thermometer questions

i trust my thermometers before i trust the one in the heater personally, and i use ebo jager heaters in all my tanks

Those sticky thermometers are not reliable. Suggest you get another one and check again.

They are more or less reliable (stickys) and would trust instinct and lower the thermostat on that heater.

the stick on thermometers that go on the outside of the tank are wonderful for knowing what the air temperature is right by your tank, lol. get a floating glass thermometer, cheap and accurate!

Your heater setting is only a referance unless you can calibrate it with a thermometer. The stick on thermometers are not accurate and should only be used as a quick referance. You should get yourself a thermometer for each tank ($3 or $4). I have ones with "larger" numbers and calibrated for each degree as rather then to every 2nd degree. Mine are iodine filled (red) with a yellow background, again making it easier to read. The ones I have also mount to the inside of the tank using a soft suction cup (rarely gets disloged) placed where I prefer so that I can read it at a glance. The floating ones stick to the glass, where ever the water current dictates, and usually must be turned to be read (pain).
I have 3 tanks (one a quarintine tank) all having the same kind of thermometer. Here is a tip: buy one for each of your tanks, buy them all at the same time and make sure they are all reading the same tempurature when you take them off the rack (some may be different by a dergree or two). This will insure your tanks are the same temp when transferring fish from one tank to the other.

I have sticky thermometers and a digital probe thermometer. Their readings are the same.

i do understand convenience, technology and todays modern world, BUT...

why do so many people think that a heater setting on a very simple dial with tiny little numbers printed on it is supposed to tell you what your water temp is? i just don't get it.

i've seen some of the more experienced aquarists even complain they set their heaters to whatever and the temp actually comes out to... whatever. i could see if you're using a digital temp probe to set with, but a dial with numbers printed on it... REALLY??? i mean i've worked with electronics, computers, manufacturing AND printing. there just simply is no way yet to print numbers around a dial and know for sure that those numbers are in the exact spot proportionate to the temps they refer to. not gonna happen cap'n...

too many variables on a rheostat. too many variables in printing. too many variables with human error. i mean even in mass production with a machine intricately doing everything for you a person still has to tell the machine what to do, maintain it, set it, clean it, turn it on, etc.. one groggy eyed morning after a good concert or a bachelor party and thousands of those little printed number sets could easily be on the wrong side of the dial. what's the manufacturer to do, eat the cost of every single one... think not! business works by the bottom line. if every business trashed every product that wasn't perfect our entire country would fail.

i am sorry i felt compelled to write this on your thread. this by no means is aimed at anyone in particular. i have just seen too many threads lately (and not just on this site) by people who have had fish way too long to not know better complaining that their setting is off on their thermometer. no doubt this is probably brought on by more legitimate gripes with newer heaters on previously trusted brands and models. most of the complaints/gripes are completely understandable and i'd want compensation if they were to happen to me also... especially if i opted for a brand because of it's reliability. complaining about a print on a temp dial being off a little in one direction or the other is a little petty imho though. thermometers are a necessity in the event of heater failure anyway so why not go by that and give it a couple days before you add fish... or set it and test it in a bowl or another tank that doesn't already have occupants?

i'm going to end this here so i don't get too far under anybody's skin...

definitely have a regular old glass thermometer first. definitely make sure it shows the same temp as most of the others on the shelf at the very least before you buy it. whether floating or affixed to the glass would be more preference than anything but affixed is simpler. if you want digital i'd say keep it as a backup. batteries dying can cause readings that are way off. if you already have an old fashioned glass one it can always be double checked for accuracy on a digi.

happy hunting and good luck.

i do understand convenience, technology and todays modern world, BUT...

"why do so many people think that a heater setting on a very simple dial with tiny little numbers printed on it is supposed to tell you what your water temp is? i just don't get it."

Dundadundun- You make a great point here, but I think the reason people expect it to be accurate is because the heater manufacturer TELLS you it's going to be accurate. Most of them say "accurate to within +/- 1 degree. (With the implication that it means within +/- 1 degree of the temperature you'll set on the little dial) I've personally NEVER found these to be accurate based on the dial setting., and I understand the OP's frustration. That being said, an accurate thermometer inside the tank is a must...and maybe it's also time for some of these accuracy claims to be downgraded.
Andy

Been very happy with this one from www.kensfish.com Has nice sized numbers and sticks to your tank using a magnet. Under $2.00 for this one.