7 best aquarium heaters

Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

Aquarium fish, as a rule, live in warm water, a constant ambient temperature is a prerequisite for their life, especially for tropical fish. And, as you know, in the conditions of Russian latitudes, the heating of premises is not constant, the state of the air depends on the heating season and the weather, which requires the owners to artificially maintain heat. Introducing the top 7 best aquarium heaters.

Selection recommendations

The heater is a device of simple design, consisting of a heating element and a sensor-regulator. The device is able to raise the water temperature to 3-100C and maintain it in a constant mode, which is especially important for small tanks in which tropical fish and other animals live, which are sensitive even to the slightest temperature difference.

The market offers many modifications of aquarium heaters.

1. Flow-through are suitable for circulating aquariums. The heating element heats the liquid as it passes through the device. The advantage is stable operation, the disadvantage is high energy consumption.
2. Immersion heaters are a group of devices operating in the water column. They are versatile glass, compact plastic and heavy duty titanium high performance rods immersed in liquid. They can either constantly increase the temperature of the water, or turn off before automatically turning on when the medium cools. There are also miniature devices, almost invisible, they can be hidden even under the ground, but they are suitable mainly for small containers due to their low productivity.
3. External heaters are part of an external external filter, in which water is simultaneously purified and heated. Another modification of the external device is heating through the glass walls of the aquarium without inserting rods into the water. The disadvantage of the latter is the rapid growth of bacteria inside the container.
4. The bottom heater is a cable laid under the ground. They promote the movement of water in the aquarium, provoking the circulation of water layers of different temperatures. Bottom heaters consume a lot of electricity and are more suitable as auxiliary heaters for rod heaters in large aquariums.

What you should pay attention to when choosing:

1. The presence of a thermostat to regulate the heating temperature. And it doesn't matter if it is submerged in water or outside the aquarium.
2. Regulator type – set temperature or range.
3. Heater emergency shutdown function, even in the absence of water in the aquarium.
4. The power depends on the volume of the vessel – the more water, the more the heating element should heat up, and this, it is worth noting, is the cost of electricity. The average calculation is 1-1.5 W per 1 liter of liquid. The choice should be made taking into account the margin for the cool time in the room.
5. For fresh water, any device is suitable, and for salt water – only a specialized one with immersion elements resistant to an aggressive environment.
6. Mounting method – staples, suction cups.
7. The main aspects of the choice are the required water temperature and the volume of the aquarium.

Based on the requests of aquarium owners, the popularity of the devices and the frequency of their purchase, we have compiled a rating of the 7 best aquarium heaters.

Rating of the best aquarium heaters

Nomination	a place	Name of product	price
Rating of the best aquarium heaters	1	JBL ProTemp S with thermostat 300W	2 341 rub.
	2	Eheim, 3656010, 150 W	RUB 1,490
	3	AQUAEL Ultra Heater UH-75W	1 390 rub.
	4	Fluval E 50W	RUB 3,856
	5	TETRA TEK HT200200W	RUB 1,090
	6	Eheim Thermocontrol 75	RUB 1,645
	7	Barbus “New generation”, with thermostat, 25 W	451 RUB

JBL ProTemp S with thermostat 300W

Rating: 4.9

For large aquariums, the JBL ProTemp S 300W heater is most often chosen, equipped with an accurate disc thermostat in a wide range of 20-34 degrees. It can be used to maintain a temperature of up to 400 liters of water!

The design of JBL ProTemp S allows it to be used not only in any volume of aquariums, but also for fresh, salt water – the body of the fully submersible element is covered with thick glass and plastic sheath, which, moreover, protects the fish from burns, which is especially important when keeping catfish and other bottom fish. The design provides for a power cut-off sensor when the water level drops. Despite the 37.5 cm rod, the device is compact and does not take up much space and fits almost all aquarium models.

The manufacturer provides a 4-year warranty for the heater, but we did not find any user reviews complaining about shortcomings in the operation of the JBL ProTemp S.

The average price is 1800 rubles.

Advantages

• Power 300 W;
• Suitable for maintaining the temperature in aquariums of 160-400 liters;
• Fast water heating;
• Safe device for fish;
• Convenient care with specialized products.

disadvantages

• Difficult to find on sale.

Eheim, 3656010, 150 W

Rating: 4.8

The next Eheim water heater in the review, 3656010 has half the power compared to its predecessor – only 150 W, but it is also suitable for large aquariums with a capacity of up to 300 liters. It has a small rod, 22.35 cm long, wrapped in a glass tube and a safety plastic sheath.

The Eheim heater is designed to maintain a temperature of 25 degrees without regulation, but this is a universal value for most aquarium fish. The LED indicator helps to control the operation of the device; the device is automatically turned off when the water level drops and when the heater is pulled out. The Eheim can be used for seawater and freshwater – the structure is ideally protected to work in all conditions. Mounting method – 2 suction cups, the heater is completely immersed in water.

The average price is about 2,000 rubles.

Advantages

• Universal heater for salt and fresh water;
• Suitable for large aquariums up to 300 liters;
• Work indicator and auto shut-off when the water level drops;
• Compact design.

disadvantages

• Lack of a thermostat.

