I get asked this question surprisingly often here on Aquatical.
Whether you’re in a cold country or you’re living in the tropics and you just want your water temperature to be consistent at all times, a reliable heater is a must for every fish keeper. The aquarium heater, is indeed, an essential accessory that every fish keeper must have. It keeps the tank water to a preferred temperature all the time which, in turn, makes your fish happy.
Hover, with hundreds of brands available in the market, picking the best aquarium heater is not an easy task. First we will discuss these 3 main characteristics you should look for when picking the best heater for your fish tank;
- Safety
- Durability
- Value
Safety first!
Time and time again, we’ve heard accidents happening due to either aquarium heater breakage or aquarium heater malfunction. In an article written by The Mandarin Garden (https://www.themandaringarden.com/dangers-of-dry-aquarium-heaters.html), it was discussed how a heater which wasn’t properly handled, caused injuries to both fish and the keeper.
Hence, we should consider the safety factor an aquarium heater has before considering to purchase it. If it is a glass heater, it should be made out of glass that won’t shatter in the event that the heater suddenly changes temperature and breaks. Furthermore, it must not electrocute both fish and the fish keeper due to malfunctions. Lastly, it must be equipped with proper technology so that it does not overheat the tank and cause every inhabitant of the tank to get seriously injured, or worse, die.
Durability
With safety in mind, naturally, durability, reliability and longevity naturally follows. A tank heater that breaks easily will pose more harm than ones that does not. Furthermore, a heater that is not reliable will only likely to raise electric bills rather than tank water temperatures.
Lastly, the longevity of an aquarium heater should be taken into serious consideration. There are a lot of heaters in the market that would perform excellent in the first year and then suddenly stop working in the next. Such breakage usually proves to be a very costly mistake even for the sole reason of the value of fish dying in such events.
Thus, for the sake of both our wellbeing and our fishes, we must always consider the durability, reliability and the longevity of our aquarium heaters.
Great Value!
Generating heat is not an easy task. More so, it is not cheap. Granted that maintaining a heated tank causes the electrical bill to rise, we should also consider the value of the heater that we use.
There are so many heaters that promises to do so much for an added value but do not deliver in both durability and performance. On the other hand, there are many cheap heaters that are borderline disposable. For the sake of our search, we will consider heaters that are both durable and reasonable with regard to pricing.
Now that we have discussed the 3 main characteristics we should look for when searching for the perfect aquarium heater, here are the 4 best aquarium heaters for your tank.
Eheim Jager
When it comes to aquarium products, Eheim has consistently delivered for more than 55 years. The Eheim Jager, its line of aquarium heaters has proven to be both robust, reliable and affordable for a very long time.
It has a very easy to understand interface and a well-built thermostat which makes it very easy to use even for novice fish keeper. Its thermostat is very accurate and provides for almost exact water temperatures.
Its design is very straightforward, and reliable. It uses quartz glass that is both shatter-proof and shock-proof. As a testament to the Eheim Jager’s great engineering, it’s design have mostly remained the same for years. It has kept fishes farm and fish keepers happy.
Lastly, at around $32.00, it is more affordable than most top of the line aquarium heaters which provides more functions.
Hagen – Fluval E-Series
Like Eheim, Fluval has been in the market for quite some time. However, its line of heaters the “E Series”, have been relatively new.
What it lacks in age though, it makes up in technology. The Fluval E Sereis comes with state of the art digital thermostat and LED display. It uses a microprocessor (a small computer) to make sure that it is very accurate and safe.
When it comes to safety, it does not disappoint either. It comes standard with a heater guard to make sure you and your fish will not get burnt upon contact. It has an LED lit interface which changes color as the temperature rises. It can even indicate if the temperature is safe or not.
Lastly, at $42.00, it is a bit pricier than its competitors. I guess advances in technologies does not come free.
Hydor ETH
Established in 1984, Hydor has been one of the standard-bearers when it comes to aquarium technology. The same could be said for their line of aquarium heaters, the ETH.
The Hydor ETH is an in-line heating system which means that it is usually connected to a pump or filtration filter, such as a canister filter, which sits outside the aquarium. Being placed outside the tank, it greatly reduces the risk of breakages when doing moves in the tank or even the usual water change routines.
Hydor boasts of its PTC technology which keeps the heater within a range of “safe temperatures zones” which, in turn, keeps it from overheating. Such technology keeps fish safe from being turned into stew!
With regard to price, it is a bit more costly at $49.00, compared to its competition.
Aqueon Pro
The youngest, yet arguably the most promising, brand among the four, Aqueon claims to be engineered by actual hobbyists. It’s line of aquarium heaters, the Aqueon Pro, probably delivers just that. It uses an electrical thermostat for a more accurate temperature reading but uses very straightforward analog functionality when it comes to adjustments.
Aqueons best asset is that it is built without using any glass. It has an aluminum core which provides for even heat distribution. Such engineering provides for utmost safety compared to virtually any other heater. The Aquaon Pro is known amongst hobbyists as “Indestructible”. And it does live up to that name!
Being a no-fuss yet well-built heater, it is the most affordable amongst it’s competitors at $29.00.
The Verdict
Now that we have discussed the top 4 aquarium heaters available in the market today, I guess it’s safe to come up with our vote.
While other brands were able to valiantly put up a fight and score points from advance technologies, for me, the Aqueon Pro, edged out its competition when it comes to aquarium heaters. Its straight-forward design is extremely simple and user friendly. Analog knobs edge out digital ones as they tend to be more durable and resistant to wear and tear. It invested a lot on a digital thermostat for accuracy and reliability and it paid off. Furthermore, not having any glass parts scored major points for the Aqueon Pro. It eliminated most of the fears a fish keeper usually associates with aquarium heaters. Lastly, it proved that quality does not always come with a price in being the most affordable in our list.