Hearing bad things about rena cal heaters sticking.Just put new 300wt. rena top lite in 50 gal.It seems to be working ok. I have only been keeping fish for one year,so I could use feed back on others experiences.Hate to buy another brand if Idont need to.thank you.
thoughts on rena cal heaters?
- Thread starter prissy
- Start date
IMO - If if its not broken don't bother fixing it. Although, I have owned a Rena heater, I would just monitor the temperature closely. Maybe even make notes as to when you checked the temperature and what it was, to make sure it is holding the temp steady. IME, that has been the biggest issue with heaters is that the temp swings too much. IMO - 2 degrees is too much.
I am big propponent of Rena filters. But, if you need a new heater, IMO there really isn't a reason to get anything but a Ebo-Jagger heater. I have never had a single problem with one and I even forget to check the temps in my Ebu heated tanks. When I did, the tanks always stayed right on temp. The thermastats seem to be finest I have used. Soon, all my tanks will have only Ebu heaters.
I am big propponent of Rena filters. But, if you need a new heater, IMO there really isn't a reason to get anything but a Ebo-Jagger heater. I have never had a single problem with one and I even forget to check the temps in my Ebu heated tanks. When I did, the tanks always stayed right on temp. The thermastats seem to be finest I have used. Soon, all my tanks will have only Ebu heaters.
Is the room the tank is in cold? I only ask b/c 300 watts is a lot of heater for a 50g tank. The standby rule is 3-5watts/gal so a 150 watt heater would most likely be sufficient (provided the room isn't too cool) and IF it did stick on, it would heat the water slower providing more time for you to detect the malfunction.
IMO, 2 degree swing isn't a big deal on a 50 gal tank. It's not like the temp is going to drop 2 degrees all of a sudden. A gradual fluctuation over the day won't bother the fish either. A smaller tank more affected by outside temp would be a concern.
Other than that, I'm with DIYMatt, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
IMO, 2 degree swing isn't a big deal on a 50 gal tank. It's not like the temp is going to drop 2 degrees all of a sudden. A gradual fluctuation over the day won't bother the fish either. A smaller tank more affected by outside temp would be a concern.
Other than that, I'm with DIYMatt, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
I always make sure to have a thermometer in each tank and check twice a day. I am running cheap heaters at the moment and a few weeks ago there was a sticking issue but I caught it before there was too much of a problem.
I have 2 - 200w rena cal top light excel's. Have had no problem's with them so far, but still haven't plugged them in either. lol. It says right on the package that its "the first fully submersible CSA approved aquarium heater." So I expect good things. I also like the fact that the heater has a black camouflage design, so it will blend in real nicely with my black background, black sand, black caves, and my black striped (clearing my throat) "clown loaches".