# What's the general consensus on a back up heater?



## Dogtemple (23 Feb 2021)

I have a hydor inline heater, thinking of sticking a normal heater inside the co2 reactor I'm making just as a back up, it's made with a 20" filter housing so there's a fair bit of room for one.   

good idea or not worth the bother?

I've not used the hydor heater before so I'm unsure of how effective they are


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## dw1305 (23 Feb 2021)

Hi all, 


Dogtemple said:


> good idea or not worth the bother?


My experience has been they are more likely to stick on, rather than off, usually with fatal results. I try and get a heater that is rated for the tank, because you get a bit more warning about "no heat" than "heat stuck on".

cheers Darrel


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## Wookii (23 Feb 2021)

Get a controller and just use one heater:

Amazon product

This unit will sound an alarm if the temperature goes below your preset target (including a smart phone alert), and it will prevent a broken heater cooking your tank too.


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## Courtneybst (23 Feb 2021)

Wookii said:


> Get a controller and just use one heater:
> 
> Amazon product
> 
> This unit will sound an alarm if the temperature goes below your preset target (including a smart phone alert), and it will prevent a broken heater cooking your tank too.




Do you have another link? It doesn't seem to work


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## Wookii (23 Feb 2021)

Courtneybst said:


> Do you have another link? It doesn't seem to work



Strange, I've had this happen before @Courtneybst - I can click it through fine on PC and iPhone. What device are you on? Perhaps @LondonDragon knows why some people can access these links and other can't?

Try this version: 

Amazon product


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## Courtneybst (23 Feb 2021)

Wookii said:


> Strange, I've had this happen before @Courtneybst - I can click it through fine on PC and iPhone. What device are you on? Perhaps @LondonDragon knows why some people can access these links and other can't?
> 
> Try this version:
> 
> Amazon product




I'm on iPhone, maybe that has something to do with it? This link doesn't work for me either


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## Driftless (23 Feb 2021)

On my Discus tanks which I don't want to take a chance with temperature variation, I have two heaters, but for all other tanks, I have one rated to the size of the tank.


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## Wookii (23 Feb 2021)

Courtneybst said:


> I'm on iPhone, maybe that has something to do with it? This link doesn't work for me either



That is odd then, my iPhone (using Safari) opens it fine  - the forum won't let me post the link in plain text (and I don't know the BB code for showing it only as plain text.

Next best option if just search for "Inkbird ITC-308 WiFi Thermostat Digital Temperature Controller Smart Thermostat" on Amazon 👍


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## LondonDragon (23 Feb 2021)

Wookii said:


> ]@LondonDragon knows why some people can access these links and other can't?


Try posting the link inline with some other text rather than on it's own line. I will investigate a possible issue with the addon that embeds links!
i.e. Try this link: [post URL here]


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## Wookii (23 Feb 2021)

LondonDragon said:


> Try posting the link inline with some other text rather than on it's own line. I will investigate a possible issue with the addon that embeds links!
> i.e. Try this link: [post URL here]



OK, I usually put the link on a separate line, as the formatting looks odd otherwise, but lets give it a go:

Ok, link: Amazon product


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## Courtneybst (23 Feb 2021)

Wookii said:


> Next best option if just search for "Inkbird ITC-308 WiFi Thermostat Digital Temperature Controller Smart Thermostat" on Amazon



Cheers


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## noodlesuk (23 Feb 2021)

Wookii said:


> OK, I usually put the link on a separate line, as the formatting looks odd otherwise, but lets give it a go:
> 
> Ok, link: Amazon product



Amazon links seem to appear (by default) as  "
	
	



```
[MEDIA=amazon]id=B07Q2M1CDS;tld=uk[/MEDIA]
```
", which doesn't seem to work across all platforms. Usually works on mobile. Is it the forum using MEDIA Instead of the usual URL tags, when the link is pasted?


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## LondonDragon (23 Feb 2021)

Wookii said:


> OK, I usually put the link on a separate line, as the formatting looks odd otherwise, but lets give it a go:
> 
> Ok, link: Amazon product



I can see what the issue is, if you have an ad-blocker enabled on your browser it hides the amazon box! you need to disable ad-blocking for UKAPS!


