Where Do You Place Your Thermometer?

[Forsaken77]

I have my most accurate temp controller probe in the tank itself. I also have a separate thermometer in the sump. I keep a 300 watt Eheim heater in the overflow and another 200 watt in the sump.

The sump temp is always a few degrees higher (about 4) than the tank. So I'm guessing that if your temp controller is based in the sump, that the tank is actually colder by a few degrees (unless the heaters are in the tank)

This poll doesn't apply to small AIO tanks.

 

[Diesel]

I have my heaters after the temp probe in the sump.
When your heater is powerful enough the difference shouldn't be that much.
Sump 78.5, tank 78.7

 

[mtraylor]

I have my heaters in the sump and my probe for water temp is no where near the heater chamber. AS Diesel has pointed out. Its best before the heater chamber or maybe in a separate refuge or something. Yeah 4 degrees difference
between the 2 is excessive and sounds like you have the 2nd probe in that chamber. is that correct?.

 

[Forsaken77]

I have my heaters in the sump and my probe for water temp is no where near the heater chamber. AS Diesel has pointed out. Its best before the heater chamber or maybe in a separate refuge or something. Yeah 4 degrees difference
between the 2 is excessive and sounds like you have the 2nd probe in that chamber. is that correct?.

Well, the heater controller probe is in the tank, halfway down the center on the back wall.

That second probe, which is just a thermometer, is hanging in the return pump chamber with constant water movement, with heater in chamber before it.

When the controller shuts the heaters off, the temp balances out. But when they are on, the sump water is always much warmer.

My point is, if you keep your heaters and probe in the sump, it seems logical that the sump would be warmer because not all of the water moves forward in the sump at the same time. Some is slow moving, some mixes around from the skimmer output, ect.... So if your controller probe is down there, it stands to reason that it will shut the heaters off before the whole tank is at the desired temp.

While we're on the topic of heaters, does anyone know where you can get a dual heater stand for the sump? I saw one in a Marine Depot sump and would like one like that, acrylic.

 

[Forsaken77]

I have my heaters after the temp probe in the sump.
When your heater is powerful enough the difference should be that much.
Sump 78.5, tank 78.7

I was thinking of moving the sump thermometer to check, but I have a 300 watt in the overflow. So it will still be getting warmer water.

 

[Diesel]

For verification, what kind of heater you have?

As for me I run the Jagers as long they've been around and that was before they even hit the market here in the US.
I use the 300watts only.
Never one failed on me and yet I replace them every two years to be on the save side.
Yes I got a bucket full of them.
I have two APEX temp probes and both are set to my heaters.
Probes are placed in the first chamber where everyone else has Filter socks as I don't run them, heater is placed in a area middle sump that now way the water can be mixed where my probes are.
I run a little over 1000 Gal of water through my sump for my total 240 gallon system (202 tank).
Sumps are designed that we can place equipment in there and out the tank.
I have seen 300W heater crack the back panel of a tank due to a water change where the heater was placed and it came on as it was exposed to room temp air which was 73*.
Sumps has always water and if a sump leaks you got your shut off sensor that will shut off all equipment in the sump when it hits 2" of water only.
Heater can be tricky and just should be under water only but need to be placed that they can run down stream only with a steady warming schedule through out the whole system.

 

[Salty1962]

One in the overflow and one in the last chamber of my sump.

 

[DarkSky]

My thermometer is in the first chamber of my sump where overflow water first enters, and my heaters are in the second chamber immediately after. This way I know all of the water after the heaters is at least 77F.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I have the temp controller sensor before the heater in the sump.
I have another in the tank with a digital display on the canopy.

I have a hand held instant read I check them with.

 

[mtraylor]

Well, the heater controller probe is in the tank, halfway down the center on the back wall.

That second probe, which is just a thermometer, is hanging in the return pump chamber with constant water movement, with heater in chamber before it.

When the controller shuts the heaters off, the temp balances out. But when they are on, the sump water is always much warmer.

My point is, if you keep your heaters and probe in the sump, it seems logical that the sump would be warmer because not all of the water moves forward in the sump at the same time. Some is slow moving, some mixes around from the skimmer output, ect.... So if your controller probe is down there, it stands to reason that it will shut the heaters off before the whole tank is at the desired temp.

While we're on the topic of heaters, does anyone know where you can get a dual heater stand for the sump? I saw one in a Marine Depot sump and would like one like that, acrylic.

