|
03/13/2018, 12:14 AM | #1 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Westminster, CO
Posts: 17,289
|
InkBird 308 - IME Not That Great.
This is just my experience... I ordered a 3 InkBird 308 temp controllers about a year ago for a new build.
This evening I noticed one of my tanks felt cold (honestly, I thought it felt cooler than normal for a while) even though the Inkbird showed 77deg F. I went through them to check calibration. All three needed calibration. Two were reasonable and within a degree or two but one was 6 deg off... All three were dead on when I purchased them. (Always test digital temp controllers!) For fun I checked the Ranco I have had for about 10 years. It was within a deg F.
__________________
Hobby Experience: 9200ish gallons, 26 skimmers, and a handful of Kent Scrapers. Current Tank: Vortech Powered 600G SPS Tank w/ 100gal frag tank & 100g Sump. RK2-RK10 Skimmer. ReefAngel. Radium 20k. |
03/13/2018, 02:24 AM | #2 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: South Euclid, OH
Posts: 4,281
|
I set my heater so it runs "inside" the range of the controller on it's own. The controller then only acts as a fail safe at high and low levels. The heater can keep a tighter range on it's own.........the controllers all seem to be 1 degree hi/low.
I'm testing out an Inkbird but I've only had it for a few months. It has saved me once when the heater died and the warning beeper went off. So for just that option I like it for the price. I don't doubt there's any question Rancos are better and my experience matches your's with reliability. I did have one of my Ranco probes go bad once, which I had to replace over the years, but is now known to seal the probe in epoxy or plastic so this doesn't happen. I still manually check temp daily on both my systems with a hand held probe as I don't trust heaters or controllers.
__________________
80g Rimless Acropora System reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2197142&page=31 Ed |
03/13/2018, 08:39 AM | #3 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Columbia, SC
Posts: 941
|
I just purchased 2 of these units to for my 500 gallon tank. As Big E stated, I don't trust heaters or controllers so went for duplicates to hopefully minimize the chance of an error. I also run a Ranco controller that I have used for years with great success. With a total of 3 controllers I sure hope my temperature doesn't fluctuate. As of now only about .5 degrees. For the price Inkbird seems to work great for the few months it has been running but only time will tell.
__________________
-500 gallon mixed reef |
03/13/2018, 10:31 AM | #4 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 20,050
|
1 bad apple does not make a trend..
I am not saying that the inkbirds are reliable or not but 1 drifter isn't enough to come to a conclusion.. Now 200 people come here and state that.. Ok..
__________________
Who me? |
03/13/2018, 01:16 PM | #5 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Westminster, CO
Posts: 17,289
|
Very true mcgyvr but in my case all of them have drifted, one by a problematic amount. I'm not saying they're bad, just that they aren't that great in my experience after a year. They've become popular and a ton of them are out there so certainty people like them.
I do like the alarm feature. Won't be pulling them out of service just monitoring for further drift.
__________________
Hobby Experience: 9200ish gallons, 26 skimmers, and a handful of Kent Scrapers. Current Tank: Vortech Powered 600G SPS Tank w/ 100gal frag tank & 100g Sump. RK2-RK10 Skimmer. ReefAngel. Radium 20k. |
05/06/2018, 11:31 AM | #6 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Boulder, Colorado
Posts: 1,430
|
I'm going to bump this thread with my experience. My Inkbird, after 6 months of use was almost 8 degrees off(tank was 70 instead of 78), and I checked my tank's temperature with multiple temperature probes to make sure. Thankfully, all my livestock is fine, but I just wanted to throw a word of caution! I'm now checking daily with a manual temp probe
__________________
75 gal, 20 L using as sump, MP40Qd , Eheim 1260 Return,Royal Exclusiv Bubble King Mini 160,Kamoer FX-STP Calcium Reactor Setup, ATI Sunpower 6x54W |
10/08/2018, 11:59 PM | #7 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Westminster, CO
Posts: 17,289
|
One of the 3 I have is still functioning. The other two are trash.
