not even be worth it, as it's struggling already.

If the Aqueon 100 is still functioning, I would suggest keeping it in the tank along with your new heater. It will try to heat your tank to 72 degrees of thereabouts and then shut off. At that point the new heater, whichever you decide upon, will take over and bring your tank up to the desired temperature. If your old Aqueon fails, the new one will will do the job. If the new heater fails, the tank won't get too cold.

 

[eggshell]

hi! i have experience with top fin heaters. i use to own three. but then i read about heater guards! and wanted to definitely have a heater guard. i have 3 hygger aquarium heaters with a pretty cool design guard. i also have a fluval E series heater 100watts.if anyone is interested in the fluval E heater!.. ! its pretty cool. the only reason why i dont want it in my tank anymore is because it says its not recommended to have it placed horizontally.

 

[raptor22]

what size of heater it should be for 29Gal?

 

[RayClem]

what size of heater it should be for 29Gal?

Please read my post #15 above. There is no one size fits all. It depends on the size of the tank, the lowest temperature expected in your fish room during winter months, and the desired aquarium temperature.

As long as your room never gets lower than 10 degrees below your desired tank temperature, a 100 watt heater will work. However, if you expect colder room temperatures, get a larger heater. However, you do not want to get one that is seriously oversized.

 

[Fisch]

I will toss another one in the mix. Cobalt Neotherm heaters are adjustable, the are black and blend in, they are powerful, no glass yo breakl. But the best of all is that they overcome the ambient temperature difference.
Betta tank is at 80°, and though my house temp goes down to 62° at night the temp in the tank is not budging. He has a 75W in the 12gl tank.
I have a 200W as a backup for my 55gl, and the test was pretty successfull in keeping the temp at a set rate.
Longevity I am not able to judge yet as I started just seven months ago.

 

[Zonotrichia]

I ended up going with the Fluval M 150 watt, and it arrived today. This thing is long! (At least compared to my old preset Aqueon 100.) I'm not the biggest fan of the mirrored look against the black background, but it blends in well enough when I place it in the corner (behind my Amazon swords). Crossing fingers it doesn't conk out on me!

 

[Pfrozen]

I was told 5 watts per gallon for any heater is standard countless times when I started this hobby but it seems that its changed since then. i dont know if anyone follows that rule. i still do though

 

[Fisch]

Fingers are crossed, good luck

 

[RayClem]

I was told 5 watts per gallon for any heater is standard countless times when I started this hobby but it seems that its changed since then. i dont know if anyone follows that rule. i still do though

The 5 watt per gallon rule of thumb works as long as the fishroom is kept no more than 10 degrees F (5 degrees C) below the desired tank temperature. However, if the room gets colder than that, you need more heat.

For example, I have some fish tanks in the basement. The basement temperature can get down as low as 60 degrees F during Chicagoland winters. I want to keep my tanks at 78 degrees F. With a temperature rise of 18 degrees required, I use heaters rated at 10 watts per gallon for those tanks.

The trouble with rules of thumb is that they only work under a specific range of circumstances. You cannot follow them without consideration of your specific circumstances.

I ended up going with the Fluval M 150 watt, and it arrived today. This thing is long! (At least compared to my old preset Aqueon 100.) I'm not the biggest fan of the mirrored look against the black background, but it blends in well enough when I place it in the corner (behind my Amazon swords). Crossing fingers it doesn't conk out on me!

I have used Fluval M heaters or at least the older Aquaclear version of the heater. They have served me well. However, eventually ALL heaters will fail. You never know whether that will be in a few months or a few years, but it will happen, no matter what the brand.

 

[Pfrozen]

The 5 watt per gallon rule of thumb works as long as the fishroom is kept no more than 10 degrees F (5 degrees C) below the desired tank temperature. However, if the room gets colder than that, you need more heat.

For example, I have some fish tanks in the basement. The basement temperature can get down as low as 60 degrees F during Chicagoland winters. I want to keep my tanks at 78 degrees F. With a temperature rise of 18 degrees required, I use heaters rated at 10 watts per gallon for those tanks.

The trouble with rules of thumb is that they only work under a specific range of circumstances. You cannot follow them without consideration of your specific circumstances.




