Thermometers

[samyboy]

which do you use, which do yo prefer (you might like to give a reason why)

 

[dgwebster]

dunno why i like old school i just do. dont use any leccy n better than the strips i suppose - less likely to become faulty or be effected by outside temp i guess. in my theory-land anyway.

 

[Tolak]

I use the "old school" cheap Penn Plax thermometers. The stainless hanging ones react in a couple of seconds, though they are usually callibrated =/- a few degrees. The weighted ones take a few minutes to react though they are on the money.

 

[@ombomb]

Cheap "old skool" ones.

Strips are virtually impossible to read, digital ones ALWAYS get water on them and pack up, "old skool" ones are nice and cheap so when I break them (surprisingly often when I take them out of the tank) it only costs me a couple of £££s to replace.

 

[jarmado]

digital...
easier to read...

 

[Josiah]

Old school, there the most accurate to me.

 

[jayjay]

i use old school, but a digital one would be easier i suppose.

 

[avirex]

i have both the strip and oldschool in my tank =)

 

[steelhealr]

Coralife digital temp probe...about 5 or 6 bucks and I keep a 2 dollar LCD backup strip. We use LCD strips in the OR to measure patients temps while under anesthesia. If you get a 'fresh' one with clear bars, contrary to posts here, they are very close to accurate. SH

 

[SamUK]

i really want a digital one.


be great for checking the temp at water changes and stuff.


dont have to wait 4 mins for it to settle on the actual temp.

 

[Tuishimi]

i have both the strip and oldschool in my tank =)

Me too. The only time I used old-school mostly was with my marine and discus aquariums back in NH. Don't have them anymore. So I just basically want an idea of the temp... strip works for that.

 

[mike_nofx]

Digital all the way. I have 2 of them and reckon theyre the best. They look good, are super easy to read and are small.

I'd have to disagree with @ombomb "digital ones ALWAYS get water on them and pack up" very untrue. What did you base this on? At least if they ever did break, it would be safer for the fish than if an 'old skooler' broke which could leak mercury (or whatever the stuff is made of) or lead which is used for the weights in some.

As for accuracy, i believe they are quite accurate, i have compared with a standard thermometer and results were basically the same. I Use tha Aqua One digital thermometer (not the one with the cord, the compact one)

LCD strips look pretty ugly IMO, all the local LFS's around here use them and i can never tell the temperature accurately, it always looks as though 3 or 4 numbers show up??

 

[nmonks]

I always use TWO of the liquid crystal sticky-on ones. One at the top of the tank, at the waterline right under the lights, and another at the bottom of the tank and as far from the warm water flow from the heater as possible, e.g., behind a big piece of rock or wood. This way, I get to see the spread of temperatures, from the highest to the lowest.

I did have a digital one (an £18 Marina one that happed to come free with an external filter). Total rubbish. The battery died after about 6 months, and nowhere around here has replacements, and the liquid crystal display began leaking shortly afterwards, rendering the thing useless anyway.

In my opinion, the best thermometers (just like the best nitrite test kits) are your fish. So long as they are behaving normally, I don't check either water chemistry or temperature.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[ramaseseniblikxviii]

In my opinion, the best thermometers (just like the best nitrite test kits) are your fish. So long as they are behaving normally, I don't check either water chemistry or temperature.

Cheers,

Neale

Yep, I gotta agree there, I have both a LCD strip( came with the tank) and 2 old skool thermos, but if the fish are "coloured up" ok I dont bother to look at the temperature.

 

[samyboy]

thanks for voting people as you can clearly see the old skool thermometers are (at preasant) most popular amoungst the TFF tribe