Help!!!! Which temperature do I trust?

[ebosshard]

I just got two new lifegard temp gauges. The last one I had got drowned 5 weeks ago and I have been getting buy with just trusting my heater settings.

Yesterday I got two temp gauges in the mail.

Proheat heaters ($50) set at 79 and they say the temp is that (red light comes on below that level).

Lifegard temp gauges ($15) read 70 and 72 (on opposite sides of the tank).

The sump reads 63.

I am in ohio and it is cold but my house is 70.

Fish and inverts aren't dead, but God only knows what the real temp is in there.

Questions:
1-Do I trust the heater regulators or the lifegard temp gauges?
2-Where do I go to get a temp gauge I can trust?

Eric

 

[jbpig]

I would guess that if your house is 70 then the temp of 70-72 is correct. That is assuming that the heat build up with lights, pumps, powerheads etc. I use "little time and temp" guages and I have one in my sump and one on the tank and they are always within 0.1 degree of each other. HTH

 

[Anonymous]

The proheat ones are notoriusly innacurrate (IMO).

Don't even look at that one!

 

[Anonymous]

I use the little time and temp also, its good. Your tank is probably 70-72.

 

[ChrisRD]

I agree with Dan - I'd never rely on the heater for a temp reading...

 

[ebosshard]

so the consensus is to turn my heaters up to 86 (up 7) to move my actual temp to 79 (up 7)?

Assuming I should day this by 1 degree a day or so?

 

[Anonymous]

I'd get it up to at least 75 asap. It will take a while for your heater to bring the temperature up, I don't think you need to spread it out.

 

[ebosshard]

just got back from LFS

Bought another sticker temp gauge as well as a submersible one (both $3 each)

Sticker reads 83
Submersible reads 83 (on other side of tank)

Lifegard #1 reads 85
Lifegard #2 reads 72

proheats both think it is 80-81 or so

think I might throw the lifegards in the trash and use the $3 gauges I just bought

I know I shouldn't trust the sticker or the cheapo subermsible but they seem to be telling me the truth here.

I also have about a $5-6k investment (not to mention the hours of work and research) now "riding" on a friggin $3 temp gauge.

Someone have a better recommendation than the lifegard "pick a temp" gauges I have ($15 version)

Confused as ever (but glad my fish are are happy and healthy)

Eric

 

[Anonymous]

Well dang diddly! I have 5 of those proheaters, every one displays a very high reading.

Maybe your tank is 83.

I think you better go buy 3 or 4 more temp guages! :lol: :lol:

 

[ebosshard]

easy to pick on the newbie who doesn't know the temp of his tank and is either cooking his fish or deep freezing them.

I will figure it out

Thanks for the attempted help (admittedly not an easy one to figure out)

 

[jbpig]

I would invest int he 'little time and temp' they are like only 15 bucks and are very accurate. As others have said I dont trust temp readings on heaters. I adjust to what my indipendent temp guages read. I always run 2, just like the heaters in case of a failure.

HTH

 

[ChrisRD]

I use one of those little time and temp ones too. It always matches my handheld ph/temp meter so it seems fairly accurate.

As for heater settings - I've never had a heater yet that actually achieved the actual temp I set it to...