Thermometer Temp Gauge

[Adictd2Fsh]

Does anyone have experience with external temp gauges like the ones that read through glass or acrylic? Are the external or stick on ones without probe accurate? I need a new one but tired of the suction on glass and magnetic ones. They away end up on bottom or just float around the the tank somewhere.

 

[duanes]

The one to the left is a scientific type placed in the flow to my sump, measuring average of 5 tanks at once, out of the main display tanks site line, but also very accurate.
I have also used the digital ones where the probe is placed in the water of each tank, when I had 20 tanks, it was easily moved and dipped tank to tank.
It was especially good for my Uruguayan cool water species, compared to tropical species, because it has a wide range.
Periodic battery replacement is a bit of a hassle, and all it takes is a. drop of water in the wrong place to start battery corrosion.

 

[Adictd2Fsh]

View attachment 1509853The one to the left is a scientific type placed in the flow to my sump, measuring average of 5 tanks at once, out of the main display tanks site line, but also very accurate.
I have also used the digital ones where the probe is placed in the water of each tank, when I had 20 tanks, it was easily moved and dipped tank to tank.
It was especially good for my Uruguayan cool water species, compared to tropical species, because it has a wide range.
Periodic battery replacement is a bit of a hassle, and all it takes is a. drop of water in the wrong place to start battery corrosion.

View attachment 1509854

Cool! That’s all about over kill for me. I’m curious about the the difference between temp gauges that read from through the glass or probe. Wonder if there is a difference in accuracy. Seems the ones you stick on outside of tank would read lower temp. I guess I could buy both to compare but I’d rather not. My tanks all run different temps and need individual read outs. My goldfish tank is outside my cichlid tanks are inside. Also like to keep quarantine tank a little warmer. Just tryna get rid of all the floating and magnetic thermometers. Would even like to get rid of the external ones with probe. But not sure if stick on ones are accurate.

 

[duanes]

Temp gauges stuck on the outside of the glass, often read more room temp, than actual water temp.

 

[Disturbed.)]

Stay away from the Coralife digital ones with probes they are inaccurate and even that changes. The stick ons will give you a more accurate reading on glass but don't trust them on acrylic. I haven't tried one yet but JW makes a magnetic internal thermometer.
My advice is to start upgrading each tank to an inkbird controller they're only 40 or so. Will give you years and years of not only tenth of a degree accuracy in readings but also to 1 degree of heating and cooling control plus a do something right now high and low alarm

 

[jjohnwm]

Anything that reads from the outside...stick-on LCD, stick-on electronic, even laser temperature "guns"...are only of limited use because they are, when it comes right down to it, reading the temperature of the outer surface of the glass. The thicker the glass, and the greater the temperature differential between the tank and the air, the more that this reading might vary from the actual water temperature. I like a laser gun, but even then I must keep in mind that I am reading the temp of the outside of the container; I get more accurate readings if I project the beam down through the water's surface onto the substrate. Shining the laser onto the tank glass still gives a reading which is at least partially influenced by temperature of the glass surface. Using a laser on a plywood tank will give readings several degrees different on the glass front as opposed to the wooden sides, due to the difference in insulating capacity of the two materials.

As long as you keep track of these differentials, this works just fine. If you know the reading off the front glass needs to say 73F for the water to be 78F, you're all set. Remember that if the room experiences a drastic drop or rise in ambient temperature, then you can't trust the outer-to-inner temp differential to remain the same.

I like the cheap-o digital thermometers with separate submersible probes such as that shown by duanes above; I prefer an individual unit on each tank or sump. Off-brand versions sold online are even cheaper than "names" like Marina, and for me they seem to work just as well. The batteries seem to last several years, and then a whole new unit is almost as cheap as a new battery would be. Get a new one, test it by comparing to a trusted thermometer, and if it works out of the box it will likely continue to work for years.

 

[Adictd2Fsh]

Stay away from the Coralife digital ones with probes they are inaccurate and even that changes. The stick ons will give you a more accurate reading on glass but don't trust them on acrylic. I haven't tried one yet but JW makes a magnetic internal thermometer.
My advice is to start upgrading each tank to an inkbird controller they're only 40 or so. Will give you years and years of not only tenth of a degree accuracy in readings but also to 1 degree of heating and cooling control plus a do something right now high and low alarm

Ok ya trying to get away from from the marina floating ones and magnetic JW ones as they just end up floating around tank or laying on bottom somewhere. All my tanks are acrylic maybe I’ll just stick to the probe ones. I’ll have to do some research on the inkbird sounds like the way to go. Thanks Disturbed

 

[Adictd2Fsh]

Ya I thought that the external stick on ones might read more ambient air temp but wasn’t sure how they worked. Thought maybe they had new technology of some sort that would allow them to read tank water rather than ambient and surface temp.

 

[Disturbed.)]

Ink birds are bulky and pricy. There will be cable management for fans heaters and the probe. But once you've used one or God forbid didn't and had a heater stick on and boil your tank, you'll ask yourself why you haven't always been using one.
I know reef guys who put them inline with their apex so that the $35 inkbird is doing all the work not the thousand dollar control unit. If you want to be able to control fans or chillers don't get the aquarium specific model it only does heat.