Which is the best Smart Heater for your Aquarium?

[@SpiritAquatics]

I recently bought the aquael heater, mostly because it's smaller and can be hidden more easily in a scape. Haven't used it yet but it does feel well made 👍

[@AquariumShed]

It's size is another great point. I do find the smaller Nano wattage units to be far better than all others in terms of hiding them away! 👍

[@MarkMajurey]

I had the Fluval previously and the one downside is algae likes to lodge itself into the plastic housing and is a big challenge to clean. Even if you have minimal algae, the one place it fixes is the Fluval casing. The Aquael is completely smooth with no notches or gaps making it MUCH easier to clean and rid of algae 100%.

[@AquariumShed]

This is an excellent point, I definitely find it a LOT harder to keep the Fluval clean. More points for the Aquael for sure! 👍

[@raziel8321]

Both heaters have been available for many, many years. I bought both when they were released back then. The Fluval looks good at first glance, but the display is difficult to read underwater. Especially if the heater is positioned a little hidden. It has also proven to be extremely unreliable and needs a lot of flow for good control. It's not small either. And be honest, it is ugly and not good to clean. I've probably bought the Aquael heater 6 times in the meantime. In all conceivable performance levels and generations. For me one of the best heaters of the last 15 years by far. Small, reliable and easy to use. Above all, I've never had any problems with the temperature.

[@AquariumShed]

Agreed. Aquael is my go to purchase whenever I am setting up a new tank. Super reliable and not even that pricey considering.

[@sydloc4776]

Do you have to have the heaters at 45° for it to work efficiently?

[@AquariumShed]

The 45 degree adapter is more about providing a useful angle to view the lcd display. So long as you have a decent flow in the tank it will work mounted any which way.

[@anthonypope8429]

i have two aquael heaters and a fluval E both good heaters but i agree with you that the aquael is well built and i have had no problems with them i am thinking of changing all my other three tanks to aquael i have five tanks in total

[@ardscorner]

Great review. In need of a new heater after my VTherm decided to stop working after just over a year. Already tried the Fluval and kept struggling with the flow, even though it was adjacent to the outlet, then away from the outlet, in fact I placed it everywhere and it always returned a flow warning. So just ordered the Aquel. Off to watch some of your other videos now, good content.

[@AquariumShed]

Thanks so much. Always happy to help. You won't regret the Aquael. Definitely getting better at this content producing malarchy, I'd recommend checking out my dragon stone scaping video. My personal favourite! Take it easy. 🤘

[@ardscorner]

@@AquariumShed I will....just battling BBA at the moment.....large regular water changes but its a real nuisance

[@AquariumShed]

The worst of all the algaes for sure! Fortunately only had it once before, but it was a bugger. Sounds like you are on the case. Good luck! 🤞🤞

[@ardscorner]

@@AquariumShed It is....I.would like to beat it to death with a stick lol. Threw in a few large floaters that hoover up what algae thrives on so attacking it in mnay ways. Will let you know

[@darren1796]

I have the Fluval e series and I find it quite bulky just moved over to the AquaEL not as big of a profile in comparison to the e series.

[@fangas]

Hello. As this thermostat is different from the others, which are placed next to the filter so that the warmer water circulates throughout the aquarium, is it also necessary to place this one next to the filter for hot water circulation, or is it not necessary? Thanks in advance

[@Raitis.F]

My main factor would be the size... I have 10L Quarantine tank and Fluval just would not fit in it. But considering replacing the heater in my main (56L) tank with one of Aquael Ultra Heater as it is more discreet and easier to hide with foreground plants or decoration (leaving enough space for the flow)... Thank you for the video though...

[@AquariumShed]

Agreed, I think form factor is something I really overlooked when making this video. I hide one of the Aquael heaters in my 30l Nano much more successfully than I can hide the Fluval in a 55l Nano. All in all, the Aquael is definitely the better option in my opinion. Glad you found the video useful! 👍

[@discol76]

Nice comparison video. Would have been nice to see your findings on temperature accuracy also. I've read the toggle switch has to be out of the water. Is this true? I have one for my small nano tank that I haven't set up yet. I also have a larger tank to set up but I think I'll go with a couple of AquaEl heaters for that one .

[@AquariumShed]

My toggle is almost always underwater and I've had no issues. In terms of temperature accuracy, I now have a laser thermometer to test my tanks periodically. They both seem pretty accurate. But I think you are making the righ choice going with the two AquaEl ultras!

[@discol76]

@@AquariumShed Thanks for your reply. Much appreciated 👍

[@drewscott2753]

Just bought the aquael ultra over the fluval thanks to your comparison. My eheim thermocontrol e heater just gave up after 3 years and I knew I wanted another electronic heater. The aquael looks great in my tank against the black background.

[@AquariumShed]

Really pleased I could help out. It really is a very sleek design! Enjoy. 👍

[@ssss-df5qz]

I think the ultimate question is "do you want a big, bulky, hard to clean and out dated design or, do you want the Aquael?"

