How accurate are glass thermometer vs digital?

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spongebob281

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 1, 2009
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houston
My glass thermometer is 70 degree my digital is at 67. So which one is the most accurate. Glass is only $3 and digi goes for 15 bones
 
i had a glass one, my oscar broke it so i went w/ the digital one, worked about 1 week, then i had to shim the battery w/ a piece of paper, only to work about 1 more week. doesnt work anymore, crappy plastic tab is broke... so i got rid of the oscar and put a glass one back in... problem solved for me
 
Unless your talking lab grade glass thermometer id say most definitely a digital would be more accurate.

I love the lab grade thermometers for matching temps during water changes / calibrating my digital thermometers (which are usually within 1 degree correct)
 
tcarswell;3792366; said:
Unless your talking lab grade glass thermometer id say most definitely a digital would be more accurate.

I love the lab grade thermometers for matching temps during water changes / calibrating my digital thermometers (which are usually within 1 degree correct)



I'm talking about Coralife digital thermometer. I got one so does my brother and they both register different number in the same tank.

http://www.aloha-aquariums.com/servlet/the-291/Coralife-Digital-Thermometer/Detail
 
I don't really have one on my tanks except on my baby Dats' tank. I have a glass in that one, but I check all my tanks with a digi thermometer (used for cooking) periodically.
 
Both types are only as accurate as the tolerances that the manufacturer uses. For the aquarium hobby most thermometers are build with an average deviation of +/- 1 degree centigrade. This is also the case even if the thermometer breaks its measurements down to one tenth of a degree.

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Digital can be more accurate but glass is more reliable.

My $40 digital stopped working a year ago. I kept adjusting the heater thinking that was the problem. The end result was that the tank was actually at 72 for an entire year. That explained (in hindsight) why the fish were lethargic.

So I'm back to glass and digi strips in all my tanks.
 
I use an infrared temperature gun instead of thermometers. Just have to make sure you are measuring the water not the glass.
 
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