Should You Buy An Aquarium Temperature Controller? Why The INKBIRD ITC-306A Is Worth Considering...

[@satguy]

One of the best videos about the controller on KZbin I actually bought one because of this video.

[@rory_rox]

There are two temperature probes so that they can act as a failsafe, not for accuracy. If the controller notices a difference in temperature between the two probes (I'm not 100% sure what the tolerance is) it will indicate that one of the probes has failed. With this in mind, the two probes should be put next to each other and not on opposite sides of the tank as instructed here. Also, if your heater is running constantly for multiple hours then your heater is not big enough. If this is the case you could get a bigger heater or better yet, add a second heater. Having two smaller heaters is preferred over one large heater, especially with a controller like this as the two heaters will split the load and not have to work as hard and thus prolonging the life. Additionally if one heater fails you have the other heater to maintain temps while you replace the broken heater. Edit: The probe failure alarm goes off if there is a 5 degree (F) between the two probes.

[@markpaulson1346]

How would you set this up using 2 smaller heaters? I'm still a little confused on a few things.

[@rory_rox]

One of the common failures of a heater is to get stuck in the on position causing the tank to overheat. Say you need 300w to heat your tank. Instead of buying one 300w heater, buy two 150w heaters. That way if one gets stuck on then it will have trouble heating the tank to a dangerous level. Or at least it will take longer and you will notice it. The inkbird ITC-306a has two plugs that can be used for heating. By using an inkbird and having two smaller heaters you are adding multiple layers of protection. Also if one heater dies you still have one heater to heat the tank while you replace the broken one.

[@markpaulson1346]

@@rory_rox thanks!

[@patterdalezipsuzilil]

One Is for alarms other is heater controller keep them side bye side

[@patterdalezipsuzilil]

Don't controll heaters controll a contactor that controls heaters to take the load off device

[@KasyMini]

Thanks for the video! The instructions weren't super clear in the manual and I didn't quite get how to set the desired temperatures within the app. I got two inkbirds in a 10 and 15 gallon. One runs a Eheim Jager TruTemp and the other the Innovative Marine Helio Mini. Although the latter has a built-in controller with an alarm, I didn't want to take any chances. Better safe than sorry with heaters! The only tank that is safer is the shrimp tank since room temperature is perfect (22-24 depending on the season).

[@HOUSESANDCONDOSoCOM]

What heater were you showing in your video? I like how easy the read out was on the heater itself.

[@Jp-gc6bh]

You actually placed the probe incorrect, supposed to be right next to each other. I see it on the picture they have on Amazon

[@anthonyragan2696]

Good video. I've come to regard these as necessary equipment, as any heater can fail "on" at any time.

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Anthony - thanks for the kind words. I think a lot of hobbyists are now seeing these as necessary pieces of equipment, so we'll probably be seeing a lot more of them. 👍I completely agree with you

[@aquablaster86]

One of the good things about living in Florida is not having to worry about heater's for the most part. Unless i set up a discus tank or something that needs higher then normal temps. Thanks for the review Dan!

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Definitely a Florida advantage!! 👍Makes this simple! My pleasure and thanks for watching!

[@AussieAquatic]

And that folks...…...is how to do a product review...…..what an awesome job Mike. I'm very happy with mine, and I certainly recommend getting one as a heater "peace of mind" accessory.

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Colin - thanks so much for the kind words - your review was pretty fantastic as well! It was a fun one to do, and I love the controller. Absolutely recommended as a "piece of mind" accessory. Glad you are enjoying yours!

[@ianh3253]

What a great product and video is awesome very informative there is a 308 out also wondering is this a newer model ,nice looking tank by the way 😁

[@Jp-gc6bh]

Great video, I’ve owned heaters for years and never had a problem. Will be buying this for another reef I’m starting, i can’t imagine losing thousands of dollars in corals and fish to just a heater malfunction.. I can’t believe I’ve never owned this Im actually buying 3

[@papajim632]

Hi Mike Thanks for contacting Inkbird, it will be interesting to hear what they have to say!

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Hey Jim - just a quick update - I've contacted the INKBIRD rep a few times but haven't heard back. I may try to call their regular support line or email their general inbox....

[@shabeerok7274]

Bro very useful video all my doubts about the inkbird is clear by watching this video I will going to buy soon Also can you suggest me a could Heater for 10 gallon and 7 gallons tank I don’t know how much wattage required for each gallon

[@deborahjeanne2141]

Thanks for this video. I’m obsessed about temperature because I have 3 cobalt neotherms that suck. Temps are off by 5-6 degrees and I have an LED and regular cheap thermometer in each tank which I monitor all the time. I have a Fluval heater in my 15G that is right on consistent, so I bought 2 Fluvals for my 55G.

