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Aquarium Co-Op 100 Watt Heater


Cory
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On 5/18/2022 at 4:36 PM, Tihshho said:

I don't think the timer starts when it gets power as digitally this device is always on once it gets power. More so the internal clock starts when the unit powers the heating coil. So it's duration of heat cycles that are being counted from my understanding, not the duration the unit has been plugged in for use.

 In Corey's Video he is quoted as saying" The heater is tracking how long it is plugged in"  so that is what I understood. If you are correct then yes my idea/thoughts aren't valid. 

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On 5/18/2022 at 5:47 PM, Ken Sonnier said:

 In Corey's Video he is quoted as saying" The heater is tracking how long it is plugged in"  so that is what I understood. If you are correct then yes my idea/thoughts aren't valid. 

If this is the case, this doesn't line up with what I thought I read in other posts in this thread. If so, I'm mistaken. 

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Ken is correct, the heater time starts as soon as it's plugged in. So pairing with a heater controller would give you the experience that Tihshho is explaining.

As for @Bev C something isn't adding up. Do you have a picture of your tank? And the top area? In principle, heating the water up 5 degrees in a 55g isn't that difficult. Most people turn their heat down at night, do you have yours going down to say 65 degrees at night?  Another thing would be having a tank by somewhere drafty, or by a window/sliding glass door. Also if there are big gaps in the lid structure around the filters, and lots of aeration it could be evaporative cooling.

 

With many factors at play, I'd love to see what is tweakable to just use the 100 watt heater as your setup should be better off for it. If you're interested in getting to the bottom of it. I totally also understand the, "I'll just run two and move on" approach as it's a simple thing for $25 basically.

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@Cory  No I do not have photos the only camera I have is my on my ipad or phone when I get home I will try my  best to get photos for you,  be warned I am not very good taking photos  but I will try to get the lid area and the top area. of the tank  

I have to leave my house  same temp year around due  to health problems  and my bones, and to be able to function well   so . I do not do well in the cold or cold air conditioners 

Edited by Bev C
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On 5/18/2022 at 4:56 PM, Tihshho said:

If this is the case, this doesn't line up with what I thought I read in other posts in this thread. If so, I'm mistaken. 

It's not really about right/wrong . We just having a convo about our common hobby. I had just read a few peoples concerns about the longevity of these heaters . I was thinking it may ease some peoples minds of example they were running the controllers . Really for 25 bucks it is a fairly inexpensive. But yup No worries Tihahho . We are just two individuals in the honby having a convo of our ideas/thoughts . Salute Sir . 👊🏻

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On 5/18/2022 at 6:36 PM, Ken Sonnier said:

It's not really about right/wrong . We just having a convo about our common hobby. I had just read a few peoples concerns about the longevity of these heaters . I was thinking it may ease some peoples minds of example they were running the controllers . Really for 25 bucks it is a fairly inexpensive. But yup No worries Tihahho . We are just two individuals in the honby having a convo of our ideas/thoughts . Salute Sir . 👊🏻

Oh agreed, I was just saying that I might have read what was stated wrong. I'm going to go back to earlier posts in this thread to get some things clarified as I misread something somewhere.

***Edit***

I found where the disconnect is and it was based off of an response by Anon on the initial comment that I posted earlier that was not corrected by @Cory in the thread, but he did cover it in the video later. That said, Cory, I don't blame you for this as you've got tons of other things you need to focus on than fact checking posts on the forum. 

On 4/29/2022 at 9:35 AM, Anon said:

After a year of continuous use (10k hours), it gets the little warning light. It should take you a lot longer than a year to get the warning light, because you won't be running the heater 24/7. I think he said in a livestream that the 10,000 hours is kind of an arbitrary figure created by the manufacturers and the light is more of a reminder you've been using the heater for a long time.

  For reference on anyone referring to the OP, I would recommend you edit the post and clarify the underlined portion below to reference exactly what you said in the video; i.e. counter starts when the unit receives power. Continuous use could be read that the unit is 'continuously heating' not 'continuously connected to power'. 

On 4/29/2022 at 12:48 AM, Cory said:

Unfortunately a feature got snuck into manufacturing we weren't expecting. This would be the End of Life counter. Which at 10,000 hours it displays "EL" on the digital display, while flashing the temperature. It takes 14 months of continuous use to hit 10,000 hours. After that the heater will still work as normal, but it will flash to remind you that it's reached it's end of life and you should think about replacing it.  All heaters have a life expectancy, but as hobbyists we just use them until they break normally.

 

 

Edited by Tihshho
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There’s one usability change I’d love to see.

I would find it incredibly useful to turn the temperature down as easily as I can turn it up. Something like an up and down arrow on the control switch for temperature adjustment would be awesome. Right now, I’m trying to cool my tank down a bit and it’s definitely more work than I’d prefer to have to cycle in one direction through all the temps every night to lower my tank one degree. 

My apologies if this has been mentioned or addressed elsewhere! I tried to do a quick topic search and didn’t spot anything.

