Thermometers...

[Lucas M]

Hey everyone.

After moving and relocating my tank, I was having issues keeping the temperature up. Unfortunately, I never thought to check my thermometer (my back up is broken). After slowly turning the heater up over a few days, I turned it up one last time before leaving last Thursday morning for the weekend.

Well, I came home to a whole bunch of bleached out/almost dead SPS and a few dead softies. And tank water at 88.7 degrees. I'm lucky I didn't lose my Snowflake Ocellaris, Maxima, or any inverts. I did lose some coral, but I think my best SPS are going to make it... they're not totally bleached out and polyps are still extending.

Long story short, I'm wondering if you all have had any good experiences with particular digital thermometers. I normally rely on my RKL temp probe, but it's broken (will replace it). I'm going to pick up a few old school mechanical thermometers for double checking things, but I was hoping somebody had a good digital thermometer recommendation (that's not the Coralife one that just led me to fry my tank...).

Thanks in advance.

 

[woodnaquanut]

I've been using two thermometers. First the Corallife digital (about $7 at Dr. Foster&Smith) and second an instant read food thermometer (about $15). I love the instant read. I can carry it around and just poke it in any body of water I want to measure the temp of. About 15 sec. later I have it to the 0.1 degree. Great for comparing one tank to another, water change to tank, etc.

The corallife is OK. It agrees with the instant read within 0.2 degrees. It's not mobile so only useful on one tank.

The LIfeguard big digital looks interesting. Anyone have it? The various Hagen glass ones are JUNK.

I just reread your post more carefully. Guess you don't like the Corallife, huh? I never depend on just one thermometer. Never can tell when they go batty. It's also a good thing to develop a well calibrated finger to see if your tank is headed to the arctic or a hot tub.

 

[Lucas M]

I normally don't depend on just one either... But this was a rare group of circumstances that led me to make a stupid mistake.

But yeah... Coralife won't be getting my money anymore.

 

[northbay-reefer]

I wouldn't use a heater with out a separate temp controler. The heater can go crazy and cook your tank if not careful.

 

[gdm42001]

I also use a instant read digital cooking thermometer as my backup
Taylor 9842 Commercial Waterproof Digital Thermometer

 

[woodnaquanut]

I also use a instant read digital cooking thermometer as my backup
Taylor 9842 Commercial Waterproof Digital Thermometer

That's the one I use, too. I didn't know it was water proof! Cool.

$10.75 at Amazon.

 

[Lucas M]

^ I have that same thermometer in the kitchen.

So, an update:

I got a few mechanical thermometers and used those to dial the heater back in while I waited for the RKL replacement temp probe. Got that plugged in last night, and this weekend I'm going to reprogram the RKL so that it functions as a heater controller as well.

The good news is that while I did end up losing some coral (red Monti Cap, blue Sympodium, Turaki, neon green Cristata, green Bird's Nest), all of my good stuff is going to make it, including the green/blue tip (beige right now) Humilis, Stylophora, Strawberry Shortcake, Sunset Monti, Limeade, etc. along with all the frags I got from Grant at the last meeting (Lime in the Sky, Red Planet, Wintergreen, thanks Grant!). So that's good news.

Even better news?

My 40B Frag system is going to be wet within a week or so, and I'm starting a 30 day coral QT next week. So I'm back on the train. Excited to get some new SPS next week (my wallet is a little scared).

 

[iarethesea]

heater

heater

I don't use a heater at all on my softie tank, especially in summer. In winter though, i will probably bring it on. I just don't trust my heater when I'm not home and its 96 degrees out. .

Thoughts?

 

[Lucas M]

Update:

All the corals that did survive the mini-crash are recovering well and 50-100% colored back up, including my choicest stuff, so that's good.

Frag system still isn't up, but I'm very very close, so all is well there, too. Have a coral QT going in a 10 gal with an a150w above it and have pretty amazing growth in the QT, so that's pretty cool too.