Need heater recommendation

[InTheDark]

I have an 80 gallon saltwater aquarium and need a heater. I would like it to have a thermometer that is visible from the outside (maybe they are all like that... I don't know).

What brand would you recommend?
How many watts do I need?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Samper]

I have used Visi Therm Stealth heaters with no problems what so ever however I have switched mine and all my clients tanks to the 250w Ebo Jagers on a Ranco Controller. Some reefers run two smaller heaters instead as back ups in case one gets stuck on or one stops working. The Ranco eliminates the problem of them sticking on and I've never had either brand that I mentioned quit, stick on, or malfunction.

The ebo is easier to dial in and seems to be fairly accurate even without a controller. The stealth is not quite so user friendly to dial in but is still a good heater.

Interesting story, One of my reefs is in a pediatricians office and I'm there three days a week to maintain it. One of the doctors has a fw cichlid tank in his office in the back that he has maintained for 3 years. He never could get them to reproduce and these are known to do so easily in captivity. I don't do fw but his heater was not doing the job of maintaining reasonable temp swings. We ordered him a 250w ebo jager without a controller and he just dialed it in. His system has temp wise become much more stable. He has three different species of cichlid in this tank and since the temp has stabilized all three species have been reproducing.....like rabbits as they say. They are mouthbrooders and it's been fun to watch. I believe the stable temp was the key missing element for him. Now have to find an outlet for all these babies! Just thought I'd share that. Good luck.

[InTheDark]

Thanks for the tip Samper. I think I'll try the Ebo Jagers.

[Ninong]

I used a 200w Ebo Jager in the sump of my 120-gal tank in Southeast Louisiana. You don't need much for an 80-gal tank in Ft. Lauderdale. Of course, it really depends on how cold it will get inside the room where the tank is kept.

[InTheDark]

Thanks guys. I bought the 200 W Ebo Jager. Now I just need to wait for the next cold front to see how it maintains temp