Oh Ok I see what you are trying to say. I have 2 300watt heaters in my return section in my sump and I have no idea how hot it gets. I totally agree with you. Logically you would think it has to be warmer there only in that chamber but I really don't care what that temp is there. I would not put a temp probe close to my heaters because it would be off and of no value to me. In my setup that is where the flow is the highest and is where the water is returned to the display and my whole system at overall rate of 3600gph. Now I do have my temperature probe in another part of my sump and its the same degrees as my aquarium. So I totally disagree with you on the statement "it seems logical that the sump would be warmer". I have a 100 gallon sump with multiple chambers that is 6 feet long. Keep in mind that all sumps are not built the same and flow the way yours does. Your statement is only 100% correct about your current setup.

 

[Forsaken77]

I have my heaters after the temp probe in the sump.
When your heater is powerful enough the difference should be that much.
Sump 78.5, tank 78.7

For verification, what kind of heater you have?

As for me I run the Jagers as long they've been around and that was before they even hit the market here in the US.
I use the 300watts only.
Never one failed on me and yet I replace them every two years to be on the save side.
Yes I got a bucket full of them.
I have two APEX temp probes and both are set to my heaters.
Probes are placed in the first chamber where everyone else has Filter socks as I don't run them, heater is placed in a area middle sump that now way the water can be mixed where my probes are.
I run a little over 1000 Gal of water through my sump for my total 240 gallon system (202 tank).
Sumps are designed that we can place equipment in there and out the tank.
I have seen 300W heater crack the back panel of a tank due to a water change where the heater was placed and it came on as it was exposed to room temp air which was 73*.
Sumps has always water and if a sump leaks you got your shut off sensor that will shut off all equipment in the sump when it hits 2" of water only.
Heater can be tricky and just should be under water only but need to be placed that they can run down stream only with a steady warming schedule through out the whole system.

I have a 300 watt Jager in the overflow, because that's the only place it can fit because it's sooo long, then I have another 200 watt Jager in the chamber after the skimmer.

So there's warmed water flowing to the sump from the overflow, and warming more in the sump.

The controller probe is in the tank, right smack in the middle of the back pane. The thermometer is in the return pump chamber where new water is constantly cycling through. When the heaters are on (both connected to the controller) the sump thermometer reads much higher than the tank controller.

The sump was custom made and is a more open design. Water enters directly into a giant sock, flows through bottom vents to the skimmer area, then around a corner to another chamber that just flows over a 10" wall to the return. So the entrance and exit of the sump are both on the back side of the sump. It's a cube shape.

 

[RyanCSGO]

I have my good temp controller probe in the return chamber.
I also have a cheaper digital temp reader in the same chamber that my heater is in just because i had it.

 

[Diesel]

Well, I rest my case on placement of the heaters, probe and readers.
All what matters is that I see many has a second heater.

 

[rocsec1]

In the sump near the drain. That way it gets a better reading from the dt and sumo water mixed,

 

[BreakingWave]

The APEX probe is in the sump before the heaters. I keep a glass thermometer in the corner of my display just for redundancy. My old temp controller went out of whack while I was across the country in September and bleached a few colonies. The controller said the tank was 87 when it was really 65! I learned the importance of redundancy, for sure. And replaced the old controller with the APEX as soon as I could.

 

[nfrench2100]

I currently have my heater inside the return chamber of my hob skimmer. I will be setting up a 72BF reef ready soon, and will then put my heater in the return chamber of my sump

 

[madweazl]

I have one in the sump with the heaters, on in the overflow, and another reading ambient air temps of the room. Heaters are controlled primarily with the sensor in the sump with the overflow being a secondary sanity check.

Edit: My opinion is that the primary probe and heaters should be in the same immediate body of water; this could be a chamber apart provided there was direct contact (e.g. no overflow to another chamber) between the chambers if the return pump was shut off. It adds a layer of protection to prevent a probe from reading a low temp in one chamber with the heaters cooking another chamber prior to flow being restored. The internal thermostat of the heater should provide that layer of protection but if it fails, you have no backup.

 

[RUNVS]

I have a 100 gallon tank acting as my sump I have two 300 watt heaters I use, my tank is in my house but my sump is in my garage behind the tank and a 40 gallon frag tank is in the garage as well. I have apex temp probes in the tank in my house and one in my frag tank. The heaters are in my sump I really dont know what the sump water temp is but I use the tank temp probe to keep the tank at 78 degrees, in the winter my frag tank stays about 76 degrees with the display tank at about 78.

 

[Forsaken77]

The APEX probe is in the sump before the heaters. I keep a glass thermometer in the corner of my display just for redundancy. My old temp controller went out of whack while I was across the country in September and bleached a few colonies. The controller said the tank was 87 when it was really 65! I learned the importance of redundancy, for sure. And replaced the old controller with the APEX as soon as I could.

That's why I made it so you could pick multiple answers .

Just out of curiosity, what controller was it that failed?

 

[BreakingWave]

Just out of curiosity, what controller was it that failed?

The prewired Inkbird