Overall though I find the form factor and usability of this heater to be my favorite out of all the different ones I’ve used! The compact size is awesome and having the temp adjustment outside of the tank is such a huge quality of life improvement for me. The readout being so clear and easy to read from a distance is also great. Aside from not being able to easily adjust temp downwards, the overall experience of setting the heater up and getting my temp set is leaps and bounds above the other heaters I’ve had. 

Edited by SpacedCadette
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On 5/18/2022 at 3:14 PM, Tihshho said:

Interesting... I've never heard something like this before. By EU, do you mean the CE marking?

Yes, I should have specified. If you are on Facebook, there's an entire group that all they do is post different times/things that have happened where US companies refuse to ship to/cover something because New Mexico is a foreign country.🤣 At this point I just chuckle a lot.

On 5/18/2022 at 3:14 PM, Tihshho said:

Interesting... I've never heard something like this before. By EU, do you mean the CE marking?

Yes, I should have specified. If you are on Facebook, there's an entire group that all they do is post different times/things that have happened where US companies refuse to ship to/cover something because New Mexico is a foreign country.🤣 At this point I just chuckle a lot.

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 @Cory I got photos  you wanted and 2 little videos they are not the greatest  but I can not upload them here to many  Or large  can I post a link to my website photo album, and you can look at them there .. I was not sure of the rule posting personal websites links  or I can send you the link on your  forum private messenger 

Edited by Bev C
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@Cory there are 10 photos, and they have been  resized did them in Photoshop plus there are two videos  here is the link it  hope they help ..  I am not the best photographer 

link has been deleted 

Edited by Bev C
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@Bev Cthanks for the photos. I wonder if the spray bar is causing cooling to go on via evaporative cooling? Is there a particular reason you run it like 4 inches low? Top is sealed up well so I would think a 100 watt heater would have no problem heating that up in a normal situation. If nothing is holding you back, perhaps try filling it up and seeing if it works then?

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 @Cory Ok  I will try it  see how it works  I will unplug the other heater and let the AOC heater run a few days by itself and see how it does . I do love the AOC  heater  size  it is hidden well with the plants 

  there is not a good reason  for  the lower water line in the tank  I guess just  got use to filling it to that point plus  I like the water fall sound, and it causes more water flow 

The reason I started 

 I had a different top before the glass  lid …   One of those cheap black lids that comes with the tank   where the filter went there were bigger holes for the filter  I started leaving less water  because  my bristolnose  pelco was new a baby  he would  escape through the filter holes only way I could keep him in was lower the water level  he is bigger now and happier . I am sure he  not he's going anywhere, and he is a big little man now  

but my nitrite snails are escape artist too  caught them a couple of times getting past  the outtake and intake holes   So I had to fill the holes  with small pieces   filter pad  (took the padding out, so you could  see the lid and holes  better )

PS in a month or 2  I am making plans of getting a new lid  DIY lid  that you showed how to make I have a hate and love with the glass lids 

I will try the heater again by itself and let you know in a couple of days how it goes 

 Thanks, Cory  very much for taking time to look at the photos and trying to figure  things out for me 

Edited by Bev C
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 I will remove my personal link now  to my photo album  since Cory has seen the photos  thanks  Cory & everyone for the help .  I do not want to break in rules  .that is why I ask first before posting the link   to  Cory 

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@Cory Update Friday’s May 27,

I have been testing the heater for the past few days.  I think you was right what was wrong why the heater was not heating. 

I put in more water in the tank like you recommended about 3 more inches of water  2-5 gallons .. I  did leave about a inch at the top to  still  keep the snails in  and I moved the the spay bar down where it is down in the water ,, instead of having the bar spray on top .

So far the heater is heating all the tank ,,  and it ‘s temperature is matching my temperature meter …I tested it on its own and with my inkbird  and it is working i. I had to re adjust my inkbird temperature to match my meter  temperature

and it is coming on and shutting on off fine with no problems ..

Thank you so much Cory for taking time out of your busy schedule to helping me it is appreciated so much  .. I am so happy  thank you…. Bev

Edited by Bev C
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  • 4 weeks later...
On 5/8/2022 at 2:50 AM, Tihshho said:

I keep my house colder year round too and don't over do it with heaters. You should be able to get away with two if you want to save a bit on power and open up a plug.

You where right.  I took out one in my 75s so there is only 2 and I put 3 in my 125 they do perfect !

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On 6/23/2022 at 3:44 PM, ILikeFish said:

Silly question about the heater. What are the dimensions of the heater. I am trying to find out if it will fit in a Fluval Flex 15

It fits easily. I have one in my 15 flex.  I have it at the bottom of the left back compartment.  

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On 6/23/2022 at 12:44 PM, ILikeFish said:

Silly question about the heater. What are the dimensions of the heater. I am trying to find out if it will fit in a Fluval Flex 15

4.56 inches tall, 2.38 inches wide, 1.5 inches thick according to the 2nd and 3rd pictures on the product page. 

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