Temp/humidity gauges

[kairi]

Hi everyone! I need a good temperature and humidity gauge. I like the actual gauges over the digital ones, but I had a pair of ZooMed gauges that were adhered to the tank and became unstuck. So I want something that stays put.

Or am I doing it wrong, are the gauges supposed to go on the outside of the tank?

[VicSkimmr]

It's a bad idea to put the monitor piece in the viv as the humidity will significantly shorten its lifespan (unless it was meant to be in high humidity environments).

This is a good idea for a thread though as I've been trying, in vain, to find a kick *** hygrometer. I've even gotten to the point where I've considered building one based on the arduino software.

This is the best looking one I've found thus far, but I haven't bought it yet
Digital Hygrometer Thermometer with Remote Sensor

[kairi]

thanks for the reply... so i should place the gauges outside of the terrarium, and it will measure everything in the terrarium just fine??

[Leefrogs]

He istalking about a digital one, it has sensors on the inside, and the control unit on the outside. It's like a 40-60 dollar unit. You have the 10$ dial ones. Those GO INSIDE the tank. Buy some double sided tape and stick it back on. Cut narrow strips and form a V-shape so most of your air holes for readings are exposed.

[VicSkimmr]

Even the non-digital ones might not do very well in high humidity environments though. They're meant to go inside the enclosure but may not stay accurate as they weren't intended to deal with 100% humidity 24/7. That's just conjecture though.

[Kisa]

For temperature I use an LCT (Liquid Crystal Thermometer) and those work great, I find they're very accurate as the liquid crystal pads only light up if they are THAT temperature. They look like a long black strip with square or rectangle panels on the inside that turn different colors for different temperatures, just n case you don't know what one looks like. Very cheap, I got all three of mine for $3-$4 I think.

As for the hygrometer, I know it's better to be accurate, but if you don't have the cash I would stick with a dial hygrometer until you can afford to buy a digital unit. I use dial hygrometers on all three of my vivs and they've worked fine for me so far. Except the one on my P. Tomopterna's viv is always stuck at 70%...I realize this one is probably broken, but going out and buying another unreliable dial one is ridiculous. I think I'll wait until I can afford digital.

[Leefrogs]

I love those strip therms too. Each basking spot has one and then I leave one loose, so I can move it around. I have a regular dial one for overall ambient temp on the opposite side of the tank.

As far as the humidity one, I mounted it away from my screen part of the top. In my ten gallon I mounted it about half way down, I think this made a big difference in the reading. Up twards the top it was close enough to the light to dry it out more than it should. I actually moved mine twice, and the pad still stuck.

[Grrrit]

I just use a couple sets of the exoterra dials. I move them every few days around inside the vivs to check levels all around the enclosure. And since I have extras I switch the dials out and let them dry out hoping to keep them accurate and lengthen their lifespan. But thats just an idea and time killer for me