faster thermometer

F

fishorama

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Jun 28, 2006
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SF Bay area, CA
I usually use my finger or a floating type thermometer to get the water change temp close. But with my new discus & daily WCs I don't have the 88*F knack & it takes a while to get it right. Mostly it's waiting for the darn thermometer.

Any suggestions for a not too expensive digital?
 
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3744+12089&pcatid=12089

There are 5 of these around the house now.

My first one I tested against my floater and was real close. Maybe a degree different? Which one was right IDK.

The next 3 bought were with in something like .3 degrees of the first one. The last one was exactly 1 degree off, from the first one.

Not perfect, but alot better/closer readings than when I tested around 8 floaters to each other.

Not much for me to complain about them. I think I got my frist one 6 or 7 months ago?
I could find out exactly, but aint gonna. :P
 
keep in mind you don't need to be more than close when doing water changes.

if your off by a few degrees the fish won't even notice
 
Also, the amount off you can be without problems depends on the type of fish, and the % w/c. For most fish, if you are doing a 10% water change, you could pull off 10 F, and probably not have problems. If doing a 50 % w/c, you should make sure you are w/i a degree, most of the time. Also, if the water is colder than the tank, it matters less. It will take much less time for your heater to bring new water to temp than it will for your tank to cool off. Some people intentionally introduce water several degrees colder than the tank to induce breeding.
 
I've used the Coralife with mixed success. On my 55 it would show temp swings from the low 80's to the low 70's within one day. I think I just got a defective one because I had another on my 30 that worked pretty well.
 
I just have regular tropical fish, but I dont even temp match when doing a wc. Just drain to desired % and refill with cold tap. No problems here from it.
 
keep checking the temp with the finger. I do that all the time with no problemos for almost 7 years.
 
Thanks for the link SMinNC, just the kind of thing I was looking for & cheaper than I expected.

It's been so dang hot here, the 86-88F discus temp feels coolish, what felt not too warm was in the mid 90s :eek: by the time the themometer quit! I don't want to cook my new babies or chill them. I do daily 30-60% WCs, plus poo vacs. I think I run at least twice as much water getting the temp close as I actually change.

I know I'm being a bit overprotective, it only been 2 weeks. I've been refilling by hand not trusting the python yet, 50 ft of the wrong temp seems like a lot. Plus my tap temp wanders at first. To top it all off my tap Kh is lower than it's usual 3ish GDH so they've had some Ph drop off issues. Baking soda is helping but I'll do it very gradually. Everybody looks ok now but didn't this am :sick:.

I am rebuilding the upper body strength I lost after getting a python last year so it's not all bad :liar:.

Thanks for the help guys.
 
Coralife thermometer may be off

I really like the Tom aquarium temp alert. Extremely fast and fairly accurate 1~ degree off. Been using this to compare tank temp to water change bucket. Again, they're fast!
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2755306&lmdn=Fish

I have 4 Coralife thermometers and they are all off. One is 10 degrees off! Others are off by 6, 4 and 3 degrees.

I have them all marked with the degree difference with marker on a piece of masking tape for reminders....

So, you may want to check their temperature with other reliable thermometers you may have to see if it is off.
 
AZ water in the summer comes at one temp, hot or hotter and luckily for me the tap is around 78-80 degrees and thats wehat i keep my tank at haha.
 
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