to buy or not to buy New HEATER

[briang]

I've been running a Rena Cal Top Light 300 watt heater with a 100 watt back up for 4 years. I've read horror stories of people buying brand new heaters only to fry thier tank. For this reason I'm afraid to buy a new heater if mine is working good. On the other hand I don't want to wait till something does happen and it's too late. How often should I change my heaters and what is the best one for a 75 gal reef tank?

 

[Scooterman]

I'd stick to yours as long as they are working well, If anything I'd purchase a controller that would be more reliable.

http://www.rancoetc.com/?gclid=CLr47b7oo5ECFQXnlAodvHR-XA

 

[dnjan]

As Scooterman says, get the Ranco controller. I would recommend the 2-stage.

Set your heater for a few degrees higher than the controller heater setting, and you have a built-in safeguard.

Use the second stage of the Ranco to turn on supplemental cooling fans (blowing on either the water surface of your tank or the water surface of your sume). Great way to stabolize tank temps.

 

[briang]

How much is the 2 stage Ranco Controler?. Sounds expensive. I'm basically wondering what is the best regular heater and how often should they be replaced?

 

[Scooterman]

Single stager about $60/70 & two stager around a $100! Not cheap but when you spend thousands on corals & stuff, after a while you'll be glad for that. Anyhow! Most will come up with so many opinions on what you should use as name brands & how often you should replace them. I'd yank them when they give you problems If your not going to spend a bunch of money on a controller. Answering your question is nearly impossible as some heaters just work many years with no issues then suddenly they go wacko & some just go a short term & go wacko, key is they just have cheap temperature controllers on them & they won't last. JMO

 

[dnjan]

If I remember correctly, the one-stage is about $80 and the two-stage is about $130.

Big bite all at once, but good insurance.

Concerning replacing heaters, the only three reasons I am aware of to replace a heater are:

1) it is a glass heater, and the glass cracks. This shouldn't happen if you keep your heater submerged. If it does happen, the short circut will trip your GFCI. Buy a new heater.

2) the heater element burns out. I've never had this happen. If it did happen, your tank would gradually get cold. Simply replace the heater then.

3) the thermostat in the heater fails. This can go two ways - your heater doesn't come on and your tank gradually gets cold. Time to replace. Or, your heater doesn't shut off, and you cook your tank (if your heater is large enough).

The last case, above, is the most catastrophic, and will cost you the most grief as well as the the most money in replacing the lost livestock. And it is this last case that is the best justification for buying a controller like the Ranco. Getting the two-state instead of the single stage just gives the added benifit of more overheating protection.

 

[briang]

not bad

Single stager about $60/70 & two stager around a $100! Not cheap but when you spend thousands on corals & stuff, after a while you'll be glad for that. Anyhow! Most will come up with so many opinions on what you should use as name brands & how often you should replace them. I'd yank them when they give you problems If your not going to spend a bunch of money on a controller. Answering your question is nearly impossible as some heaters just work many years with no issues then suddenly they go wacko & some just go a short term & go wacko, key is they just have cheap temperature controllers on them & they won't last. JMO

The price isn't bad at all. Just the sound of the name, 2 STAGE CONTROLLER, it just sounds like a $600.00 item. phew, I'll look into it ,Thanks

 

[plack]

Just make sure that any heater shut's off at a temperature you want it to shut off at . Then in addition buy a controller as You can't really trust them that much period.

 

[burning2nd]

i had a heater for 2 years..... it got stuck off... so i was lucky that i cought it ....

if you have a single large heater that is capabul of heating your tank fast... if it gets stuck on it will fry your tank fast.

but other then that i plan on buying a DA reefkeeper 2 and useing 2 100 watt heaters

 

[Scooterman]

I agree two smaller heaters does add to your safety factor, this was something they would say long ago. I guess because they were fairly unreliable back then even more so. I'm lucky in that one aspect as I don't need heaters but we're much warmer down here, so I deal with high humidity & heat 9 months out of the year.