[@dmichaelsfishden]

My pleasure, Deborah! Definitely a good call to have 2 Fluvals in the 55G! This temperature controller can probably help with the Cobalts that are off by 5-6 degrees - the INKBIRD controller has a calibration feature on it, so if you know the heaters are off, you can calibrate the controller by that 5 - 6 degrees so the controller keeps the accurate temperature. My controller has been working like a top, no problems for the last few weeks. I like it more each day 😀

[@deborahjeanne2141]

Thanks for that. While I’m a relatively newbie, I learn fast. Common sense tells me a heater on one end of a 55G would have difficulty heating the other end, so I’m putting one on each end, lower wattage. It also helps should one stop working, but I’m definitely going to buy a few of these! I have a 20g and a 15g, but I just bought a 55g and another 20g. I have a 5G fry tank, and a 5G hospital/quarantine tank, now it’s time to stop!

[@greenthumbaquariums1185]

Maybe I was unlucky, but my 2 inkbird controllers failed in under a year. By fail I mean the temperature reading would drift. I'd recalibrate regularly, but the drift would continue. Eventually the reading would drift high enough to trigger the alarm even though I confirmed the tank temps were just fine. Hopefully the newer model is built to last longer.

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Green Thumb - thank you for sharing! I certainly hope the newer model is built to last longer. You had one of their older models? So far so good with mine, but I do want to test the calibration soon with a temperature gun - I have that on order and will continue to experiment and provide updates

[@streetlifetv9241]

Thanks for doing this video been looking into getting one for my 75 gallon african cichlid tank will be ordering one

[@rogermims9119]

Well done sir. I have some questions if you will. I have a 125 gal. tank. How long are the probes? Can you control temps. with the phone app.? How long is the power cord? Thank you.

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Hi Roger - thanks for the kind words and glad it was helpful! The cords on the probes are pretty long - I'd say about 5 feet each...(should have measured before putting them in the tank), so using both, you should be able to get some good coverage lengthwise in the 125, depending on how far away you mount the controller from the tank. Standard 125 yes? 72 1/2 inches long? Yes, you can control the temps with the phone app so you don't always have to open a cabinet, etc...to get to the controller. In the app's menu, you can adjust all pertinent features from your phone, and your phone will transfer that to the controller immediately, so you'll see the changes on the controller right away. The power cord isn't tremendously long, though. It's about 2 - 2 1/2 feet long, so you may need an extension cord if that isn't long enough....Thanks for watching! Let me know if I can help any further

[@rogermims9119]

Thanks for getting back to me on my previous questions. Good morning or afternoon, depending on where you are, and happy christmas. Ok so, I got this unit and set it up. I,m confused and hopefully you can help. I have also e-mailed Ink-Bird. It started with the first alarm at 2 am this morning. I had the CT set at 4 hours. I got a code E 51. So, I checked all the parameters. T1 = 78. T2 = 82. AH = 82. LH = 75. This is how it is on my phone. Right now the devise shows PV = 78 and SV = 82. The heater will not shut off. When I press the set button, the PV = E 51 and the SV blinks 78. I've tried uninstalling and installing the app. I've tried factory default setting. Any idea how to get the desired temp back to 78 instead of 82? Thanks. Roger.

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Roger - good to hear you picked it up! Yep, I've had the E5 error come up several times. This is the continuous heating alarm notification. At night, it has been in the 40's here, probably in the 60's in my office where my tank is. The heater runs most of the night to maintain temperature. Originally, I had set the CT to 2 hours, then 4, but it still would always go off at night or in the morning. I reset my CT to 8 hours, knowing that the heater will be running most of the night, at least while it is so cold. So you may want to re-set that to 6 hours or so (whatever is best for you) to allow your heater to keep running at night, when it is colder. Do you have the same version as mine in the video? The ITC-306A? According to the instructions, the controller is supposed to recognize a difference in the T1 and T2 temperatures (recognize which is lowest and highest). The lower value is the temp you want the heater to turn on at, and the higher value is the desired temperature. So with T1 at 78 and T2 at 82, you are telling the controller you want the heater to turn on at 78 and keep working until it reaches your desired temperature, 82. It will keep making the heater work until it reaches 82. But with the AH at 82, it will sound an alarm when you get there. If your desired temp is 82, maybe set the AH to 83? Or you could set the desired temperature lower. To get the desired temp to 78, you would want to change the T2 on your phone to 78 and the T1 to perhaps 77.5. That should do the trick for you. Let me know if that helps and if I can be of any further help!

