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Beware Digital Thermometers are NOT Accurate


Sandeep

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I just got an alcohol therm and compared to my two digitals and my lifeguard little temp is off by about 4 degrees and my “submersible” digital seems to be spot on. Here is a link to one like it, this is not the brand I have but I think that one company makes them all as they look identical.

 

http://www.jbjlighting.com/sys_digitemp.html

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masterbuilder
I found that the Coralife one's where the worst.

 

They wouldnt want to actually make something thats works well.....that would pretty much screw up their entire product line.

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I changed the battery on my Coralife digital (the one that screwed up) and it still isn't reading right. 8-9F over the actual temp.

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Scott Riemer
I changed the battery on my Coralife digital (the one that screwed up) and it still isn't reading right. 8-9F over the actual temp.

Sounds about as good as the Deep Six Hydrometer. :D

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GoingPostal

Yeah, I found this out with I plugged in my AC Jr last month that my tank was running at about 86 degrees. Yikes especially considering two weeks before my heater had freaked out and that same themometer was telling me it was at 90-92, so was my tank really at like 98 degrees? Ack! So yeah, that one runs about 7 degrees hot at all times, I freaked out, went searching through years of useless reef equipment boxes in search of a stupid mercury one to double check. What a piece of crap!

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filefish949

you can get a 17F industrial grade thermometer to calibrate or check your digital for under $50 shipped, it will be accurate within 0.2 degrees

 

check novatech international. I happen to know they have about 40 of them that they are trying to sell :)

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you can get a 17F industrial grade thermometer to calibrate or check your digital for under $50 shipped, it will be accurate within 0.2 degrees

 

check novatech international. I happen to know they have about 40 of them that they are trying to sell :)

 

This scares me. I really need to ditch my coralife digi and get a cheap thermometer from petsmart or something.

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This scares me. I really need to ditch my coralife digi and get a cheap thermometer from petsmart or something.

 

I just did after reading this thread... was like 5 bucks.. big difference..digi = bad...

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I got 3 of those Coralifes because they were only 4 bucks, I put all three on one tank and they all varied between 84 and 75. They seem to be precise enough, just not accurate.

 

 

What good is precision if it can't accurately show the correct temp? I have a coralife too and I use a cheap glass thermometer to really show me what's going on.

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What good is precision if it can't accurately show the correct temp? I have a coralife too and I use a cheap glass thermometer to really show me what's going on.

This was an awesome post! You guys just saved me some money as I needed a new thermometer and was thinking of switching to a digital. Thanks

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geekreef_05
Never had a problem with my Coralife Digital's but I do have the suction cup-merc therm. as a backup. So far they both give the same reading. Maybe I've been lucky!

 

Ive had the same experience. I bought one when they first came out and checked it against the old mercury to find it pretty accurate. Definitely heard about of controversy about them being inaccurate though. Ive actually been through 3 coralife ones ... my first two broke after a couple years - salt creep made it into the battery and corroded the parts. The last one is running on my QT tank. Recently Ive been using the Tom Aquarium digital readout, which is a littler nicer than the coralife version, but does the same thing, with a couple additional features.

 

Tom Digital Temp Ref:

http://www.bigalsonline.com/StoreCatalog/c...e=0&offset=

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I use one of these. It is portable so I can test multiple tanks and it allows me to test different areas in a tank.

raytek_infared_temp.jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...

Bought a used chiller and was confused to why it was chilling way below the set temp with no way to adjust or calibrate. 1/20 jbj. Planned on sending it in to be repaired and discovered my crapline digital meter was reading WAY off. Used the floating type and presto, chiller works. Only 4 hours invested in trying to figure this out. eeerrrrrr

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  • 6 months later...

thanks for this thread. I just bought a digi from Coral Life and it showed different readings than my suction cup therm I've been trusting for so many years. I now know which one was correct. And the good thing to know, the suction cup therm shows the exact temp I set my heater too. WOO HOO! :D

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if your gona use that one why not spent like 5-10$ and use a meat thermomiter..... its what i use in my FW tank not shr if its acurate im getting an mercury one soon after readin this

Holy thread resurrection.

 

Fits chef pockets
;)
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Guest theoldman
I found that the Coralife one's where the worst.

 

 

 

just threw two Coralife's in the garbage. Only three months old.

 

American Marine Pinpoint Wireless Temp Monitor is the only way to go. You can even have multiple sensors and one monitor. Thats my choice. Very reliable, very accurate, worth the money IMO.

 

 

I purchased a American Marine after I discovered my Coralife's were pure junk (threw them in the garbage).

 

I love this thermometer!!!!

 

I bought two probes - one for my 25 gallon goldfish tank and one for my nano.

I checked it against an alcohol thermometer and it was right on.

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GAYNESS !!!

( If I can't afford it its gay ! :P )

 

Just use a glass in tank thermometer and be done with it !

 

 

:P

 

 

They really arn't that much. I bought one for other uses, it is hard to measure water temp with them so I don't recommend as a primary source. I did find out that my lights put off 128° of heat

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