General Care Discussion :: thermometers???

[imderanged]

I have the cheapest most crappiest thermometers for my turtle tank. I have that terrible strip that changes color for the water temp ( I'm not even sure I know what the different colors mean anymore!) and a little plastic dial that sticks to the glass for the basking area. I really want to get something better and get rid of the old ones.....What do you all use?

[steve]

I actually have one kind of each - glass/plastic tube, a temp gun, digital and a stick on. I prefer that each tank have 2 different kinds. Both tanks get a digital thermometer, the glass tank also gets a stick on and I bring the temp gun back and forth to take measurements.

For a glass tank, I'd recommend a stick on, just be aware that room temp can throw them off a little. I don't completely trust digital... some are programmed off or seem to fail, but they are convenient and fast.

[TheComputerGremlin]

I have a stick on one for daily monitoring and an infrared thermometer that measures surface temps, so I can measure the basking area and double check the water. The stick on one is pretty accurate though, so far at least.

[donchewliano]

I have a stick on, and Digital as well.

[Nettle]

I use the glass floating ones because my turtles don't seem to mind them. Some turtles, however, have decided to take giant chunks out of them and eat the glass.

[mikee]

I use both the stick on and a digital. The stick on is close but not close enough. I purchased it from Wal-Mart and it is full time. The glass floaters are good but mine got broken. I have lost three. For the most part they don't mind them. They just get broken when they jump in from the basking area.

[Take-One]

I used to have a glass one. But my turtles got hungy. You know the rest.

[BullDog]

I have a stick on both of my tanks, and a digital one to check the water periodically, and the basking temps.

[Luciano]

Zilla makes a pretty inexpensive ditgital that works great - it's yellow - I found it at Petco.

[SpotsMama]

I use both stick on and digital. I can't leave the digital probe in the tank with Spot in it - he is irresistably drawn to bite it. I take him out and put him in his bucket, take the temp with the digital, then take the digital probe out and put Spot back in. The stick on's (one at each end of the tank) work pretty well according to the digital.

[DebbieJean]

I use digital for the basking area and water.

[marisa]

Digital for water, a regular thermometer for the basking area.

[LadyClovenhoof]

I use a digital, same kind as I use for my fish tanks so the reading end suction cups onto the glass. I have found them very reliable and accurate.

[imderanged]

I just ordered one of those "no-contact" lazer themometers on ebay so I can use it to check the accuracy of the temp gages in any of my enclosures. Suposedly I can use it to check surface temp AND water temp. Can't wait to get it and see how it works!

[steve]

I think you're referring to what I called a temp gun and what TheComputerGremlin called a infrared thermometer.

They're real handy and it's good to have to double check temps. This is the one I picked up: