Ink bird controller and water changes

[JessLynne7]

On 4/21/2022 at 2:06 PM, MadMaxi said:

 

That’s good to know 

[JessLynne7]

Well I set up the controller. The probe was off two degrees and read two degrees hotter. I calibrated.

my Fluval m series heater the fail isn’t really on point so I’m still working out the kinks with the settings. My first go of trying to make the heater do the work and the controller be the back up was a fail so I will monitor the temps until I find the sweet spot of the Fluval.

my bf bought me a point and shoot thermometer so that helps. Better than the meat stick I was using

[JessLynne7]

On 4/20/2022 at 6:52 AM, Guppysnail said:

This might help. Sometimes I word things confusing.  The top number is the actual tank temp regulated by the thermostat built into the heater. The bottom number is inkbird temp. If the tank gets hotter than that the bottom temp I choose it shuts power off to the plug. When the tank temp drops below my inkbird temp power turns back on. Inkbirds can also be calibrated. You can also choose if you want a 1-2-3 etc degree variance between it shutting off and turning back on. I use 1 degree. So set point on heater is at 77. I set inkbird at 78.  It hits 78.1 power is turned off.  Once tank reaches 76 it turns power back on. 

@Guppysnail

so I’m struggling with the ink bird. I tired to set it higher but it’s doing all the work and my heater is not. I’m missing something heater is set to 76 and ink bird 77. Do I need to flip flop that

[Widgets]

@JessLynne7, in normal situations you would want the ink bird at a higher setpoint as a failsafe. I assume this is not a new heater, but one that you have been using. How well has it been maintaining the temperature?  There are many factors that impact the operating band of a heater, and it is good to know what that band is before you start changing things. Set the ink bird setpoint really high and watch what temperatures you normally see at the ink bird temperature probe with the heater doing all the controlling. Then you can adjust the ink bird setpoint down to just above the high end of the "normal" band.

As a bad example to illustrate the concept, suppose you had a Lousy brand heater that maintains a +/- 5 degree band. When you set this Lousy heater to 75 degrees, it will let the temperature drop to 70 degrees, then it will come on and heat up to 80 degrees before shutting off. If you then hook this up to an ink bird with an upper setting of 78 degrees, you will see the ink bird shut off at 78 degrees before the heater shuts off at 80 degrees.

[Guppysnail]

@Widgets covered your question very well.  Not much I can add.  Temp your water.  Do not rely on the heaters labeled setting they are rarely accurate. Also when you temp your water make sure it matches the inkbird reading. I use a cheap etekcity laser gun from Amazon. If it does not match push and hold the set button of the inkbird until it blinks. Then push (I can’t remember which off the top of my head and my fish room is dark) either set again or arrow until you see CA. Then adjust up or down by .1 degree to calibrate the inkbird. 

Edited April 23, 2022 by Guppysnail

[Widgets]

I was taught to use boiling water and an ice bath to calibrate the readings of a thermocouple. It all depends upon the accuracy that you need.

I could have really overfeed with a discussion of heat flow, short cycling, and hysteresis. 😀

[JessLynne7]

I have Fluval m50 fairly new a few months.

the temp fail on the Fluval isn’t 100 percent accurate.

 

I have a laser gun temp machine as well. I had to calibrate the inkbird slightly but now the probe and thermometer read the same

On 4/22/2022 at 9:55 PM, Guppysnail said:

@Widgets covered your question very well.  Not much I can add.  Temp your water.  Do not rely on the heaters labeled setting they are rarely accurate. Also when you temp your water make sure it matches the inkbird reading. I use a cheap etekcity laser gun from Amazon. If it does not match push and hold the set button of the inkbird until it blinks. Then push (I can’t remember which off the top of my head and my fish room is dark) either set again or arrow until you see CA. Then adjust up or down by .1 degree to calibrate the inkbird. 

I have the Fluval m50 set to 78 and it cannot maintain that heat. The inkbird is actually turning the heater on.