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## Jack B (23 Feb 2021)

If someone's managed to get the wifi alarm working on this please let me know! Excellent controller otherwise


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## Wookii (23 Feb 2021)

Jack B said:


> If someone's managed to get the wifi alarm working on this please let me know! Excellent controller otherwise


Works fine for me on iPhone, you just need to make sure you’ve allowed notifications for the app with the phones Notifications settings:


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## Maf 2500 (23 Feb 2021)

Are these controllers smart enough to set the heater to come on at different temperatures depending if it is day or night? That is a feature I would like to implement but it doesn't seem widely available.


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## Wookii (23 Feb 2021)

Maf 2500 said:


> Are these controllers smart enough to set the heater to come on at different temperatures depending if it is day or night? That is a feature I would like to implement but it doesn't seem widely available.



No, you can’t add a heating schedule like that, it’s not quite that advanced, for that you’d probabaly need to have two heaters on two controllers, combined with a timer on one of them.


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## mrhoyo (23 Feb 2021)

Wookii said:


> No, you can’t add a heating schedule like that, it’s not quite that advanced, for that you’d probabaly need to have two heaters on two controllers, combined with a timer on one of them.


I haven't tried it but read this on Amazon:
Can you set different temperature for different times of the day? For example 9 am to 9pm set at 25 °C and 9pm to 9am set at 20 °C​Yes. You must create a Smart Automation in the App. Go to Smart (bulb icon) -> Create Smart (symbol + ) -> Schedule -> 9am (everyday or selected) -> Run the device -> choose ITC-308 WIFI Thermostat -> Setting Temperature Value -> Set at 25c, save. Then start again from beginning, make a new automation, replace 9am with 9 pm, and replace 25c with 20c. This way, at 9am is set at 25 and at 9pm goes to 20...


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## Wookii (23 Feb 2021)

mrhoyo said:


> I haven't tried it but read this on Amazon:
> Can you set different temperature for different times of the day? For example 9 am to 9pm set at 25 °C and 9pm to 9am set at 20 °C​Yes. You must create a Smart Automation in the App. Go to Smart (bulb icon) -> Create Smart (symbol + ) -> Schedule -> 9am (everyday or selected) -> Run the device -> choose ITC-308 WIFI Thermostat -> Setting Temperature Value -> Set at 25c, save. Then start again from beginning, make a new automation, replace 9am with 9 pm, and replace 25c with 20c. This way, at 9am is set at 25 and at 9pm goes to 20...



Yes it looks like you are right - my apologies @Maf 2500, I was looking in the main device settings where there are single temperature entry settings, but as @mrhoyo found, there is a ‘Smart’ section that is accessed at the top level interface that looks like you can indeed set a schedule. You learn something every day!


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## Maf 2500 (23 Feb 2021)

Thanks @mrhoyo and @Wookii 

So, the app on the phone does it rather than the controller itself...


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## Wookii (23 Feb 2021)

Maf 2500 said:


> Thanks @mrhoyo and @Wookii
> 
> So, the app on the phone does it rather than the controller itself...



Yes, the controller itself has only very limited functionality - all the complex stuff is in the app.


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## jaypeecee (23 Feb 2021)

dw1305 said:


> My experience has been they are more likely to stick on, rather than off, usually with fatal results.


Hi @dw1305 

That's certainly the case with heaters using a bi-metallic strip thermostat. I could bore you with the reason for this but not right now! I prefer to use the heaters with electronic temperature control. Manufacturers normally provide these details in the technical blurb. Some heaters also have further overheat protection in the event that an heater is removed from water whilst power is still applied.

JPC


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## Maf 2500 (23 Feb 2021)

Wookii said:


> Yes, the controller itself has only very limited functionality - all the complex stuff is in the app.


OK, sounds good, but once you set the schedule in the app is this held in the memory of the controller which can now execute autonomously or does your phone have to tell the controller to change temperature twice a day, evry day?


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## dw1305 (23 Feb 2021)

Hi all,


jaypeecee said:


> That's certainly the case with heaters using a bi-metallic strip thermostat. I could bore you with the reason for this but not right now! I prefer to use the heaters with electronic temperature control.


