Random trouble with inkbird controller?

southerntnreefer

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SO got home last night, and found a clown dead in the 125. Test water, and PH 8.2 Ammonia, 0 Nitrite 0, and Nitrate 10, so it was not a issue with the water quality. Wrasses, cant be found, and appear to be hiding... SO i feed, and hawkish eats a bit but doesn't move much, so im racking my brain. Start doing some looking. Somehow, my Inkbird has kicked on my cooling fans, and i look at my set temp of 78, and it says its 79.3 in the tank... so i stick my hand in to test. There is no way in the world its that i think. water feels colder than usual, so i check my titanium heaters. i dont feel any voltage at that point, so i unplug the heaters, and do some more testing. The temp appears to be still rising, so i bypass the ink bird and throw some extra glass heaters in the sump that i have to get me by until i figure out next steps.

Anyone else have any trouble or ideas if its bad, or if its just really off calibration randomly? I mean my tank maybe was 60 or 65, and it said 79.3. thankfully i caught it when i got home from work, but i lost a flame angel., and a maroon clown in the process :(
 

Dburr1014

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Yup, my inkbird has started to be random. The water was 72 a couple weeks ago, I calibrated it all the way and upped the temp set point also. Got it to 82(i like 78)so lower the set point a degree friday. Today I check and the water is 86. Just lowered the setpoint 2 more degrees.
I know my thermocouple is in the water and they don't go so well in salt. I'm thinking about getting the upgraded thermo but not sure if I still need to replace the controller itself. I don't think I do but I'm still researching.
 

Saveafish

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Inkbird is low budget hobby grade.
Ranco is industrial rated.
It really comes down to the temp probe. You can't submerge the inkbird past the connection. Ranco you can.
 
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southerntnreefer

southerntnreefer

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Right on.
the new one has a completely sealed non metal probe, i have a 300 watt titatium on it, and 2 aqueon pro 250s to catch it if it goes, Basement isnt heated other than by the furnace firing up and such, and tank is solid at 78. Love it!
 

Saveafish

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That's a good one. If you look at the two controllers. Look at the probe. Most inkbird that break has the metal probe. Where the wire connects to the metal on the probe is where it leaks and breaks. You have the higher end model to have the heavy duty probe.
Rock on.
 
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southerntnreefer

southerntnreefer

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That's a good one. If you look at the two controllers. Look at the probe. Most inkbird that break has the metal probe. Where the wire connects to the metal on the probe is where it leaks and breaks. You have the higher end model to have the heavy duty probe.
Rock on.
the only downfall is that i dont have the cooling feature anymore, but the more i think about it, its in the basement, i dont think even at full middle Tennessee summer it gets that hot, and i always run fans down there to cicrulate etc.
 

Saveafish

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the only downfall is that i dont have the cooling feature anymore, but the more i think about it, its in the basement, i dont think even at full middle Tennessee summer it gets that hot, and i always run fans down there to cicrulate etc.
I have basement sump. I only worry about heat. I can run it at 68deg year round with out a heater.
 

dantimdad

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Neither Inkbird nor Ranco is intended to submerged into salt water. It doesn't matter hobby grade or not. And BTW, this is a hobby. LOL!

You have heat shrink the probes that come with them. Ranco even sells it on their website. (that is where I got mine from)

The #1 issue people have with temp controllers is they probe not being sealed.
 

gtrider

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i had the same issue. set the inkbird for 78 and one night i felt my water and it seemed cold to me.. so i checked it with my thermoworks thermopen and it was 74.
 

Saveafish

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Neither Inkbird nor Ranco is intended to submerged into salt water. It doesn't matter hobby grade or not. And BTW, this is a hobby. LOL!

You have heat shrink the probes that come with them. Ranco even sells it on their website. (that is where I got mine from)

The #1 issue people have with temp controllers is they probe not being sealed.
So forgot to add that. Yes yes yes heat shrink the probe. Sorry I forgot to add that. Thanks @dantimdad
 

Flippers4pups

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Neither Inkbird nor Ranco is intended to submerged into salt water. It doesn't matter hobby grade or not. And BTW, this is a hobby. LOL!

You have heat shrink the probes that come with them. Ranco even sells it on their website. (that is where I got mine from)

The #1 issue people have with temp controllers is they probe not being sealed.

Unfortunately for me my 308tc got so bad with drfting out of calibration I threw it away. I would verify its temp with a calibrated fluke temperature unit and have to re calibrate the Inkbird. This went on for months till I couldn't calibrate the Inkbird anymore.

Probe was heat shrinked new before use. Couldn't reset the Inkbird and in the trash it went. Hope this was just a bad unit and others are okay.
 
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