[@AquariumShed]

Haha. Yes very true indeed. Certainly won't be buying anything else in the future! Thanks for watching! 👍

[@GAMINGMATRIXXX]

For the Fluval Heater; Is it necessary to unplug the heater when I do a water change or does the heater know to turn off on its own, when the water level is too low for it?

[@AquariumShed]

Hi. That would be a great feature, but unfortunately it does need to be unplugged I'm afraid. 👍

[@AQUAGUYUK]

aquael ultra great heater built in thermometer works a treat fluval have now changed this design as it simply didnt work well

[@AquariumShed]

Aah interesting, is that the T Series you are referring to?

[@AQUAGUYUK]

@@AquariumShed Indeed and i love it bit long to be honest studio.kzbin.infoeBXts3YQ-C4/edit

[@AQUAGUYUK]

@@AquariumShed yup

[@nathaniliescu4597]

Would either of this (in the smallest size of course suit a fluval edge 23l tank? I'm leaning towards the fluval e series but with the guard it seems a bit big. Thanks for the vid 👍

[@AquariumShed]

Hiya. I think the smallest Fluval model is the 50w which is a bit overkill tbh. Plus it is quite a big unit like you say. The 25w Aquael would be perfect for a 23l tank tho. And super easy to hide away in the tank, they are much more discreet. 👍

[@ssss-df5qz]

There's generally no problem running a more powerful heater in a smaller tank, it will just heat the water up to temp quicker and won't stay on for as long as a smaller one (though the power consumption between the two is relative). There is a limit though obviously. a 300w heater in a 25L would be a bit silly. It's under powered heaters in big tanks that is a problem. For the fish and the electric bill.

[@mraquaticnews5676]

Really good review! I like fluval but it seems that Aquel has a slight edge!

[@AquariumShed]

Certainly does. I'm gradually switching entirely to Aquael heaters. Mainly due to their smaller size and ability to hide away more easily! 👍

[@mraquaticnews5676]

@@AquariumShed Cool!

[@stevegee8010]

What always bugs me is heaters are supposed to be positioned horizonally or near horizontally, yet they always have the displays, and in the case of the Aquael, the controls, in a vertical position.

[@AquariumShed]

What is your favourite aquarium heater, and do you agree with my conclusions? Let me know! 👍

[@stubbsaquatics6080]

Great video.. I have a fish room with cool or cold water species. I have also a very small room in the basement that has a wall tank and a few small tanks.. Basically a oversized closet.. Do you think it would be best to heat the tanks.. 55g and a 20 and 15 or heat the room. I like your channel. Just subbed I have a small channel

[@AquariumShed]

Hiya, thanks for the sub and the nice comments. Personally, in the UK I use the Sust-It website to work out roughly how much something in the fishroom is going to cost me and keep a tally in a spreadsheet (super geeky I know! lol). I think that in my basement I am just at the point where a room heater or aquarium heaters are going to work out the roughly the same cost based on current wattage I'm using and likely wattage required to heat the room. But if I get a couple more tanks I'll be moving into room heater territory. Having made the initial investment in aquarium heaters I am rolling with it at the moment, and don't really have much more space anyway. With the setup you describe, I am guessing you are in a similar situation to me where it isn't quite cost effective yet to heat the room. But a couple more and it probably will be..... Hope that makes sense!?

[@stubbsaquatics6080]

@@AquariumShed Makes perfect sense.. Thanks so very much for the detailed answer.. Well thought out and thorough. Glad I subbed. I have filmed my fish room.. Its in the editing stage. I have a few vids of my ponds and a couple of my shubunkin tanks. Have a look if you have a moment.. All the best and take care.

[@AquariumShed]

@@stubbsaquatics6080 Awesome - just editing a new video myself. Will def check out your channel and subscribe! Cheers!

[@nienkemark]

Thanks! Very clear

[@AquariumShed]

No problem at all, glad that I couldn't help. 👍

[@podenco2]

The Aquael ultra heater looks to be the same as the Dennerle thermocompact. The last one being about €10 cheaper in the Netherlands.

[@AquariumShed]

Yeah thats what I meant in the outro. They are definitley the same I'm sure. In the UK the price difference is the other way round tho. Thanks for watching.

[@PSsquadron]

@@AquariumShed Dennerle Heater is for real Aquael heater.

[@PSsquadron]

Dennerle is a client of Aquael. And it is not the only company that sells these heaters under its own name. It is a 100% construction of the Aquael company. By purchasing from Dennerle, you are supporting Aquael at the same time.

[@AquariumShed]

That makes sense. Cheers for the info. 👍

[@azzaxjs]

The main comparrison is the size and intrusion in the tank? The slimline one wins on that alone!

[@AquariumShed]

Ha. Yeah very true. I have no idea why I didn't think to point this out..... 🤦‍♂️

[@azzaxjs]

@@AquariumShed good vid tho certainly persuaded me to buy one over a different heater!

[@AquariumShed]

Aah thanks. Really appreciate it! 👍

[@evscope]

Had the e series in a reef tank. Could never keep a constant temperature.

