I own several VisiTherm heaters (50 - 300 W) and I'm very happy with all of them.
Jager is supposed to be a very reliable brand too.
I think your
lfs's recommendation is a bit too small. I've been told that 5 W per gallon is a good rule of thumb, so I would recommend a 150W, or even a 200 W heater for your 36
gal. It's always nice to have a bit more heater than you normally need in case you have cold weather, your furnace breaks down, or you have to treat for ich. The prices at BigAl's are about half of what you'd pay in a NJ
lfs.