200W Heater Set At 26 C But Thermomemter Says 24.8?

[Deleted member 107737]

Hi All.
 
Been experimenting with a heater for my tank to see how much it would likely cost to run. My room temp is always between 22-23. Ive been told 25C is perfect for all sorts of tropical so i set the heater to 26 C. The water has heated to about 24.8C on my digital themometer but on my glass thermometer it is nearly 26 C.
 
The heater is far right of the tank. Both thermometers are far left of the tank. its been left to run say 12 hours.
 
do i rely on digital or glass thermometers. if glass then i could put in fish 25C. but if digital 24.8C is less that 25C so surely they will die???
 
Im Confused.......................................HELP

 
Also the heater hardly ever comes on (led). Is that because the water temp is not much different than the room temp??
 
 
Thanks,
 
Dave

 

[Deleted member 107737]

sorry forgot to mention the temp will sometimes occasionaly drop to 24.5C on the digital themometer... but yet the glass one still seems to display 25-26? CONFUSED

 

[aly_starh]

hiya, what size is the tank, and where about is the filter placed?

 

[Questions?]

same thing happened to me. i took a thermometer to take the temp. and it was fine. it is just because the glass thermometer measure the temp of the glass, no the water

 

[Deleted member 107737]

150 litre tank
 
its half way down and angled diagnal.
 
which is more accurate the glass thermometer with red liquid inside or digital one??/
 
 
Thanks

 

[Essjay]

The heater should ideally be placed near the filter outflow so the heated water is 'blown' through the whole tank.
 
The dial on heaters are often badly calibrated. The best way to set a heater is to set it low and wait till the light goes out (ie thermostst reached it's set level). Then turn it up a bit and wait till the light turns off again. Repeat until the temp on the thermometer shows the temperature you want, then leave the heater at that setting regardless of what the dial says. The heater that came with my tank did not have temps on it, just + and - for the directon to turn the knob so I had to use this method to set it.
If you turn the dial up too quickly, you can overshoot the temp you want.
 
 
 
Edit: digital thermometers - do you mean the ones you stick on the outside of the tank and change colour, or electric ones? Those that stick on the outside are not as accurate as the liquid ones that go inside the tank.

 

[Deleted member 107737]

yes i have put it near the filter outflow
 
but which thermomter would you say is accurate.
 
wanted to get it to 25C
 
the digital one keeps going up and down 24.8 to 24.1C when the heater is set to 26C


yet the glass one filled with liquid is a contstant between 25 and 26C

 

[techen]

Sounds normal to me, Digitals will read silly things but if you set it to 26 then am fairly sure its 26c. Don't worry about it.

 

[Deleted member 107737]

just after ive posted so many posts on here... now considering the heated tank option. what fish could i have say that start at 24C and above???

 

[techen]

Any :B
 
A lot of tropical fish prefer temps of around 24c, So look around and name a few you like the looks of really.

 

[Scates11]

just after ive posted so many posts on here... now considering the heated tank option. what fish could i have say that start at 24C and above???

 
I'm confused, isn't this thread about your heater in your tank...making your current tank a heated tank? I would go off the glass thermometer, they are generally accurate. Sounds to me like everything in your tank is doing what it should, don't stress about it.

 

[aly_starh]

I agree with what someone else here said, make sure the out flow of your filter is directed towards your heater. I personally feel the old glass thermometers are much more reliable.

 

[Deleted member 107737]

thanks all, think im done with asking questions now..........just going to sit back and watch my tank cycle for the next few weeks..... will post photos once i get my fish

 

[eaglesaquarium]

150 litre tank
 
its half way down and angled diagnal.
 
which is more accurate the glass thermometer with red liquid inside or digital one??/
 
 
Thanks

 
 
In my opinion, liquid.

 

[Lunar Jetman]

Its also worth pointing out that if you've got two devices measuring temperature on opposite sides of your tank it's perfectly possible for them to be slightly different, especially with the temperature outside of the tank likely to be lower than the digital reading.