[@AquariumShed]

Hi Martin. Thanks for sharing. I've definitely had a few low flow issues with this heater too, and it's another good reason to go for the Aquael I reckon! 👍

[@evscope]

@@AquariumShed I had low flow also, even in an area with decent flow.

[@neillroy]

Just had a marina heater boil all my fish to death, 😢 Can this happen with the aquael?

[@AquariumShed]

Never say never. But I haven't had any issues. So far, I have one of each of these heaters fail on me, and both times they just shut off and the LED flashes to tell you something is wrong. Was your Marina heater one of those set temperature ones? I think the lack of a variable thermostat is usually the reason for horror stories like this. Sorry that you had to experience that. Never nice to lose fish!

[@neillroy]

@@AquariumShed That sounds preferable over boiling. The marina was a standard variable thermostat. About £22 from our local aquarium shop. Worked fine until it didn't.

[@Neosin1]

Always buy lower wattage than you need, im guessing you heater was much higher wattage than you tank size

[@neillroy]

@@Neosin1 no, it was the right size for the tank. Once I'd stopped being furious I stripped it down, turns out that the seal had given up slightly and the moisture jammed the thermostat on. Very poor failure mode.

[@Neosin1]

@@neillroy what size tank and how many watts heater?

[@TheAndriuke]

i like this one from Aquael, its cool staff. and you dont need very often change temperature, so its not very much work to do with it. looks really good (beauty) and very strong (structure) from outside.

[@AquariumShed]

Yeah I agree, it's a really sleek design and so solidly built. Also, it is so much smaller and easy to hide away! Thanks for watching! 👍

[@arncj18]

planned obsolescense, i don't want my heater to switch on/off every time it senses 0,5 temp change, this makes it die faster. Electricians would have made it better if they let a bigger threshold, as long as the temp doesn't go down of the green zone, no animal dies.

[@dragonskinstudio]

My.e series is reading 1c higher than actual temp

[@AquariumShed]

Useful feedback, thanks for sharing. 👍

[@mraquaticnews5676]

✌

[@angelaclements1244]

Help I've took mine apart (had few years) can't remember how I ever got clip back on back 😅

[@AquariumShed]

Ha. I'm guessing you're talking about the fluval because that suction cup board can be a bit confusing. Squeeze the two textured buttons on the left to slide the heater up and down. If it's the angle mount, the clips slot into the holes where you would have normally put the suction cups. Hope that helps! 👍

[@angelaclements1244]

👍

[@Mrtom40]

Can you have it up right

[@AquariumShed]

Hiya. Yes, you can use both models upright! 👍

[@Mrtom40]

@@AquariumShed wicked thank you

[@AquariumShed]

No problem. Thanks for watching!

[@Mrtom40]

@@AquariumShed yeah just found so going through your videos now 😂

[@coleshafer6879]

I can’t get my e200 to heat the tank I have it set to 80 and it just flashes blue at 66

[@AquariumShed]

Hiya. I've recently had the same thing with one of my E heaters. First issue in almost two years tbf. This was what worked for me - I turned the unit off and on again, then turned it all the way down to its lowest setting, then all the way to its highest setting, and finally back to the temperature you require. This performs a reset and it was fine after that. Hope that helps you too! 👍

[@coleshafer6879]

I’ll definitely try that thank you for the fast response too

[@coleshafer6879]

I subscribed as we’ll

[@AquariumShed]

@@coleshafer6879 no problem at all. Hope it helps and thanks for the sub. Really appreciate it! If it doesn't work, the Aquael really is a worthy replacement. I'm gradually moving across to them for all my tanks. Good luck! 🤞

[@mcdingus5081]

I know this was from a year ago- but I thought I'd mention it in case anyone else is having problems like this. If you have the heater set to 80, your actual water temperature has to be at least within 10 degrees Fahrenheit of the set temp. In this case it seems as though it is reading the actual water temp at 66. I would try dropping the set point to 75 or 76 to get it within the 10 degrees. Then, when the water gets to around 71 degrees- up the setpoint back to 80. I would think that would work.

[@nathaniliescu4597]

Owain Hughes...and do you? No, I don't 😉

[@AquariumShed]

🤣🤣🤣 I've still never quite got this, but I guess that's the point!!

[@xiaochmiel]

Aquael faaaaaaaaaaaaaaar better

[@AquariumShed]

Totally agree!! 👍

[@adymarius4788]

Pas du tout précis, Je l'ai réglé à 28° pour avoir un vrai 23°. Tant de publicité pour rien ,je suis déçu.

[@AquariumShed]

Aah that sounds annoying. Which heater was it? Aah, ça a l'air ennuyeux. De quel radiateur s'agissait-il ?

[@adymarius4788]

@@AquariumShed 25w for 20l aquarium

[@AquariumShed]

But which brand, the Fluval or the Aquael?

[@adymarius4788]

@@AquariumShed aquael

[@AquariumShed]

@adymarius4788 Good to know. Thanks.