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Best tank thermometer

Richard40

Richard40

Member
Joined
14 Jan 2020
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321
Location
Manchester
So I get my Rams this weekend, I’ve been waiting 4 weeks for my plants to grow in. Wondering what’s the best thermometer to use to make sure that the tank is running at 24-25 degrees? I have the Oase 600 thermo, but don’t feel it’s accurate. It seems to be a couple of degrees out when using my wire probe thermometer, but not sure this is accurate either.
 
Why do you think the wire probe thermometer is out? You can calibrate the heater on the Oase filters, but it won’t be a replacement for a thermometer as it will only tell you what it’s set to, not what it actually is if, for instance, your heater should break.
 
My Oase is saying 25 but my wire probe is saying 23. I need it to be accurate. How do you calibrate the Oase thermo heater?
 
Yes it will be in my box. I’ll dig it out and have a look in the morning. Cheers
 
I don’t have the 600 only the 100 but if it’s anything like mine then there is a little slot on the top of the heater that can be twisted. From memory that calibration is + or - 3 degrees
 
Richard40 said:
...Wondering what’s the best thermometer to use to make sure that the tank is running at 24-25 degrees? I have the Oase 600 thermo, but don’t feel it’s accurate. It seems to be a couple of degrees out when using my wire probe thermometer, but not sure this is accurate either.
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Hi @Richard40

You are right to question the accuracy of aquarium thermometers. It's not uncommon for them to be +/-2C and some can be worse than this - particularly, as the battery voltage drops over time. In my view, +/-0.5C is worth aiming for. And, resolution (how many digits after the decimal place) needs to be 0.1C. And, ideally, it needs to be waterproof to at least IP67. Here's a possible candidate:

https://thermometer.co.uk/pocket-th...thermometer-with-maxmin-and-cf-functions.html

It's probably not worth the expense of the optional calibration certificate.

Hope that helps.

JPC
 
I had a number of the wire probe thermometers and, after testing all of them in the same tank, all read different by as much as five degrees.

After asking the same question as yourself, and following recommendations in one of the replies, I bought a digital cooking thermometer similar to the one in JayPeeCees post above but not as expensive. When I tested it along with the wire probe ones, it sort of read as an average of all those. I now use it on all my tanks as at least I know I'll get a consistent reading.
 
Hi all,
jaypeecee said:
* In your lab environment, I guess you can easily check your thermometer against a calibrated reference?
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I can, but I must admit I don't normally I just get three of the draw and see what they read. If two read the same I use one of those.

All water baths, conductivity meters etc have calibrated thermostats.

In terms of the tanks these have spirit thermometers (some are so old they read in Fahrenheit) but I never tried to find out how inaccurate they are. I only look at them occasionally, and usually only if the "back of the hand on the tank glass" indicates things might not be quite what they should be.

If I was to buy some new for home. I'd buy a <"wine thermometer"> and float it with a cork "float".

cheers Darrel
 
dw1305 said:
Hi all, I use an <"old fashioned, glass, spirit based thermometer">, no moving bits, no electronics, no battery etc.

cheers Darrel
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Same here. If it's made right, ie accuarate from the start, it will stay accurate unless you actually break it. No wear, no half-dead batteries, no aging components drifting out of tolerance.
When I worked in electronics, I costed making a thermometer which would give the same accuracy. It would have cost well over £100 for the components at wholesale prices. At the time, aquarium thermometers were under £1.
I also knew that if I built it, it would have been military/aerospace quality construction, and I would have had my mate inspect it to be certain it complied. I doubt if that applies to the £5 ones you can buy now. :)
 
dw1305 said:
I can, but I must admit I don't normally I just get three of the draw and see what they read. If two read the same I use one of those.
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That works in the shop. If they all read the same, probably all good. If one is different, that's not the one to buy. And if they're all different, try another shop. :)
 
sparkyweasel said:
I also knew that if I built it, it would have been military/aerospace quality construction, and I would have had my mate inspect it to be certain it complied. I doubt if that applies to the £5 ones you can buy now.
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Hi @sparkyweasel

Many of the cheap electronic aquarium thermometers don't comply with anything - not even the instructions with which they're supplied! Given the choice between a cheap electronic aquarium thermometer and an alcohol-in-glass thermometer, I'd choose the latter. Just have to be careful not to break it. But, if it's made of borosilicate glass, it's pretty tough stuff.

JPC
 
jaypeecee said:
Many of the cheap electronic aquarium thermometers don't comply with anything - not even the instructions with which they're supplied!
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So true. I've had some that came with second-hand tanks, they were laughable. And those colour-changing LCD ones that stick on the glass! The only thing good about those is the glue, which is unfortunate, because I want to get them off. :)
 
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