Heaters, heaters, heaters.... Fluval E200 or 300?

[ScaryFatKidGT]

So I have had cheap adjustable heaters for years and they never worked right so about 2 years ago I got an E200 and up until today it has been the best thing ever and still is but I was going to get 2 E300's for my new 150 gallon and the guy at the LFS said they were junk and didn't sell them anymore so I looked online and sure enough TONS of issue... I think I just got lucky.

Mine has been stuffed in the corner of a 29g and never said LF and always heated the waster fine 76 or 80 it went up to it and back down, but I'm really hesitant to buy E300's.

What else is there with a display? And preferably not glass, lots of places have the Aqueon pro ones but they don't have a display and I don't like the dial adjustment, there never accurate.

Is the Marneland visi-therm good? Do ehiem jagers have a display? Both of these are a steal on amazon at around $25 for the 300W.

 

[Coyne]

I use the Colbalt Neo-Therms and really like them.
Black, so they almost disappear into a dark background.
Slim, so they don't stick out as much... which helps in the blending in department.
LED displays what you currently have the temperature set to and also what the temperature actually is (if there is a difference).
Super easy to set up.

I haven't found anybody local that sells them, so I end up getting them online... Amazon usually.

https://cobaltaquatics.com/index.ph...oducts_id=33&zenid=k6mqcaudbcdgi406ug376hqh42

 

[1998golfer]

I have a Fluval E200 on my 27g cube. It works great... I've always read good things about them, except people complain that it keeps saying low flow... I just put mine by my filter, zero problems. Love the LED screen, tells me when the water is too hot by turning red, too cold by turning blue, and if it's green I know I'm good. It's the summer here and I have the temp set at 78, but it's been consistently 80-81deg in the tank, house temp usually around 80.

 

[ScaryFatKidGT]

I use the Colbalt Neo-Therms and really like them.
Black, so they almost disappear into a dark background.
Slim, so they don't stick out as much... which helps in the blending in department.
LED displays what you currently have the temperature set to and also what the temperature actually is (if there is a difference).
Super easy to set up.

I haven't found anybody local that sells them, so I end up getting them online... Amazon usually.

https://cobaltaquatics.com/index.ph...oducts_id=33&zenid=k6mqcaudbcdgi406ug376hqh42

Hmm have never scene those before, they only seem to make up to 150w despite there site showing a 200w.

I have a Fluval E200 on my 27g cube. It works great... I've always read good things about them, except people complain that it keeps saying low flow... I just put mine by my filter, zero problems. Love the LED screen, tells me when the water is too hot by turning red, too cold by turning blue, and if it's green I know I'm good. It's the summer here and I have the temp set at 78, but it's been consistently 80-81deg in the tank, house temp usually around 80.

Yeah I have never had mine read "LF"? but I also have an E200 on a 29g if it was on a 55 or 65 (max suggested) there might be more issues, I was going to get 2 E300's for my 150g but I'm sort of wary now.

Most people that have them working claim that the people with issues just don't have them in good flow, but a person at my LFS and I have read online similar, had 3 E300's in a 150g long and it wouldn't heat above 75 degrees or so, like what?

I'm leaning to the ViaAqua quartz or titanium, there dirt cheap on amazon.

 

[Coyne]

Hmm... weird. I found this at AquaCave.com after looking for a minute.

Cobalt Neo-Therm 200W Aquarium Heater - AquaCave.com


Colbalt doesnt have a lot of name recognition. Who can say if that will change down the road. As I said, I am a big fan of their heaters. I also like their canister filter, but it only currently comes in one size.
I recieved a free sample of their flake food at a trade show last fall. My fish seemed to like it, but I dont typically buy flake food so I doubt I would purchase more.

 

[ScaryFatKidGT]

Well I'm liking this Aquatop Titanium Heater Controller - Up to 800W| thatpetplace.com and these

The first one though only looks like it can control 1 heater and I would like 2 for failure protection and that would get spendy. The second is basically exactly what I want with an external temp sensor to boot so its either that or the via aqua. I do like the 3 year warrenty on the Neo-therm tho

EDIT: Well by the looks of the amazon reviews I will be going with the Via Aqua. I can't believe all of these heaters that people have burn out in under 6 months... Aquatop's, Marinelands etc.

 

[Sharkman1]

I had two of the Fluval E200's on my 120 gallon that is in my basement. I have them set on 77F, and had to set the basement heat on 62F to keep the aquarium about 75F.

I have just replaced them with two E300's so that I do not have to use the basement heat as much. When I first put them in, one of them was doing the LF thing so I just redid my filter outputs. I have two canisters, one in aimming down the left front and the other is down the right rear, creates a nice little whirlpool affect, no LF now. I also have a power head still in the box if needed.

I do like the digital heaters, but on my salt tank I use a reef keeper system that controls a standard heater perfectly.

 

[ScaryFatKidGT]

Hmm... weird. I found this at AquaCave.com after looking for a minute.

Cobalt Neo-Therm 200W Aquarium Heater - AquaCave.com


Colbalt doesnt have a lot of name recognition. Who can say if that will change down the road. As I said, I am a big fan of their heaters. I also like their canister filter, but it only currently comes in one size.
I recieved a free sample of their flake food at a trade show last fall. My fish seemed to like it, but I dont typically buy flake food so I doubt I would purchase more.

My LFS actually sells Cobalt stuff but only up to the 150 and even 2 200w heaters is cutting it if one ever fails. I really like the neo-therms maybe ill get one for my smaller tank.

I had two of the Fluval E200's on my 120 gallon that is in my basement. I have them set on 77F, and had to set the basement heat on 62F to keep the aquarium about 75F.

I have just replaced them with two E300's so that I do not have to use the basement heat as much. When I first put them in, one of them was doing the LF thing so I just redid my filter outputs. I have two canisters, one in aimming down the left front and the other is down the right rear, creates a nice little whirlpool affect, no LF now. I also have a power head still in the box if needed.

I do like the digital heaters, but on my salt tank I use a reef keeper system that controls a standard heater perfectly.

How do the 300's work? I'm not against a controler but all I found was like the finnex that only controls 1 or 2 heaters so whats the point?

 

[Sharkman1]

Reefkeeper Lite

Right now the 300's are working perfectly, we will see in the winter. The controller I am talking about is a Reefkeeper lite.

ReefKeeper Lite Basic - Digital Aquatics - Bulk Reef Supply

It comes with the control box, temp probe, and one outlet strip to control 4 items individually, you can use a total of 4 of these outlet strips to control 16 pieces of equipment independent of each other.

 

[Linwood]

Please see this thread I just posted about Cobalt:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f60/cobalt-neo-therm-experience-315586.html#post3006255

 

[ScaryFatKidGT]

Idk wether to get this http://www.aquacave.com/pro-heat-d-1500-heater-controller.html the finnex or aquatop titanium heater controllers, the aquatop has 2 displays but there warranty and glass heater range seem like crap. The finnex only has 1 display.