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Originally Posted by cr8signs  Does anybody know how to actually get a heater to stay at a consistent temp? I have 4 different heaters, different brands and watts, in 4 different tanks, not one will keep a tank at a consistent temp. One day they are at 75 degrees, 2 days later, 80 degrees.  If I get a controller will that actually solve the problem? Or is it more wasted money? |
A 5 degree temp change sounds like you may have a heat problem, not a heater problem.
If your room environment stays at a constant temperature, and the heat transferred to your tank is low, most heater thermostats should be able to keep the temp at +/- 1 degree F. Eheim Jäger thermostats used to be +/- 1 degree, but I noticed that the one I bought last claims +/- 0.5 degrees. The Jäger seems to be a good choice.
I have a LED fixture lighting my 55g tank, and have a Vortech for circulation, so almost all my heat transfer to the water comes from only my Eheim 1250
skimmer and 1260 return pumps. The ambient temp of the room is between 65-74 degrees. I have a 200w Visitherm Stealth heater in the
sump, and it keeps the temperature within 1 degree F.
I am now determining which temp controller I should get (to help guarantee against a "stuck" <$18 thermostat)., a stand-alone controller (dual-stage for heater/fan) or a multi-controller (such as a Reefkeeper or Aquacontroller Jr.). Entrusting my tank to a multi-controller is a bit of a leap of faith to me. I work intimately with computers, and know how fallible they can be. The more complex the functionality, the more complex the instruction code, the more chance for bugs and interference issues. Dedicated controllers, although not necessarily bullet-proof, offer lean-and-mean reliability.
