Freshwater and tropical fish can't survive when water is not maintained within an acceptable temperature range.
Fish become sluggish in cold aquariums and it causes them to not want to eat. When the water is too hot it can threaten the life of your fish and invertebrates.
There are many ways of achieving the optimal temperature you require. An aquarium heater is capable of doing the trick. But you still need to bale to make sure that you are achieving the desired temperature.
This is when you should resort to choosing the best aquarium thermometer. You can find some of the best options available if you read our review.
So what do you need to bear in mind when choosing a thermometer that will be the best for your tank? Read on to find the best aquarium thermometer features for which you need to look out.
Ease of Use And Installation
The thermometer has one single job. This means there is no requirement to buy anything over complicated.
What you want is a piece of kit that you can place in your tank to accurately measure the water temperature. Nothing more, nothing less.
There are digital thermometers that may require you to program in a few extra steps, but these shouldn’t be complex.
Accuracy And Range
Your biggest concern should be the accuracy of the thermometer. This is crucial. Accurate readings should not be outside the range of at least +/- 1⁰Celsius. The more accurate, the better the thermometer will be.
The temperature range displayed on the thermometer is hugely important. The range you should be looking for should be from 50⁰ F (10⁰C) to 104⁰F (40⁰C).
Digital thermometers that have LCDs tend to offer the most accurate readings.
Durability
Thermometers are not generally inexpensive, but you want something that’s going to last and remain accurate for a long time. This is why durable materials and a good battery life are essential.
When you opt for a classic mercury thermometer, make sure that it’s unlikely to crack or break. It also needs to be fully submergible.
If mercury ever leaks into your tank it is bound to have a devastating effect. If you choose a digital aquarium thermometer make sure it comes with a probe attached to an LCD display. You will get a bonus if the thermometer comes with extra batteries.
Temperature Readability
The thermometer needs to be easy to read so the temperature can be quickly checked. Thermometers that have an LCD temperature display and a probe are often the easiest to read.
Mercury or color-changing crystal thermometer can work well too. The best thermometers tend to display the temperature in both Fahrenheit and Celsius. This is not necessary.
The Benefits Of A Thermometer
The majority of fish and associated marine life require very specific water temperatures to stay alive and healthy.
This means the ability to monitor the temperature in the fish tank is crucial to the success of your fish keeping.
The temperature readouts on a heater are not always 100% accurate. So using a thermometer as well as your heater provides you with the best measure.