I may have to crank the heater up some more and play around with it

[Widgets]

@JessLynne7 I do not have much experience with heaters. I don't even remember the last time I had a heater in one if my tanks. I do own one, because it was part of a kit when I started back into the hobby.

The m50 is a 50W heater. You stated that it will not maintain a temperature of 78 degrees. What size is your tank? What is the room temperature? 

If the heater cannot maintain 78 degrees, it will not maintain a higher temperature. The way most prefer to use the ink bird, it is a failsafe to keep a stuck heater from running away and boiling your fish.

[JessLynne7]

On 4/22/2022 at 11:01 PM, Widgets said:

@JessLynne7 I do not have much experience with heaters. I don't even remember the last time I had a heater in one if my tanks. I do own one, because it was part of a kit when I started back into the hobby.

The m50 is a 50W heater. You stated that it will not maintain a temperature of 78 degrees. What size is your tank? What is the room temperature? 

If the heater cannot maintain 78 degrees, it will not maintain a higher temperature. The way most prefer to use the ink bird, it is a failsafe to keep a stuck heater from running away and boiling your fish.

This heater is a 50watt.

in my 10 gallon and room temp is 68-70 degrees. 
 

what I was wanting was the heater to maintain 76 and inkbird set at 78 and allow a 1 - 2 degree swing. Well that was orginal plan.

 

I started at 76 heater 78 inkbird- inkbird still seemed to be doing all the work. Changes the inkbird to 77 - inkbird still did all the work. Changed the inkbird to 76 - inkbird still doing all the work. Previous before ink bird I had heater set and I would get a range of about 75-78 from the heater without changing it.

 

I think I’m over thinking this

[Guppysnail]

If you are talking about the work light coming on. If the heater is maintaining the correct temp the work light will always remain on. That light indicates there is power to the heater plug and the heater is properly turning off when it reaches correct temp. If the work light goes out that means the heater has gotten to hot. The ink bird does not turn the heater on when it is to cold. It simply allows power to allow the heater to turn itself back on. 

[JessLynne7]

On 4/23/2022 at 5:36 AM, Guppysnail said:

If you are talking about the work light coming on. If the heater is maintaining the correct temp the work light will always remain on. That light indicates there is power to the heater plug and the heater is properly turning off when it reaches correct temp. If the work light goes out that means the heater has gotten to hot. The ink bird does not turn the heater on when it is to cold. It simply allows power to allow the heater to turn itself back on. 

I think it’s clicking in my head now thank you

[Guppysnail]

How I set them up is plug the heater into the wall. Adjust until tank holds correct temp. Then plug it into the ink bird set 1-2 degrees above that tank temp.  This way I know heater is functioning correctly. It eliminates some variables to get it started. 

[JessLynne7]

On 4/23/2022 at 7:29 AM, Guppysnail said:

How I set them up is plug the heater into the wall. Adjust until tank holds correct temp. Then plug it into the ink bird set 1-2 degrees above that tank temp.  This way I know heater is functioning correctly. It eliminates some variables to get it started. 

Another really good point. Right now I’m plugged into ink bird.

before that I was plugged into the wall and probably didn’t pay enough attention at set up. I may need to start over lol

 

 

thank you

[JessLynne7]

On 4/23/2022 at 8:32 AM, JessLynne7 said:

Another really good point. Right now I’m plugged into ink bird.

before that I was plugged into the wall and probably didn’t pay enough attention at set up. I may need to start over lol

 

 

thank you

 

On 4/22/2022 at 9:55 PM, Guppysnail said:

@Widgets covered your question very well.  Not much I can add.  Temp your water.  Do not rely on the heaters labeled setting they are rarely accurate. Also when you temp your water make sure it matches the inkbird reading. I use a cheap etekcity laser gun from Amazon. If it does not match push and hold the set button of the inkbird until it blinks. Then push (I can’t remember which off the top of my head and my fish room is dark) either set again or arrow until you see CA. Then adjust up or down by .1 degree to calibrate the inkbird. 

the temp fail on the Fluval isn’t 100 percent accurate.

