Strip Thermometer

[Nikao]

Hey guys,

I got a strip thermometer for my 30 gallon tank, but how accurate is that?

I guess I read the number in green, right?

I have the strip at the floor of the aquarium on the outside. It says 85 in the green even though I set the heater to 88. It is a new 200W heater. It is so hot because I’m treating for Ich, so it really should be at 88.

should I trust this reading? Or, should I get a different thermometer?
I know the water will be coolest at the bottom.
Thanks

 

[Salem]

They're not super inaccurate but traditional ones tend to be more exact.

 

[Nikao]

Do you need to have the thermometer in the middle? I thought the bottom would be the best place. Farthest away from the heater?

 

[ForceTen]

I always have a traditional mercury type thermometer in my tank.
My El Cheapo digital readout is about 3-4 degress off. You can trust mercury. You cannot trust a digital readout with no ability to tune it. Adjust it.

 

[Islandvic]

A traditional glass thermometer is what I would recommend.

I would not go off what the thermostat is set to on the thermometer.

I use heaters from Aqueon, Fluval and Top Fin and their thermostats are never really accurate. I just bump up or down the knob and leave it there once I get the temp I want.

The thermostat setting can be +/- 5° sometimes versus the thermometer reading, and that is using 2 separate thermometers to check with.

 

[kallililly1973]

I use an infrared temp gun... very accurate and you can measure all over the tank in seconds and if you have multiple tanks you can get all those reading in seconds as well