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Which Is The Best Aquarium Thermometer On The UK Market?

Maintaining a constant temperature in your aquarium is essential in keeping fish alive. The right temperature is also important for plant life and corals (in a reef aquarium).

An aquarium thermometer makes it easy to monitor aquarium temperature, and take corrective action (heating or cooling) if the temperature is too high or too low.

We recommend getting a stick-on thermometer that stays in the water all the time. This way, you can tell the temperature whenever you look at the aquarium.

In this buying guide, we recommend the best aquarium thermometers in the UK and give you a few tips on how to choose the right one for your fish tank.

If you’re in a hurry, here is a summary:

Best Aquarium Thermometers (UK Market)

ImageProductRatingPrice
Our Top Pick

Interpet Easy Read Aquarium Thermometer

Interpet Easy Read Aquarium Thermometer

  • Great option for most hobby aquarists
  • Low price
  • Accurate measurements
  • Adequate temperature range for all types of aquariums
9.3

 

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Easy To Use

INRIGOROUS Aquarium Thermometers (2 Pack)

INRIGOROUS Aquarium Thermometers (2 Pack)

  • Two-pack for a great price
  • Accurate measurements
  • Wide temperature range
  • Easy to read display
9.1

 

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Submersible

Measury Aquarium Thermometer

Measury Aquarium Thermometer

  • Submersible
  • Accurate
  • Extra-strong suction cup
  • Large display that’s easy to read
9.1

 

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Affordable

Marina Aquarium Floating Glass Thermometer

Marina Aquarium Floating Glass Thermometer

  • Inexpensive but accurate
  • Can be installed floating in the water or attached to the side
  • Reference temperature range is indicated
  • Celsius and Fahrenheit scales
8.9

 

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Single-pack

INRIGOROUS Aquarium Thermometer

INRIGOROUS Aquarium Thermometer

  • Low price
  • Wide temperature range with interchangeable units
  • Accurate measurements
  • Large display that’s easy to read
8.9

 

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Key Considerations When Buying An Aquarium Thermometer

A. Type of Thermometer

The two general types of aquarium thermometer you’ll come across are analog and digital thermometers.

Analog thermometers are those that you have to match the level of mercury or alcohol in the glass tube against markings on the glass. Analog thermometers are cheap and accurate.

But they are tedious to use since you have to squint at the markings to tell the correct temperature. It’s also easy to make a parallax error if your eyes are not level with the alcohol or mercury level.

Another disadvantage of analog thermometers is that most are made from glass, making them easily breakable especially if you have active fish.

Digital thermometers have a screen that shows the exact temperature. A digital thermometer is much easier to use and typically have better accuracy.

On the downside, it’ll cost you slightly more than an old-fashioned analog thermometer. Also, digital thermometers require regular battery replacement.

B. Installation

The best type of aquarium thermometer is one that you can install in the water. Either the entire thermometer or just the probe (for digital thermometers) should be immersed in the water.

There are some cheap thermometers that stick onto the outside of the fish tank. These are affected by ambient air temperature as well as the thickness of the glass. Sunlight, a nearby vent or nearby appliance can also reduce accuracy.

Thermometers that come into contact with the water provide the most reliable temperature measurements. These include submersible mercury/alcohol thermometers that stick on the inside of the aquarium and digital thermometers with a probe that goes into the water.

C. Temperature Range

Make sure the thermometer’s measurement range covers the ideal temperature range for your aquarium.

The minimum acceptable range is 0℃ to 50℃, though many digital thermometers have a much wider range of -50℃ to 70℃. This covers the ideal temperature for most types of aquariums including cold water fish tanks and warmer tropical fish tanks.

D. Accuracy

Though digital thermometers are more accurate and precise, some cheap ones will be a few degrees off, enough to threaten the life of your fish.

Get a good quality thermometer that’s well made with an accuracy of no more than +/-1℃.

Analog thermometers are highly accurate as long as you are careful to avoid parallax errors.

E. Temperature Alarm

Premium digital thermometers have a temperature alarm that goes off if the water temperature is above or below a set range.

This is more convenient, and safer for your fish, compared to checking the temperature multiple times a day. In case there is a problem, the thermometer will alert you immediately.