[@NittanyFins]

Question...would this work the same way with inline heaters? Does the turning on/off feature interfere with the cycling on/off features of the inline heater itself?

[@dmichaelsfishden]

NittanyFins - that is a great question. That is something I would need to ask INKBIRD. Conceptually, I would imagine yes it might would work a similar way - even though the inline is installed on the outflow line, it still is a heater. In that sense I would imagine the controller would regulate the heater thermostat, but I'm not sure how it would know how to diagnose the water temperature...The only experience I have with controllers is on traditional heaters, so I would have to research this one. You've got me here. What a great question!

[@kathleenmonsegue9700]

How would I use this for a goldfish tank? What should I hook it up to and is a heater even needed in there, even though goldfish are cold water fish?

[@sbwetherbe]

Ink-Bird has a few different models. I have one with a single probe. There is also one that will control a heater AND a chiller! After using one for a few months i got addicted to the safety and accuracy this offers and now have one on each tank (6). Its considered a necessary piece of equipment now.

[@dmichaelsfishden]

I saw that one with the controls for the heater AND the chiller when I was looking through their stuff online - very cool and smart to develop that. They make good stuff 👍I"m super happy with the one in the video, works like a top, no issues and is great to have for safety. Absolutely agree on the safety and accuracy it offers and glad you are mounting up on each tank! Thanks for the comment to reinforce why these are definitely worth getting 👍 And thanks for watching!

[@davidcretsinger9285]

Can this be used to guard against a chiller getting stuck on too? Everything I read just mentions heaters. I assume the alarm will go off below a set temp. Any way it will turn off the chiller at that point? Both those plugs are for heaters? Any way they could be programmed separately? One for the heater and one for the chiller?

[@clauderoy7162]

Y’a bought mine and can’t seemed to get it going for my minnows freezer tank . I watch videos on you tube for setting up doing the same as there set up . Still not turning my freezer on a the set temperature. Disappointed 🤔

[@papajim632]

Nice job Mike, but I have a question, how does the controller override the temperature setting on the heaters?

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Hi Jim - That is a great question - I'm not sure how it exactly does that, or whether the controller is overriding, simply taking over control of the thermostat, or somehow disabling the heater's thermostat. I'll reach out to INKBIRD to ask. With the controller turned on and with the heater plugged in, I've tried setting the heater to 82, as I did in the video, but it seems that the controller does not allow heating past my desired temperature of 78.8. I also tried to turn DOWN the heater to 70, just to experiment, and the controller still turned it on to heat to my desired temperature. I'll find out more or what exactly it is doing....

[@aquahobby1982]

I use it :) ironically i started using it same time this video was aired.

[@soggyfries4347]

The manual knobs on most these heaters, brand name or crap, either gets too hard to twist while in the tank or nearly impossible to get to the exact temp you're looking for.

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Couldn't agree more, SoggyFries. Or when you twist it and you think you have a certain temperature, it is off a lot of the time. We do need a heater with a better knob on top...

[@soggyfries4347]

@@dmichaelsfishden Seems like a reasonable request. None the less, my Inkbird should be here by tomorrow.

[@angelaclements1244]

After working well for 2yrs (replaced probe every 6months because they usually go haywire around then) my inkbird showed reading temp way lower than set temp. so heater was of course on. Unfortunately temp was way up in eighties. Thank goodness I always check on arriving home else heater would have stayed on and killed my fish. The inkbird actually caused the very thing I was trying to avoid. E mailed inkbird received no response

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Hi Angela - Yeah, I'll have to do a follow up video on this....my Inkbird was fine for 6 months or so, then seemed to go totally haywire, so I disconnected it. While I appreciate the value of temperature controllers, I think there are much better quality brands out there

[@fishoutwithjuno]

Do you just set it up to 0.5 difference for the TS1 and Ts2? I was wondering coz I have mine set up at 78 to 80. Not sure if mine is right.

[@scavengerrx1906]

So if the alarm goes off, the heater will automatically turn off or heat up, also, can you change the settings on the app

[@angelaclements1244]

I have ehiem heater that says in instructions don't use with controller. Are there any heaters I shouldn't use with inkbird? I currently have 308 but have just squires 306 as I need to use two heaters in winter to maintain temperature whereas I use with fan in summer

[@chriswinchell1570]

What do you think of the 308s? One of the reviewers on Amazon claimed they liked it better than the 306a.