I have used Fluval M heaters or at least the older Aquaclear version of the heater. They have served me well. However, eventually ALL heaters will fail. You never know whether that will be in a few months or a few years, but it will happen, no matter what the brand.

thanks for that, it seems i need a larger heater then

 

[Anixandria]

Oh I’m in New England too, and yeah winters are fierce. Adjustable heaters are a MUST because our weather is crazy lol. When in doubt save up and go for a fluval. That’s what I’m saving up for my tanks

 

[raptor22]

Please read my post #15 above. There is no one size fits all. It depends on the size of the tank, the lowest temperature expected in your fish room during winter months, and the desired aquarium temperature.

As long as your room never gets lower than 10 degrees below your desired tank temperature, a 100 watt heater will work. However, if you expect colder room temperatures, get a larger heater. However, you do not want to get one that is seriously oversized.

Sorry for Hijacking the thread. My tank is 29Gallon, the temperature in the room usually drops to 16 celsius. Its a community tank with Zebra dianos, 2 Siamese algae eaters and few guppies with their offspring. Heavily planted with Amazon/ melon sword, java fern, guppy grass, hornwort, crypt balanase and Jungle val (three varieties). A single stem of bacopa is also present.
We have got a sale on daraz.com with mostly Chinese heaters available, I am confused between the glass and stainless steel ones. I have to decide quickly.

 

[RayClem]

Sorry for Hijacking the thread. My tank is 29Gallon, the temperature in the room usually drops to 16 celsius. Its a community tank with Zebra dianos, 2 Siamese algae eaters and few guppies with their offspring. Heavily planted with Amazon/ melon sword, java fern, guppy grass, hornwort, crypt balanase and Jungle val (three varieties). A single stem of bacopa is also present.
We have got a sale on daraz.com with mostly Chinese heaters available, I am confused between the glass and stainless steel ones. I have to decide quickly.

Since your fish room drops to 16 degrees C, if you are keeping your tank at 25-26 degrees C, you probably will need a 300 watt heater in the tank. Even better would be two 150- 200 watt heaters as in summer a single 200 watt would be fine.

The choice between glass and stainless (or titanium) heaters is up to you. The advantage of metal is that they won't break, However, with the fish you have in your tank, they should not be banging the heater around.

 

[raptor22]

Since your fish room drops to 16 degrees C, if you are keeping your tank at 25-26 degrees C, you probably will need a 300 watt heater in the tank. Even better would be two 150- 200 watt heaters as in summer a single 200 watt would be fine.

The choice between glass and stainless (or titanium) heaters is up to you. The advantage of metal is that they won't break, However, with the fish you have in your tank, they should not be banging the heater around.

In summer, it actually crosses 32degree C. I have 2 glass heater fail on me last winter

 

[RayClem]

In summer, it actually crosses 32degree C. I have 2 glass heater fail on me last winter

The internal components of a metal heater may be identical to those in a glass heater. However, most of the brands of heaters on Daraz are brands I have never heard of. If one of them failed, that may not be a black mark on all glass heaters.

How long did the glass heaters work before failing?

As I have said repeatedly, ALL heaters will eventually fail. It is not a matter of IF, it is a matter of WHEN. However, if you purchase an undersized heater and it has to run continuously during winter months, the heating coil may burn out prematurely.

I am sure you know this but a temperature of 32 degrees C is approximately 90 degrees F. That is far too hot for most fish. If the water gets that hot, the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water will be very low and most fish will suffer.

 

[raptor22]

The internal components of a metal heater may be identical to those in a glass heater. However, most of the brands of heaters on Daraz are brands I have never heard of. If one of them failed, that may not be a black mark on all glass heaters.

How long did the glass heaters work before failing?

As I have said repeatedly, ALL heaters will eventually fail. It is not a matter of IF, it is a matter of WHEN. However, if you purchase an undersized heater and it has to run continuously during winter months, the heating coil may burn out prematurely.

I am sure you know this but a temperature of 32 degrees C is approximately 90 degrees F. That is far too hot for most fish. If the water gets that hot, the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water will be very low and most fish will suffer.

Can I use 2x 100W heater in a 29Gal, on opposite ends? In Summer I usually moves my aquarium to air conditioned room.

 

[RayClem]

Can I use 2x 100W heater in a 29Gal, on opposite ends? In Summer I usually moves my aquarium to air conditioned room.

I am not sure 200 watts total would work if you room gets down to 16 degrees C ( 60 degrees F). If you were keeping cool water fish like goldfish or white cloud minnows, that would be fine. However, I think you would be better off with two 150 - 200 watt heaters. However, as I said earlier, a 300 watt heater should work.