Stealth Heaters - A+

[fkshiu]

My point is that aquarium heaters are mechanical devices which are subject to failure over time no matter how well built.

A controller gives you an added layer of protection. The temperature controls in such controllers are generally of higher quality than those found in a $25 heater.

Often with thousands of dollars invested in reef tanks the most galling thing would be for a preventable disaster to happen as a result of $25 piece of equipment.

If most other pieces of equipment fail in your system it's usually no more than an inconvenience. Heaters are the one piece of equipment that can kill within a few hours of failure.