Hygger Heater and Inkbird

[FranM]

Hello. I purchased the heater below and I also have an Inkbird heat controller. Does anyone use the type of heater I have shown here with an Inkbird? Thank you.

 

[seangee]

Not that type of heater. But I always set my heaters 1 degree higher than the Inkbird so it is the inkbird doing all the controlling, and if it fails to shut down the heater cutoff is a backup.

 

[FranM]

Not that type of heater. But I always set my heaters 1 degree higher than the Inkbird so it is the inkbird doing all the controlling, and if it fails to shut down the heater cutoff is a backup.

So you’re saying I should not use the Inkbird with this type, or, you have no experience with it?

Thanks.

 

[anewbie]

So you’re saying I should not use the Inkbird with this type, or, you have no experience with it?

Thanks.

Hello. I purchased the heater below and I also have an Inkbird heat controller. Does anyone use the type of heater I have shown here with an Inkbird? Thank you.

View attachment 340643

It is redundant but no harm in being redudant.

Have i gone to this extreme in being redundant - no of course not - HOWEVER i have used controllers with my heaters and i have used hygger heaters.

 

[FranM]

Thank you. How did you like the Hygger heaters?

Yes it seems redundant. The only difference is the Inkbird is WiFi controlled so I can monitor it while I’m away. I don’t know which regular heater is good anymore. The Eheim Jagers have disappointed me.

 

[anewbie]

Thank you. How did you like the Hygger heaters?

Yes it seems redundant. The only difference is the Inkbird is WiFi controlled so I can monitor it while I’m away. I don’t know which regular heater is good anymore. The Eheim Jagers have disappointed me.

They are ok i guess - to be honest they all suck but i prefer the controllers on the hygger. One thing i should have mentioned is that any heater will work with a controller and you can have as many controllers as you want in the chain as long as the current draw is within spec for each controller in the chain. There are different models of inkbird with different wattage ratings.

 

[seangee]

So you’re saying I should not use the Inkbird with this type, or, you have no experience with it?

Thanks.

I have no experience with that heater but use Inkbirds in all 4 of my tanks so would always use it. For additional redundancy I have 2 heaters in every tank. By setting the heaters slightly higher than the inkbird I have all of the following protections (and limitations):

1. A heater stops heating -> I have another and no harm done
2. Heater thermostat fails (low) and heater doesn't come on -> Same as #1
3. Heater thermostat fails (high) and heater doesn't turn off -> Inkbird turns it off (but I won't know it has failed)
4. Inkbird probe fails (high) and doesn't turn it off -> Heaters turn themselves off
5. Inkbird probe fails (low) -> I have to check the thermometer, in theory Inkbird will notify me but I don't rely on that
6. Inkbird fails altogether -> Same as #5
   

One thing to be aware of is that Inkbirds are not infallible. I have had to replace 4 or 5 probes in the 8 years I have been using them and one unit failed altogether. The new ones with dual probes are supposed to offer some protection against this (you get an alert if the probes show different readings), but mine are all older with a single probe.

And an observation. 3 of my Inkbirds are non-wifi and have been absolutely bullet proof. The wifi one occasionally gives a false alarm. As a safety feature when it is in an alarm state it turns the heaters off and the only way to clear the error is to turn off the power and turn it back on. A distributor told me that they are prone to doing that. It happened once every 2-4 weeks initially. Then it happened mid winter when I was away from home for 3 weeks and I spent a few anxious days watching the temp drop on my phone and desperately trying to reset the via phone. When my neighbour got home (it was over Christmas) he went in and flicked the power switch and everything survived the holiday. After that I connected it to a smart plug and every 6 hours I turn it off for 5 minutes. That way if it does enter a false alarm state the max it will be without heat is 6 hours. I have never had a problem since and also not seen a false alarm.

I do tend to rely on the Inkbird but it is good practice to check periodically with a thermometer that the Inkbird is reporting the correct temp - I usually do this weekly at water change time. Except in the height of summer (when the heaters are off anyway) I normally add water slightly cooler than the Inkbird settings. This allows me to check that all the heaters come on. Any that don't get replaced.

