My temperature reading on my Apex Lite has started showing readings in the low 80's all the time. My tank rarely gets that high except at the end of the lighting cycle. I have checked the temp with a thermometer and the readings are where they used to be in the high 70's. Can my probe be bad (I have cleaned it) or does it need calibrated?
Bad Probe?
- Thread starter jimsplace
- Start date
aquamanic
WHO DAT??
Doubt it's the probe. As Ken points out in a similar thread yesterday, failed probes will typically report 20 degrees (same as if the probe was disconnected completely).
If you're only off a couple degrees it's probably because the other thermometer isn't really that accurate. The Apex probes are calibrated and I would tend to trust it more than a different thermometer UNLESS you can find something that's NIST certified. That would be the gold standard.
If you're only off a couple degrees it's probably because the other thermometer isn't really that accurate. The Apex probes are calibrated and I would tend to trust it more than a different thermometer UNLESS you can find something that's NIST certified. That would be the gold standard.
Aquamanic, the reason I questioned the probe was that my temp until a week or so ago had always run 76-80. Now it never gets below 81.x and is peaking at almost 83. I don't run a heater or chiller so the tank kind of reflects room temp + input from lights. This hasn't really changed for the past year except during extremes of heat or cold where the house temp varies more. House temp has been stable the past 2 weeks since the last freeze here in Houston.
aquamanic
WHO DAT??
The problem you'll have is there's no real easy to calibrate a temp probe without something that's certified to a standard, in this case NIST. Any other thermometer is going to be an approximation. It's possible it's bad but that wouldn't be my first guess.
As an example, I've got a Coral View electronic thermostat sitting right next to my Neptune temp probe. Some days they're within 1/10 degree of each other. Other days they're 1.5 apart. Go figure.
Maybe ask around your local reef club or LFS and see if anyone has a NIST thermometer they would loan you for a day. Then you would know for sure. Of course if the temp readings continue to drift higher and higher, then it probably is the probe!
As an example, I've got a Coral View electronic thermostat sitting right next to my Neptune temp probe. Some days they're within 1/10 degree of each other. Other days they're 1.5 apart. Go figure.
Maybe ask around your local reef club or LFS and see if anyone has a NIST thermometer they would loan you for a day. Then you would know for sure. Of course if the temp readings continue to drift higher and higher, then it probably is the probe!