 

I have a laser gun temp machine as well. I had to calibrate the inkbird slightly but now the probe and thermometer read the same

 

 

 

 

@Guppysnail

they are like baby Piranhas they must have been starved

I have a calico bristlenose being shipped and he will be here Tuesday 

i have wood soaking now and sponge filter and Java moss being shipped.

I will moss the wood and toss it in. More pics later

[Bev C]

🙄🤭I must have done it wrong … Please do what the others  recommend, not what I did,( sorry )  they are very smart cookies ...

I really did not calibrate the heater, but I tested  the water and heater  ... 

 My heater,  Eheim Jagger I plugged first and tested it in my water  cans  to see if it worked,  then I added the heater to the tank. And waited for the water to heat . Had my meter to read  the water  and the  heater auto preset  was 78 -79 degrees, and it was only off by 1 It read 79 before shutting off   I wanted 78…

So I never fooled with the knob  matter fact I still have not turned the knob on the heater … I plug in  it into inkbird when I got it  set my inkbird to shut off 79-80   highest and set to 1 to turn on if it gets below 78  But  I usually test the water often 1-2 times a week  to be sure everything is still  running right  I mostly go by the inkbird and my  water meter  

Edited April 23, 2022 by Bev C

[Bev C]

Beautiful tank,  love it 

[JessLynne7]

On 4/23/2022 at 4:18 PM, Bev C said:

Beautiful tank,  love it 

Thank you

On 4/23/2022 at 4:06 PM, Bev C said:

🙄🤭I must have done it wrong … Please do what the others  recommend, not what I did,( sorry )  they are very smart cookies ...

I really did not calibrate the heater, but I tested  the water and heater  ... 

 My heater,  Eheim Jagger I plugged first and tested it in my water  cans  to see if it worked,  then I added the heater to the tank. And waited for the water to heat . Had my meter to read  the water  and the  heater auto preset  was 78 -79 degrees, and it was only off by 1 It read 79 before shutting off   I wanted 78…

So I never fooled with the knob  matter fact I still have not turned the knob on the heater … I plug in  it into inkbird when I got it  set my inkbird to shut off 79-80   highest and set to 1 to turn on if it gets below 78  But  I usually test the water often 1-2 times a week  to be sure everything is still  running right  I mostly go by the inkbird and my  water meter  

Yes I’m still working with the ink bird trying to the sweet spot

[quikv6]

As others have mentioned, the best way to find the sweet spot is to know what your heater will do to your water in your room. The dials on heaters are often inaccurate, so definitely go by a trusted thermometer. Once you dial it in to where you want it (let's say 76) and the heater maintains this temp over a period of time, then you are ready to set the inkbird to 78 or higher. Being the heater won't reach the 78 you set the inkbird for (unless the heater malfunctions and overheats), then the inkbird will supply constant power to the heater (which is what you want), and the little red light will always be on.

The above method is using the inkbird as a failsafe, and not as a controller. (The heater itself is the controller.)

Edited April 24, 2022 by quikv6

[JessLynne7]

On 4/23/2022 at 8:01 PM, quikv6 said:

As others have mentioned, the best way to find the sweet spot is to know what your heater will do to your water in your room. The dials on heaters are often inaccurate, so definitely go by a trusted thermometer. Once you dial it in to where you want it (let's say 76) and the heater maintains this temp over a period of time, then you are ready to set the inkbird to 78 or higher. Being the heater won't reach the 78 you set the inkbird for (unless the heater malfunctions and overheats), then the inkbird will supply constant power to the heater (which is what you want), and the little red light will always be on.

The above method is using the inkbird as a failsafe, and not as a controller. (The heater itself is the controller.)

Thank you.

that is what I am wanting the inkbird to be my fail safe. I’m going to monitor the temps and get this straight.

you all have been so helpful