If you want to take it a step further, consider getting a WiFi or Bluetooth aquarium thermometer. Both wireless thermometers will show current temperature and send temperature alerts on a smartphone app.

With a Bluetooth thermometer, you have to be within range. With a WiFi thermometer or temperature controller, you can monitor aquarium temperature from anywhere.

Top 5 Reviews

1. Interpet Easy Read Aquarium Thermometer

Our Top Pick
9.3/10 Our Score

Interpet Easy Read is the best choice if you are looking for an affordable and accurate analog thermometer.

The thermometer attaches vertically to the inside of the fish tank using a suction cup. You can then read the temperature at any time through the glass. Make sure to press firmly on the suction cup to secure it against the glass. Several customers have reported their thermometer getting loose and floating on the water.

The Interpet thermometer has a helpful references range marked on the scale in green. The 20°C to 27°C band is the best for most types of fish. Without checking the exact temperature, you can tell whether the water is in the right range at a glance.

The thermometer has a Fahrenheit scale (20 to 120 degrees) and a Celsius scale (0 to 50 degrees), so you can read temperature in either unit.


2. INRIGOROUS Aquarium Thermometers (2 Pack)

Easy To Use
9.1/10 Our Score

If you prefer the convenience and ease of use of a digital aquarium thermometer, we recommend the INRIGOROUS Aquarium Thermometers.

It is a two-pack, so it’s perfect if you have two fish tanks. You can also use both thermometers in a large aquarium to get accurate temperature readings at two points.

Temperature range for the INRIGOROUS thermometers is -50°C to 70°C, more than enough for any kind of aquarium, including coral aquariums. Accuracy is +/-1°C.

Each INRIGOROUS thermometer consists of an LCD digital display and a probe attached to the main body with a 1M long cable.

Only the probe goes into the water. Attach the display to the outside of the fish tank using one of the suction cups. Then attach the probe to the inside of the tank using the other suction cup.

If the display cup keeps coming loose, as several customers have reported, you can also just place the display on a surface near the tank.

Make sure the display does not get into the water. It is not waterproof.

The display shows temperature in large numbers, so you comfortably read temperature from a distance. Unfortunately, it is not backlit.

A pair of buttons below the display lets you switch between Celsius and Farenheit.


3. Measury Aquarium Thermometer

Submersible
9.1/10 Our Score

The Measury Aquarium Thermometer is digital, but unlike other digital thermometers, you can submerse it completely in water.

The Measury thermometer doesn’t have a separate probe attached to the display with a cable. So you have to insert the entire unit into the water to measure temperature.

Don’t worry; the thermometer is waterproof. It comes with a strong suction cup that secures it to the inside of the fish tank.

We love the large display and number. You don’t have to squint to read the temperature. In fact, you can check the temperature from across the room if you have good eyesight.

The thermometer comes with a button cell battery, so it’s ready to use.

There are only a couple of things we don’t like about the Measury thermometer. One, there doesn’t seem to be a way to switch temperature measurement units. It displays temperature only in Celsius. But I don’t think this is a problem for most people.

The other issue is the lack of a backlit display, making it hard or impossible to read temperature in low light.


4. Marina Aquarium Floating Glass Thermometer

Affordable
8.9/10 Our Score

The Marina thermometer is another good choice if you are looking for a cheap, but good quality and accurate aquarium thermometer.

The analogue thermometer sticks on the inside of the fish tank using a suction cup. You can also leave it to float in the water. It’ll retain its vertical position, but it’ll be harder to read the temperature.

Similar to other mercury or alcohol aquarium thermometers, the Marina thermometer has the ideal temperature range shown in green. At a glance, you can easily tell if the water is in the right range.

The thermometer is accurate, though you should be careful when reading the scale. The small markings make it harder to get a precise temperature.


5. INRIGOROUS Aquarium Thermometer

Single-pack
8.9/10 Our Score

If you want a single-pack digital thermometer we recommend this one by INRIGOROUS. It has a wide measurement range of -50°C to 70°C with an accuracy of +/-1°C.

You can easily switch between F and C readings.

The display is big as are the numbers. If you have poor eyesight, the INRIGOROUS is a great choice.

The INRIGOROUS thermometer comes with a 1M cable that goes into the water. The display itself attaches to the outside of the fish tank by suction.

An LR44 button battery is included in the package.

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