Hagen 88 heater

[ade]

Hi folks, dumb question coming up!

Bought a Hagen Tropiquarium 88 recently - all is great except for the heater!

On the dial it has the temps - except there's no indication of where on the dial it is currently set - if that makes sense? Eg, it's like having the numbers on a clock but no hands - pretty useless!

The settings go from something like 75-93, but if I turn it all the way one way, the temp (according to the thermometer) is a constant 80, allthe way the other way and the temp is a constant 88.

Question - am I missing something really obvious? Or is it faulty? Anyone else got a Hagen 88 out there that can help?

Cheers

Ade

 

[ade]

It's just occurred to me - my thermometer is near the top of the tank, ie where the hottest water would be and also nearest the lights.

Be interesting to see the temp tonight when i get home, as i've left the light off today (deliberately - got a molly in a floating maternity tank, so i didn't want to subject her to the glare of the lights without her being able to get away from them).

Question: where do you folks have your thermometer for the most useable readings?

 

[alex818]

best advice i can give you is just keep your eye on the thermometer and adjust the dial to whichever gives you a constant 80 degrees F. Simple as that.

 

[kev]

I have 2 heaters one with a dial that had no indication it at all and one with temps that don't give it the right temp. I put the first on one in and it my water went off the scale over night. So i bought the second ro even it out. It took me days to get the temps right. adjusting them up and down so they would click on only at the right time.

I'd say use trial and error and only put fish in when you are sure you have the temp right

 

[Alien Anna]

Question: where do you folks have your thermometer for the most useable readings?

I have a stick-on thermometer on the outside, top right of the tank and a mercury thermometer on the top left of the tank. The mercury generally registers a temperature a couple of degrees lower than the stick-on.

 

[ade]

Update:

I've moved the thermometer to about half way down the tank and left it overnight, temp this morning is showing about 2 degrees lower than at the top - so can only assume that it's the lights at the top causing the increase in temp up there - didn't think of that to start with but it all makes sense now.

Temp is now siting perfectly in the middle of the green zone, so guess I was worrying about nothing - oh well, nothing new there! lol

Cheers folks,