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Hello! I’ve had my 29 gal aquarium running for the past 3 months. I live in the Southwest; therefore, I’ve not had the necessity for a heater. The days seem to be a bit less warm than usual, and I’m afraid that Winter is going to sneak up on me. I’m in the process of choosing an aquarium heater. Since this would be the first heater, I’m bewildered by vast selection of products to choose from. HELP!!!! Could you please recommend some models that are both safe and reliable?

Angel

Ebo Jager are top-notch and was acquired by Eheim, the super-quality company!

most heaters are going to be both safe and reliable, but there are definitely a bunch of different features/options to consider!

firstly, you'll want to consider wattage: the higher the wattage, the more heat the heater will generate. i think the rule of thumb is to use 5 watts per gallon, so for a 10G that would be a 50W heater.

if your tank is large (over 50 gallons) you may want to consider getting two heaters, one at either end of the tank. this provides a backup in case one of them fails, and also heats the water more thoroughly. *with any tank, it is a good idea to place the heater near the outflow of the filter, to disperse heat evenly.

i find that the main difference in price concerns how the heater is set. for example, some of the cheaper heaters simply have a higher/lower knob that you need to adjust up/down several times before the temp is right. the more expensive, and definitely more convinient models have more specific settings (ie: you turn the knob to the labelled temperature that you want the heater to maintain). in either case, check your thermometer daily to make sure that the heater is doing its job properly!

another thing to consider is whether the heater is submersable or not. if you don't like the looks of lots hanging on the back of your tank, or your tank is very tall and skinny, then a submersable (can be put right under the water, rather than hung on the back) may be the better way to go. again, they are a little more expensive.

finally, consider warrantee! some heaters (such as petsmart's top fin) have a lifetime guarantee, which even covers if you or your fish break it. others have a limited 2 year, etc...

hope that helps!

ebo jager gets my vote

ebo jager, or Tronic submersible. Whichever you choose, make sure it's fully submersible, and has a temperature control dial so there's no guessing going on.

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

go with ebo!!!

yea go with an jager (ebo) i just got mines a couple of days ago, I set it to 77F and haven't touch it since, keeps the temp correctly, also go with a thermometer http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=29481;category_id=1615;pcid1=3231;pcid2=
I have that one, its accurate. My loaches love the jager, they rest on top of the heater:%)