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Great question Chris. I’ve heard the same - seems like people have had a lot of success with the 308. I think either the 306a or 308 will work great. Both are perfectly fine. However - after using mine I’ve learned these operate only as well as they are calibrated. So whichever one you choose I would also get an inexpensive temperature gun and find out exactly what the tank’s temp is. Once you have that you can then correctly calibrate the controller. Mine was off for a few months until I finally bought a temperature gun. Hope that helps!

[@chriswinchell1570]

@@dmichaelsfishden Thank you. I’m a tank half-empty kinda guy. I can read 1000 reviews all positive and then 1 that says, “...then the house caught on fire...dog choked to death... wife in bed with my best friend....” and I hesitate.

[@underthebus5801]

After calibration, do you find there's still a temperature difference in the reading? I'll add or subtract the difference in degrees between my controller and infrared thermometer but i don't get comparable readings.

[@Hungry4Mor]

As I post this it's been 4 years since this upload was made. I'm wondering how the INKBIRD ITC-306A is still performing after so long? What's their typical life span?

[@deborahjeanne2141]

I didn’t mean to send that so fast. I’ve been thinking about a device such as you demonstrate and I think my guppies and bettas would be happier if I purchased some for my tanks.

[@dmichaelsfishden]

I think they will be - it definitely keeps a more stable, accurate temperature. 👍Not as many temp swings up and down

[@leo2o915]

How do you reset it to connect to wifi having trouble

[@rogermims9119]

Hi Mike. I'm back again. My ITC-306A malfunctioned after 10 months. It would go on for an 8 hr. cycle and go off and didn't kick in again for the next cycle. After a few e-mails with inkbird, they sent another unit because it was still under warranty. New problem: It won't pair with my phone. I have the same phone and router. So, it works, just not on my phone. I'm still working on it. Any thoughts?

[@Tim_3100]

I am a new tropical fish keeper and heater failure or malfunction worries me so i am going to get a wireless one as my tank is small

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Timsalt3100 - I don't blame you. Heater malfunction can be devastating to fish. Definitely go with what you are comfortable with. I haven't ever had a heater fail on my personally, but sometimes it can just be a matter of time....always good to be safer than sorry

[@valiantred]

How long does it take for the alarm to turn off? I'm imagining how annoyed my family would be if the alarm was on for more that 10 seconds lol.

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Lol. Yeah that’s a downside. It keeps going until you either walk over to turn it off or turn it off from the app. That is one thing I don’t like - the alarm keeps going and going and going....but, I get it. The alarm is there for a reason. Wants you to take notice right away. It is a safety thing for the fish so I understand why it doesn’t just shut off after a few minutes.

[@cdropbox]

love this

[@RealCptHammonds]

Why aren't you using titanium heating rods?

[@roberttomforde7062]

I'm pretty sure you're still supposed to use your heaters thermostat and just use the inkbird as a backup plan if there's a malfunction. Heaters are cheaper then the inkbird. You'll burn the thermostat out of your heater if you use the inkbird thermostat to operate the heaters on/off cycles.

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Robert - you may very well be right. I know InkBird, when I spoke with them, alluded to plugging the heater into the sockets, but now that I've had this running for several months, I'm not sure the monitoring system is as fluid as it is supposed to be. Over time, I've been seeing a disconnect between when the InkBird says it is heating and when the heater is actually on - lately, I've actually unplugged the heater from the controller and I'm running the heater on its own thermostat. The controller is still on for a warning system and temperature gauge, but that's essentially how I'm using it now. Great comment, and I'm glad you shared this. I want to do some type of follow up video - when I did this one I had only been using it for about a month, but I've had a lot more time to play with it now

[@roberttomforde7062]

@@dmichaelsfishden I just ordered one from Amazon for myself also. I was intentionally looking for a digital thermometer that was illuminated and plugged into a wall socket. I had a hard time finding one of quality. I was also looking into wireless pool thermometer with an inside temp monitoring system for the digital gauge. Then investigated cooking/scientific thermometers. I ended up with the inkbird lol

[@aussbasstony9763]

The inkbird works off Relays not thermostats as I understand you don’t have one in the controller to damage. If useing a controller as in the Inkbird you should set the heater a tad higher than your required temp for tank. As the Inkbird in reality is just a Relay disconnecting the power from your heater when the temp prob tells the relay to shut off power that’s all it is.

[@aussbasstony9763]

dmichaels fish den check your setting for variation of temp before heater turns on it could be .5 of degree or to different number and may confuse you that it’s not working 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@flemmingj1965]

I have a question about using this controller I am trying to heat my tank to 80 degrees this is my settings The app T1 77.5 F , T2 80.0 F , calibration - 1.0 F , continuous heating time 6 hours will these settings work ??

