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As far as brands I like aquarium pharmaceuticals Rena cal. I would use a 2 heater setup in case 1 breaks. Since you are up north i would say 2 150w heaters should be good. I live in Az and only use 1 heater but my house never gets below 70 even in the winter.
I have had a VisiTherm deluxe for about 2 years now and its perfect. Not sure on the wattage, but its long and its in my 55 gal FW setup. Always a constant 77 degrees. How long do these things last anyways? Should I replace it at "x" interval so that it doesnt go bad?