I need to buy a good heater- temperature problems!

[ReefGirlSara]

I was wondering if someone could advise me on a heater. I have a 54gallon bowfront reef tank and I'm having major temp issues. It was too hot, so we made a chiller, now it doesn't get hotter than 82.5, but it gets down to 78.5, with the heater set to 80.5. However, last night I noticed it was about 82.5 and the heater was on!! The heater is set to 80.5, but last night it ended up going up to 83.5 degrees, and the heater was still on. I turned it off manually. I have to get this under control, and I think I just need to buy a good heater. I'm on my second LFS recommendation, the one that's in there now malfunctioning is only 2 months old, so I'm not going to ask them this time.

Any advice will be much appreciated!

 

[daven]

Heaters are relatively cheap devices and from what I have read on here, prone to malfunction. I solved this problems by using a Ranco dual stage digital temperature controller. It is a commercial grade piece of control equipment.

You use it to control on/off of heaters and chillers/fans based on temperature set points.

Here's a link

https://diyreef.authsecure.com/shop...d=212&osCsid=847051f719447100f90fddac1d416b14

 

[boviac]

I've used Ebo-Jaber and now Ehiem-Jabers heaters (both submerged) and only had problems with one of six. And that was the one I used monthly for water changes so it was not constantly submerged and probably not submerged for 10 minutes before I plugged it in like I believe it states in the operating manual.

Also for the ones in my tank I'm using an AquaControllerII to control my heaters as well as my chiller (lighting, fans, pumps, moonlights, etc). Love this device!!! If you do run a controller for your heaters I woulds still set them so they won't go much higher than you want the controller to maintain - that way if the controller should fail at least you have some backup.

 

[gadgetboy]

At the price of that temp controller, why not just buy an AquaController Jr.?