I have a 55 gallon tank and have been using the little stick on thermometer that came with the kit. I have two powerfilters and the 200 watt heater between them. The stick on had been reading about 80. I didnt trust its accuracy and it gave more of a range. There was color showing from 78-82. Last night I put in one of the glass marine land thermometers. It was reading about 78. I bumped the heater up. This morning it read 80 but the stick on red 86. The water felt way too warm. I am gradualy getting the temp down, but would love suggestions on a thermometer I can trust.
thermometer question
- Thread starter werecatrising
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I use cheapy thermometers. Look for a glass 1 that is in the middle-range of all on offer, neither highest or lowest. I have a stick-on on 1 tank, I use it as a guestimate. I trust my tds meter's temp mode most but a "range" is ok for most fish. What fish are you keeping that need 80+F? That's kinda high for many species, speeds metabolism, shortens lives if not needed.
Yes, you want to measure temp of water, not the outside glass. I use the glass ones still.
But, as "Lami408" said, a digital one is good too.
The problem, for me, with most digital ones that stay in the tank, is they are hard to read, especially in a darkened room. And, the suction cups on them are not much better than most on heaters or even glass thermometers for that matter. I prefer my handheld digital probe one, but still maintain floating glass ones in most all tanks.
True on the digital ones. They're great, but I hate the suction cup for the probe end. Never stays put, so unless you've got a large HOB filter to stuff it in, you've got that dangling in your tank. I've got a Coralife digital that I recently dropped into the tank. It seems to work after drying it out, but it acts weird right when you power it up.
I bought a cheap 4 pack of chinese knock-offs and the all the suction cups for them were completely useless. The units work though, and seem to jive with the more expensive ones.
I don't mind the stick-on ones for a quick guideline reading. I've also got a few glass bulb ones, but of course the cups are gone, so they always drift to where I've got to dig for them.
I bought a cheap 4 pack of chinese knock-offs and the all the suction cups for them were completely useless. The units work though, and seem to jive with the more expensive ones.
I don't mind the stick-on ones for a quick guideline reading. I've also got a few glass bulb ones, but of course the cups are gone, so they always drift to where I've got to dig for them.
I always thought my fish knock them off instead of the suction cup being junk. Probably a mixture of both. Solved the problem by cutting off the suction cup and stringing a piece of fish line through the ring the suction cup used to be attached to. Then secure the end of the line outside on the rim with some scotch tape. It will still float around, but stays put in the corner - can either read it from one or the other side. If I can't, I have to fish it out.
I had a bunch of the digitals. Decide to try something so I stuck them all in the same tank. Right next to each other. None of them had the same temp.
Check to see if your thermometer is accurate. Stick it into a glass of 50-50 ice and water. If it's not 32 it's wrong.
Check to see if your thermometer is accurate. Stick it into a glass of 50-50 ice and water. If it's not 32 it's wrong.