 

[anewbie]

Yea - i've heard that from others. the hygger controllers i use have been very reliable - at least for the 4 years i've had them. The heating elements will fail if they get dry (which has happened during water changes); i have some high end controllers on my large aquariums but alas none of these have wifi/alert notification. There are monitors but they cost around $200 hydro is pretty good.

The hygger i use are:
amazon.com/gp/product/B07H2ZCXS1

But they aren't cheap - they've been more reliable than the $15 and $25 heaters i've purchased so there is that trade off. What we want should be economical as the electronics are simple enough but alas finding it is the harder part.
-
There are two failure modes - heater get stuck on and failed unit so never comes on - and i've had several cheap heaters get stuck on - one killed a really nice fish i had in qt which pissed me off to no end.
-
Other than $$ my only other complaint on the hygger have been the suction cup on the thermostat is weak so i have to make sure it gets wedge in the aquarium.
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I have around 6 of them spread across my 14 aquariums. I have 6 'high end' controllers from jehemco; they cost an arm and a leg but should last a while.

 

[FranM]

I have no experience with that heater but use Inkbirds in all 4 of my tanks so would always use it. For additional redundancy I have 2 heaters in every tank. By setting the heaters slightly higher than the inkbird I have all of the following protections (and limitations):

1. A heater stops heating -> I have another and no harm done
2. Heater thermostat fails (low) and heater doesn't come on -> Same as #1
3. Heater thermostat fails (high) and heater doesn't turn off -> Inkbird turns it off (but I won't know it has failed)
4. Inkbird probe fails (high) and doesn't turn it off -> Heaters turn themselves off
5. Inkbird probe fails (low) -> I have to check the thermometer, in theory Inkbird will notify me but I don't rely on that
6. Inkbird fails altogether -> Same as #5

One thing to be aware of is that Inkbirds are not infallible. I have had to replace 4 or 5 probes in the 8 years I have been using them and one unit failed altogether. The new ones with dual probes are supposed to offer some protection against this (you get an alert if the probes show different readings), but mine are all older with a single probe.

And an observation. 3 of my Inkbirds are non-wifi and have been absolutely bullet proof. The wifi one occasionally gives a false alarm. As a safety feature when it is in an alarm state it turns the heaters off and the only way to clear the error is to turn off the power and turn it back on. A distributor told me that they are prone to doing that. It happened once every 2-4 weeks initially. Then it happened mid winter when I was away from home for 3 weeks and I spent a few anxious days watching the temp drop on my phone and desperately trying to reset the via phone. When my neighbour got home (it was over Christmas) he went in and flicked the power switch and everything survived the holiday. After that I connected it to a smart plug and every 6 hours I turn it off for 5 minutes. That way if it does enter a false alarm state the max it will be without heat is 6 hours. I have never had a problem since and also not seen a false alarm.

I do tend to rely on the Inkbird but it is good practice to check periodically with a thermometer that the Inkbird is reporting the correct temp - I usually do this weekly at water change time. Except in the height of summer (when the heaters are off anyway) I normally add water slightly cooler than the Inkbird settings. This allows me to check that all the heaters come on. Any that don't get replaced.

So much to think about! The heater is a nerve wracking necessity in the aquarium. Thank you for all the information. I do have the WiFi double probe Inkbird model. I have the option of using a smart plug too.

“After that I connected it to a smart plug and every 6 hours I turn it off for 5 minutes. That way if it does enter a false alarm state the max it will be without heat is 6 hours. I have never had a problem since and also not seen a false alarm.”

So you’re saying that you actually schedule the smart plug to turn off every six hours for five minutes. This is because if there is an alarm, and the way for the alarm to turn off is to kill the power. And if you are not physically home to do it, the smart plug will. Is this right?

Even the smart plugs aren’t infallible. At least two times in the middle of the night I have found the light on. I have the light fixture attached to a smart plug. This is over the course of years but still…

 

[FranM]

They are ok i guess - to be honest they all suck but i prefer the controllers on the hygger. One thing i should have mentioned is that any heater will work with a controller and you can have as many controllers as you want in the chain as long as the current draw is within spec for each controller in the chain. There are different models of inkbird with different wattage ratings.

I believe the heater is less wattage than what the max is for Inkbird.