temperature

[emmz]

Ive just bought a new thermometer and its reading 77 degrees
But the water feels cold to me?
The same in the other tank - it has a digital strip thermometer and is reading 88 degrees but again, the water doesnt feel that warm.

Is this normal?

 

[stingray4540]

Yeah, 77 degrees isn't that warm. You probably take a shower in about 120F water. A nice refreshing dip in the pool is probably about 80F.
If you want to know for sure, get another thermometer to check the accuracy of the one you have. also, the mercury type thermometers are a little more accurate, they will float or they have a suction cup to stick to the glass. They don't actually have mercury in them, but they look like that kinda style.

 

[DeRo316]

I would trust the thermometer, especially if you just bought it. My water is at 80 and it doesnt feel warm, kind of chilly. I have 2 thermometers on my tank, one strip and one glass, one on either side, just in case I dont trust 1 of them.

 

[emmz]

Hi stingray

The one ive just bought is as you described - looks like mercury but not.
Its reading 78 still - what temp does it need to be - (pleco, catfish, corys, loaches)?

 

[stingray4540]

is that all you have in there? bottom feeders? 78 sounds fine you could probably go down to 75 if you wanted, I would keep it around 75 - 78F that should be fine. If you want to be exact you could look up some profiles on all of the fish you have and set it somewhere in the middle so all the fish are suited well, but usually 75 -78 is fine.

 

[Rbishop]

Ive just bought a new thermometer and its reading 77 degrees
But the water feels cold to me?
The same in the other tank - it has a digital strip thermometer and is reading 88 degrees but again, the water doesnt feel that warm.

Is this normal?

It should feel "cool" to you. Check your temperature...you should find it around 98.6 (or is that 96.8?). To tell the truth, except on my discus tanks, I adjust the tap replacement water by feel.

 

[n0zqh]

To tell the truth, except on my discus tanks, I adjust the tap replacement water by feel.

Yah that is what I do in my convict tank. Temp by hand. I've only been off by 4 degrees when I did my very first water change.

 

[stingray4540]

I do the same thing with all my tanks, the fish won't mind water a few degrees off. actually water a few degrees off won't hardly effect the temperature of the tank since only 30% of it will be slightly different.

 

[Raskolnikov]

The way in which you feel temperature is subjective. If you're cool, 80F water will feel warm. If you're hot, 80F water will feel cool. Compare the feeling of placing your finger in a tank after waking up on a cool morning to placing a finger in the same tank after spending time working in the heat. The 'feel' of the water is useful only for comparing two samples to one another at the same time, and even that isn't a replacement for a thermometer.