Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have 5 terrariums, a 55 long, a 55 high, a 20 long, a 20 high, and a 10 gallon. I just got a digital thermometer because I was almost positive that one of my Flukers thermometers was broken. I tested all of my thermometers with the digital one and found that they were all off by at least 4 degrees. Since I don't have the money to afford a cool and hot side thermometer for each tank, I'm buying one digital thermometer for each one. But what side should I put it on...the cool side, the hot side, or the basking light? I'm unsure about this, so if anyone could help out, I'd appreciate it.

By the way...spelling "thermometer" several times throughout one thread is a pain

Get the kind with the probe, and then you can keep either the base or the probe on one end and the other on the other end. This way you can monitor both temps without moving it.
-----
Brian Skibinski
Milwaukee Reptiles
Brian@MilwaukeeReptiles.com

You can get a temp gun for just $25 from Pro Exotics. I got mine for $24 shipped on eBay. That's not very much money for a tool that'll prove invaluable in the long run. You just point anywhere in the tank and get an instant temperature reading. The good thing is that if you're quarantining new animals, the thermometer doesn't need to touch the surface to get the temperatures.

So all I use now are two thermometers. The temp gun to get surface readings, and a digital thermometer to get air temperatures but really only for my incubator.
-----
chickabowwow

The only kinds of thermometers that I've seen only have one probe. But I was just wondering if I should put the probe on the cool side or the hot side?

But instead of buying one thermometer for each tank, just buy ONE good thermometer. It doesn't have a probe because it uses infrared to get the temperature.
-----
chickabowwow

I think what xelda is getting at is that the temperature of the surfaces are more important than the air temp. Not that the air temp isn't, just since the geckos are on the surface of the substrate whatever it may be, that is also very important due to digestion of food, and overall health, the air could be 80 degrees say, and if you have tile, the surface of the tile may be 70 degrees which probably will effect your gecko by either making it not digest food properly causing sickness or even death, sickness/death could be cause because it's cold since they tend to lay their bodies onto the surface when sleeping.

Alturnativly, if you know the surface is 80 degrees, it doesn't matter as much what the air temp is since just above that surface heat will radiate causing the air temp to match closer to the surface and gradually drop as you get further from the surface.

This is just my two cents based on what I've researched and notice with my tanks from previously owning Anoles and Swifts. I continue to practice this the same today with my leopards and red-tail boas. After owning my boas for over 7 years and never having a respirtory infection or anything I think it works well.

Hope this helps. Jason

-----
Thanks, Briggzer