[@TinoushGTR]

i bought a super fish heater and set it to 27c. next morning all my 20 fish died because the heater was not calibrated well from factory. Water temp was 32c. Thankfully it was the quarantine tank. Never again. For my discus tank i bought one of these with 2 heaters attached to it. Replaced the quarantine tank heater and got some fish from the shop for free. Poor animals cooked alive.

[@dougbensworth3935]

Hey if I wanted to use this unit to lower temperature with a fan how would I go about doing that? I have been looking everywhere!

[@kksheff9296]

this is a year late lol but I'm fairly certain they make a model that has a plug slot.for a heater and a cooler

[@dougbensworth3935]

@@kksheff9296 you bet they do and I already bought it. Thanks so much!

[@RoundhouseAquatics]

so how many tanks will it cover ?

[@spags8223]

Rockford Fishkeeping in theory with 2 outputs and 2 probes, you could each probe in a tank and each heater in a tank and have them at the both temp

[@RoundhouseAquatics]

@@spags8223 theory's and heating dont mix

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Rockford - this is something that wasn't made completely clear, and I'm touching base with INKBIRD to get their recommendation. I'll get back to you guys on this. There wasn't any recommendations in the instructions, and it never addressed that. It's more accurate to use two probes in the tank, especially if it is a larger tank - 36 gallons and up or so, because it is getting the temp reading in between the two probes, and you've got both sides of the tank covered. My first thought on the two outputs is to accommodate 2 heaters - I know a lot of people will have two heaters in larger tanks, both to keep the whole tank heated, and so they have one as a backup in case one goes down. This is more in the case of 75 gallon + tanks, especially 100's or 150's. This is a great question, and I had the same one - will let you know what I find out 👍

[@dmichaelsfishden]

@@spags8223 in theory, you could, but I also hear Rockford on this one - I'm reaching out to INKBIRD on this as I had the same question. My initial thought is that this was to accommodate 2 heaters in a larger tank. If you had two smaller tanks, say two 20 gallons, 10's or a combination of two smaller tanks, you probably could put one probe in one and another in the other tank, if you wanted both at the same temperature. Once I hear back from INKBIRD I'm going to get back to you guys on this 👍

[@aussbasstony9763]

dmichaels fish den no it’s meant for a single tank only with option of two heaters for a large tank. The 2 x probes are designed to give you a fail safe if one temp probe is giving false reading and you can set an alert if the difference between the 2 temp probs varies to great.

[@snakes301271]

cant stand the white suction cups. why did they not use clear.

[@tomcarr2095]

how can a heater not run 24/7? why would you set it for 2hrs? I'm lost

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Hi Tom - what I’ve learned is you just want to maintain temperate. In my home it gets really hot during the day so the heater should turn off at those times then it re-engages when it gets cold. I keep the heater at a steady 78. It turns off and on to keep that temp.

[@truthhurts4948]

Maybe I’m late here. It’s not that a heater can’t run 24/7, it’s that why does it need to constantly run. The setting(s) of 1, 2, 3, and on up hours, you can adjust it for are for in case a heater gets “stuck” on, or it’s own temperature setting fails. The result of those failures would be cooked fish. When heating a tank it should come on and when it reaches desired temperature shut off for awhile. Then when temperature dips down a little bit the heater would come back on again.

[@fisharefriends598]

Joey did not have a heat failure. He used heater incorrectly. He cost the company a lot of money and was completely wrong

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Ahhh - is that what happened? Haven't seen that video in a long time, and thought it was a heater failure - but man, that's even worse 😖I can see why Cobalt wasn't too happy with that. Well, in any case, all the more reason to use heaters correctly and back things up for redundancy - Thanks for the clarification on that Monkey Nut! 👍

[@fisharefriends598]

dmichaels fish den yeah from what I can understand he used it in a sump with reduced water flow behind a load of poret foams. He has openly said that in his vids, as in that’s where it failed. But he didn’t admit he was wrong. The casing overheated and killed the fish I think fault lies with the user... but the filter probably doesn’t have minimum flow needs printed, god knows if any heaters have this ???so possibly fault on both sides.

[@albeenokrokadil]

Useless controller. Recommending it for aquariums is a crime. Temp fluctuates by more than 1.5F before it triggers the heater. Consider BRS’ version of this controller, where you can set the trigger to +/- 0.3F.

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Glad you told us! Thank you for the input! I'm definitely not sold yet that this is anywhere near the best one out there. Good to know! I'm going to buy a temperature gun soon so I can test the calibration....I'm not sure yet how accurate this has been. But I definitely will look at the BRS. I think we do all agree on one thing - brands certainly differ, but aquarium controllers are becoming necessary gear these days....