AQUAEL Ultra Heater UH-75W

Rating: 4.7

On the third line of the review is the AQUAEL Ultra Heater UH-75W water heater. It is also suitable for all types of freshwater or saltwater aquariums. The device has compact dimensions – the length is only 20 cm with a rod diameter of 9 mm. It is protected by a plastic that is safe for aquarium animals, the construction is shock-resistant and completely waterproof. The thermoregulation system is also well thought out – the One Touch thermostat allows you to precisely set the desired degree of heating within the range of 20-33 degrees and maintain it throughout the entire operating time. LED indicators will show when the device is heating water, and when it is off, which will additionally be indicated by a sound signal.

The power of 75 W is suitable for operating the heater in an aquarium designed for a volume of 35-75 liters of water; it will not work for large containers.

The heater AQUAEL Ultra Heater UH-75W has protection against operation without water – the liquid level sensor will automatically turn off the device. Fasteners – 2 suction cups that allow you to fix the device on any wall so that the temperature scale is always facing the user.

The average price is 1400 rubles.

Advantages

• High performance within the specified power;
• Reliable shockproof construction;
• Work indicator;
• Wide temperature range.

disadvantages

• For small aquariums up to 75 liters only.

Fluval E 50W

Rating: 4.7

Another reliable and efficient 50W Fluval E-Series heater for aquariums up to 50 liters. It has a built-in LCD – a display that continuously displays the temperature supported by the device, this is a special VueTech technology. The thermostat allows you to set the desired degree of heating in the range of 20-34 degrees, and the monitoring system with dual temperature sensors ensures the maintenance of a stable temperature – the heater turns on at the slightest drop in heat in an aquarium with fresh or sea water. By the way, if there is heating from the outside by more than 3 degrees, the device will also give a signal – it will start blinking.

The color indicator shows the operating status of the Fluval E 50W heater; in case of a decrease in the water level in the aquarium, the device turns off automatically within 30 seconds. The body of the product is protected from water, and the rod itself is protected from the penetration of fish and invertebrates by a special grid.

The average price is about 3000 rubles.

Advantages

• Protected design;
• Temperature switching step 0.5 degrees;
• Temperature indicator;
• Protection against work without water;
• Correct work.

disadvantages

• Only for small aquariums up to 50 liters;
• High price.

TETRA TEK HT200200W

Rating: 4.6

The TETRA TEK HT200 200W heater is on the fifth line of the rating review. It is a powerful device for heating water in aquariums up to 200 liters in volume. The device is equipped with a thermostat with a temperature range of 19-31 degrees in increments of 0.50C – this is not the best indicator in comparison with competitors, but sufficient for keeping most aquarium fish. The heater can be completely submerged in water – its design is protected from moisture ingress.

The TETRA TEK HT200 200W operation can be monitored thanks to the light range. The structure of the rod is protected by 2 mm thick Brosilikat glass, so the heater can be used in both sea and fresh water. The device is attached to the inner walls of the aquarium with suction cups.

Users note the good operation of the TETRA TEK HT200 200W heater, however, after the first start, the desired temperature is not reached quickly, but there are no problems in further maintaining the mode.

The average price is 1300 rubles.

Advantages

• For aquariums up to 200 liters;
• Digital indicator;
• Temperature range 19-31 degrees;
• Protected design.

disadvantages

• Long first heating.

Eheim Thermocontrol 75

Rating: 4.4

This heater is universal for all types of aquariums – with sea or fresh water, for tropical and ordinary fish, for small and large containers up to 100 liters (this is at a power of 75 W!). The temperature can be adjusted in the range of 18-34 degrees – the temperature limit of cool water is even lower. Calibration is carried out within 2 degrees, but the accuracy of the set value does not exceed 0.50C.

The operation of the Eheim Thermocontrol 75 heater is monitored by means of a light indicator; on dry run, the device switches off automatically. The rod is protected by a thick glass cover that increases the heat transfer area, thereby making the device more efficient. Among the shortcomings, we note the lack of protection on the glass tube – the fish can burn themselves, therefore the Eheim Thermocontrol 75 heater is not recommended for use in aquariums with bottom fish and sedentary animals.

The average price is 1900 rubles.

Advantages

• High performance at 75 watts per 100 liters of water;
• Glass tube enhancing heat transfer area;
• Suitable for all types of aquariums;
• Thermoregulation in a wide range.

disadvantages

• No glass tube protection, danger of burns to aquarium inhabitants.

Barbus “New generation”, with thermostat, 25 W

Rating: 4.3

Our rating-review closes with a compact heater for small aquariums up to 40 liters. This compact design of a metal rod and a thermostat is not ideal, but reliable – the device works mostly properly. Sometimes inaccuracies in temperature regulation arise – the device does not reach the desired state of the aquarium environment by 0.5-2 degrees, which should be taken into account. The heating element itself is powered by thermostat sensors – it turns on when the latter senses a drop in temperature. However, we noted several reviews indicating intermittent automatic activation of the New Generation Barbus.

As a result, we note: the “New Generation” Barbus heater, with a thermostat, 25 W is reliable and quite inexpensive, but the purchased copy should be checked for a factory defect. In its absence, the device will serve faithfully for more than one year.

The average price is 400 rubles.

Advantages

• Reliable device with a water-resistant design;
• Low price;
• Convenient regulator.

disadvantages

• Low productivity;
• There are frequent cases of detecting a factory defect or assembly of a device.

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Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.