I'm definitely interested, what do you recommend?

 I've had a variety of heaters over the years and none of them have been great.

cheers Darrel


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## Courtneybst (23 Feb 2021)

I've only ever had one heater fail and it was the preset one for the Fluval edge.

No other adjustable heaters I've used have ever failed but now I'm paranoid.


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## jaypeecee (23 Feb 2021)

dw1305 said:


> I'm definitely interested, what do you recommend?
> 
> I've had a variety of heaters over the years and none of them have been great.


Hi @dw1305 

One of the problems is that manufacturers' product ranges change too frequently so what I use may no longer be available. I have a Fluval _Tronic_ - I think that's the correct name. But, it no longer appears to be available! A _very_ quick look at the alternatives has led me to this:









						EHEIM thermocontrol 100
					

With the EHEIM precision heater your fish receive exactly the right temperature – in any aquarium. Obvious ideas often are the best ones. For…




					eheim.com
				




It does appear to be quite big but that may/may not be a problem for you.

JPC


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## Dogtemple (23 Feb 2021)

nice one, glad I asked.  

I see there are these thermostats without the science phone connectivity which are about half the price.   is it worth spending the extra to be able to use it with an app?


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## mort (24 Feb 2021)

The biggest issue that we had with heaters when I was in the shop is that most people want a cheap heater even though they have very valuable livestock, or they think they will go on for ever. They have a limited lifespan if they have a bi metallic strip thermostat as JPC mentions.
I personally use a schego titanium heater on a temperature controller because they are pretty faultless.

If you have a particularly large tank then two smaller heater that total the wattage needed is often advised as if one failed off, you still have heater and if one failed on, you won't cook your tank as quickly. Personally heating isn't as important for planted tanks, so even without a heater you would probably be fine until you can buy a new one.


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## Conort2 (24 Feb 2021)

I go for a schego on an external temperature controller. Probably about as reliable as it gets in regards to heating. I’ve had a few ‘normal’ heaters stop working over the years, water inside them etc. Also had one stick on but I caught it in the nick of time! That was the final straw and made me switch to a titanium heater.

 As mentioned previously, a lot of people seem to go cheap with heaters which can result in disaster. A stuck on heater is about the worst thing that can happen in an aquarium.

Cheers


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## mort (24 Feb 2021)

I do find heaters are very hard to research simply because if you look hard enough, you'll find faults with every model ever made. There is also an issue that some very good reliable heaters of the past, like visitherm, can become very unreliable after a switch in owners, and some poor ones of the past are now far better, like juwel.

Like I said before, I don't think it's such a big problem in a planted tank (think green aqua don't even use them) but it always amazed me that people with full blown reefs containing thousands of pounds worth or corals and fish, skimmed on one of the fundamental elements of a tank.


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## veerserif (24 Feb 2021)

I also have two heaters, but the second heater generally gets used in my temporary fish-holding tub. I also have my main heater plugged into an Inkbird temperature controller, but a cheaper one that only does heaters: Inkbird Outlet Thermostat ITC-206T. That model can also vary the target temp by time, although I've never used that function.


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## LondonDragon (24 Feb 2021)

I have had some bad experiences with heaters, I shut down my Rio 125 before because the heater failure cooked the entire tank, plants, fish, shrimp the lot, I no longer use heaters on my low-techs, but I house just shrimp and snails.
On the A900 I opted instead for the Eheim filters with the heater built-in, which is different from a traditional heater and very different from the Oases! So far have not had any issues with that, seems to work great and no risk of breaking it, just hate that the power cable for the heater is embedded into the bottom case of the filter!


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## not called Bob (25 Feb 2021)

my visitherm failing was how I need up with an unheated reef tank, the light still was going on and off, just the element was not heating, happened some point while at work, so got back to less of a water bill than usual, but tank was fine, so carried out without it. other ones seemed to in time get moisture inside, so its something that if its out the way to have a periodic look at.

those heater controls are very handy, esp if it fails on. 
I personally keep the spare in the draw as opposed to wired in, just as we don’t have that many plug options in that side of the room where the tank resides, I prefer the one that also has a supply connected to a fan, to attempt to cool on warm days.


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