Custom Temp Zoning in my Tank

[Fun $ Pit]

So umm... yeah.. I have special temp zones in my tank to optimize hosting of different coral species.

Or maybe the Digital probes are just garbage. Time to get a glass floater I guess.

 

[ducklabdad]

Test all three in the same glass of water outside your tank.

But you can expect different temperature zones.

1.5 degrees is not a huge difference to expect, especially with your lights on and flow in diffeent areas. As well as from very high up in the aquarium to very low You are going to have some differences in areas where flow is coming from a sump if that is where your main heater is etc...

And you will also see significant differences in mercury filled glass thermometers, as well I think you have the right idea though with different thermometers.

Test all three in that same glass of water and let us know what they read.

 

[just dave]

Ice Bath Test

If your thermometer measures temperatures of 32°F or below, you can test it using an ice bath. Fill a Styrofoam cup with crushed ice and then add cold water. Insert the thermometer stem or probe into the ice bath and stir continuously. An accurate thermometer will read 32°F.

One advantage of using this method is that you don't have to take atmospheric pressure into account. An accurate thermometer will read 32°F in an ice bath at any altitude or atmospheric pressure.

What To Do If Your Thermometer Is Inaccurate

When testing a thermometer for accuracy, all you're trying to do is make sure that your unit is not grossly out of whack. You should be worried about being off by +/-20°F, not +/-2°F. If your testing shows that your thermometer is off by only a few degrees, don't do anything--just take those few degrees into account when reading your thermometer.

It should be noted that even high-quality, industrial-grade thermometers from manufacturers like Trend are only accurate to +/-1% of their scale. This means that at a "normal" 212°F boiling point, these thermometers may read up to 2°F above or below the actual temperature and still be within manufacturing specifications.

Bottom line: Don't sweat your thermometer being off by a few degrees!

Testing

 

[Fun $ Pit]

Very good info - I'll test them in ice water and post back.

I'm learning some lessons here.. recently learned my salinity was just a little on the high side = 1.030. :eek1: My $8 hydrometer said it was 1.025 :rollface: I've since purchased a refractometer and remedied that.

 

[joeycadre]

dave has some nice thermometers that are cheap. the big lab ones. i bought one and calibrated all my digitals to it.

 

[Rendos]

Tropic Marin makes a nice thermometer also.