Thermometers

Question
Yo! hey there... I have a nice aquarium which i've been keeping for about 3 years... have gone through various thermometers, including the glass one with a suction cup, and the lcd ones that you stick to the front of the glass. Some of them don't seem accurate... what one do you use?

Answer
Hi Manny,

I use two thermometers on all my aquariums. This is in case one fails or ceases to work. My favorite kind is a digital temperature probe. Although these are fairly expensive, they are quite accurate, and easy to read. I'll quickly list the pros and cons of the different types:

Suction Cup In-Tank (Traditional kind) ($0.99-$5)
These mount inside your tank, with a suction cup attached to a traditional type thermometer.
PROS: Very inexpensive, easy to use, not affected by room temperature
CONS: Rather difficult to read, suction cup eventually fails, unsightly

LCD Stick-on thermometer ($2-8)
These stick outside the tank, and give a reading by 'lighting up' a temperature reading or a small range of readings.
PROS: Easy to mount, inexpensive, looks sleek and fits in well
CONS: Cannot be transferred between tanks (cannot be reused), may be difficult to read, slightly affected by room temperature

Digital thermometer probe: ($15-50)
These come with a probe attached to a wire, which is connected to a LCD digital display.
PROS: Extremely accurate, extremely easy to read, easy to transfer between tanks, often works as a room temperature sensor when removed from water, fits well with decoration
CONS: Expensive, cheaper models can vary temperature as much as +/- 2.5 degrees

I definitely think that the probe is the best choice.

Good Luck, and Happy Fishkeeping!