Ink Bird Temp Controller

[Bells>Waimea]

Had issues with temp swings on my last tank about 12 years ago so I bought this cheap lil guy for my new fusion 20.

$35 to keep it within a degree. I like that it has the cooling outlet as well to set a computer fan to blow across the tank to cool it down in the summer.

Been running it a few days while starting this new cycle. It seems like it's bringing it up to the desired 78f, but then turning off the heater until it drops back down to 77, then turning the heater back on to 79. Which I suppose it's doing its job, but I don't want it to swing a degree every few hours, I want it to stay at 79, obviously.

Is this the intended design or do I have it set up wrong?

Also before I had swings of a 2-3 degrees either way, and it was not great.

What harm, if any, will one degree swings do in a tank of Nems, fish, SPS etc?

TIA!

 

[Quietman]

I have the dial temp inkbird. It has finer control on celsius. 0.3 degree I think. Not sure on your model though. Worth a look.

 

[Bells>Waimea]

Would definitely prefer something that only swings by .5 of a degree, but is that how they're designed to work? To constantly swing between their limits? Not to keep it at a steady temp?

 

[Nanoreefer4ever]

Yes the cooling and heating model only set degree by 1. Its not of 1 degree change that bad as long as it consistent keep water around 77 to 78. Colder is better than hotter

 

[jordan10]

I know on my ink you change it to Celsius. And it will turn on at .5 but 77 to 78 isn't bad I would think that nothing in the tank can tell the diff

 

[spidercrab]

dislike it.. I bought 3 and all of them failed within 6 months on all my tanks. Temp readings drifted wildly.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Had issues with temp swings on my last tank about 12 years ago so I bought this cheap lil guy for my new fusion 20.

$35 to keep it within a degree. I like that it has the cooling outlet as well to set a computer fan to blow across the tank to cool it down in the summer.

Been running it a few days while starting this new cycle. It seems like it's bringing it up to the desired 78f, but then turning off the heater until it drops back down to 77, then turning the heater back on to 79. Which I suppose it's doing its job, but I don't want it to swing a degree every few hours, I want it to stay at 79, obviously.

Is this the intended design or do I have it set up wrong?

Also before I had swings of a 2-3 degrees either way, and it was not great.

What harm, if any, will one degree swings do in a tank of Nems, fish, SPS etc?

TIA!

They have a differential setting of 3 degrees. Need to set at 1 degree.

 

[Bells>Waimea]

They have a differential setting of 3 degrees. Need to set at 1 degree.

Yep. It's set to 1 degree. Constant swing of 1 degree isnt the end of the world I guess. Just kinda had it in my mind that it would stick to the set degree if the room temp was constant.

 

[samnaz]

Yep. It's set to 1 degree. Constant swing of 1 degree isnt the end of the world I guess. Just kinda had it in my mind that it would stick to the set degree if the room temp was constant.

Perhaps your heater is too small? Mine keeps the tank within .5 degrees if the house temp is stable.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Us humans can sense temperature changes after 3 degrees . That's why home thermostats have a differential from 1-3 degrees. Over that and our bodies feel uncomfortable.

 

[Bells>Waimea]

Perhaps your heater is too small? Mine keeps the tank within .5 degrees if the house temp is stable.

Thought that too, but checked and its an eheim 100w, good for 26-40 gallons. Fusion 20 packs about 15-16 gallons of water after rock and sand. However it is near a window and it's been swinging from 65-45f here in Michigan lately. So likely the culprit. I'll keep an eye on it.

Thank you

 

[Bouncingsoul39]

Mine has been working fine for about 1 year. It swings 1 degree under the set point before it kicks on, the norm for it. A 1-2 degree swing is absolutely nothing to worry about. In summer, without running a fan or chiller I was getting daily 4 degree swings with no stress to the corals visible whatsoever. People freaking out about 1-2 degree swing is unfounded.

 

[Knuckles]

Depending on the heater you are running it may have less of a temperature swing than the InkBirk. I think the Neo-Therm is around a .1 fluctuation. I have my temp controller set at 80 degrees, but my heater is set to 78. Thereby using the heaters internal thermostat to regulate the temperature and the controller is always on. I use the temp controller as more of a fail safe in case the heater sticks on.

 

[samnaz]

Thought that too, but checked and its an eheim 100w, good for 26-40 gallons. Fusion 20 packs about 15-16 gallons of water after rock and sand. However it is near a window and it's been swinging from 65-45f here in Michigan lately. So likely the culprit. I'll keep an eye on it.

Thank you

I’m in MI too. But even without the heat on my house hasn’t dropped below 63 yet.

 

[camostore]

I have the wifi model and seems to work great and temp holds steady but i have close to 600 gl and multiple heaters but also deal with the Michigan swings

 

[tuesdayd]

I have the dial temp inkbird. It has finer control on celsius. 0.3 degree I think. Not sure on your model though. Worth a look.

+1 on this. Change it to Celsius for less fluctuation.

 

[siggy]

Is this a Michigan thing Hello all. I keep hearing that Celsius has a tighter resolution of .3 compared to Fahrenheit.
thats because C. has a wider span per degree. If you want to TRY to keep your tanks temp a solid say 78 deg. you would need 2 thermometers 1 set to 77/78 and the other 78/79 and even then its a crapshoot. I use PID loops that has timmers and differentials, scaling and other tools to keep furnaces steady.
FYI Most temp controllers have a built in delay (some programmable) from the off/on cycle to prevent Chattering (arcing) of the relay contacts and damage to the equipment.

 

[William Mumford]

Mine is the same way and has been since I started it a year ago and everything is just fine. I always think that in the ocean there is cold and hot spots. 77 is a recommended temperature but the ocean is never the same temp all the time. So 1 degree every day maybe 5 times a day will be fine.

 

[Quietman]

Is this a Michigan thing Hello all. I keep hearing that Celsius has a tighter resolution of .3 compared to Fahrenheit.
thats because C. has a wider span per degree. If you want to TRY to keep your tanks temp a solid say 78 deg. you would need 2 thermometers 1 set to 77/78 and the other 78/79 and even then its a crapshoot. I use PID loops that has timmers and differentials, scaling and other tools to keep furnaces steady.
FYI Most temp controllers have a built in delay (some programmable) from the off/on cycle to prevent Chattering (arcing) of the relay contacts and damage to the equipment.

Band was +/- 0.3 C which is +/- .54 F while F band was +/-1.0 F...so actual temp swing is less than on F scale. It's just an ink bird setting thing. Found it odd to limit F to one degree too. Of course my math is only +/- 0.5 accurate. Doubt the control band is enough to make any difference to the livestock though. And agree...too tight and the cycle times will wear out equipment faster.

 

[ca1ore]

A one degree fluctuation is immaterial. My chiller runs off a Ranco which has a differential setting of 1.1 degrees and nobody notices. With a chiller, such differential is important to prevent short cycling. Less important with resistive heaters. Just make sure to protect the probe with the InkBird (or buy the newer unit with a sealed probe).