Pic for example... the temp probe is in my display. Yes, that's right, it thinks the tank is 144 deg.
__________________
Hobby Experience: 9200ish gallons, 26 skimmers, and a handful of Kent Scrapers. Current Tank: Vortech Powered 600G SPS Tank w/ 100gal frag tank & 100g Sump. RK2-RK10 Skimmer. ReefAngel. Radium 20k. |
10/09/2018, 05:07 AM | #8 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: South Euclid, OH
Posts: 4,281
|
As an update on mine, it started to drift and was 1.5 degrees off............reading was higher than actual. I adjusted/recalibrate and it just continued to drift more. At 6 degrees off I gave up using and bought another Ranco.
__________________
80g Rimless Acropora System reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2197142&page=31 Ed |
10/09/2018, 05:20 PM | #9 |
Grizzled & Cynical
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Stamford, CT
Posts: 17,319
|
Both of mine drifted significantly requiring recalibration. It appears the probe goes wonky. Ok for a QT, but I'll stick with ranco for my more valuable tanks.
__________________
Simon Got back into the hobby ..... planned to keep it simple ..... yeah, right ..... clearly I need a new plan! Pet peeve: anemones host clowns; clowns do not host anemones! Current Tank Info: 450 Reef; 120 refugium; 60 Frag Tank, 30 Introduction tank; multiple QTs |
10/10/2018, 06:42 AM | #10 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: South Euclid, OH
Posts: 4,281
|
The hi/lo alarm is nice so I may use mine as a thermometer if nothing else as long as you keep up with it's drifts.
__________________
80g Rimless Acropora System reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2197142&page=31 Ed |
10/10/2018, 06:45 AM | #11 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: New Brunswick, Canada
Posts: 590
|
I checked today with a regular thermometer...
My inkbird is bang on, juuuust under one year later. Its my actual heaters that aren't listening. One of them is about 5 degrees off where the tank is, but the inkbird keeps it in line from overheating the tank. Just figured I'd give a positive personal review to mine. |
10/11/2018, 08:00 PM | #12 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 264
|
I don't use inkbirds for aquarium but i did use one for fermenting beer. If failed and allowed the temp of the beer to go up 17 degrees which was enough to ruin it. Needless to say, not a fan of cheap chines controllers.
__________________
Founder, DFWMAS, 1992 |
10/12/2018, 03:45 PM | #13 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Orange, CA
Posts: 9,666
|
Funny how a year or two ago people said theses were just as good as the Ranco. lol
__________________
Greg Carroll I will be at REEF-A-PALOOZA! SPS = Stability Promotes Success Be wary of advice coming from those who will not show you the fruits of their success! Current Tank Info: building: 250g AGE Euro tank, Abyzz A200, Vertex Supra-G filtration, Ecotech Radion Pro LEDs, ... |
10/13/2018, 08:12 AM | #14 | |
Registered Member
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 20,050
|
Quote:
I'm not sure how someone can come to that conclusion based on a brand new product with no history/time under its belt.. My inkbird is spot on BTW at 1.5 years old..
__________________
Who me? |
|
10/13/2018, 02:30 PM | #15 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: South Euclid, OH
Posts: 4,281
|
My Ranco is still working on my display and it's probably close to 9 years old.
I had a dual temp Ranco for 10+ as well before I sold it. To replace the inkbird for my frag tank, I bought a new Ranco for $49 a $7 extension cord at HD.....wired it myself, which anyone can do.
__________________
80g Rimless Acropora System reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2197142&page=31 Ed |
10/20/2018, 12:03 AM | #16 | |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Westminster, CO
Posts: 17,289
|
Quote:
__________________
Hobby Experience: 9200ish gallons, 26 skimmers, and a handful of Kent Scrapers. Current Tank: Vortech Powered 600G SPS Tank w/ 100gal frag tank & 100g Sump. RK2-RK10 Skimmer. ReefAngel. Radium 20k. |
|
10/20/2018, 10:30 AM | #17 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 139
|
Been running the inkbird for close to a year now. Just checked it and it was 1 degree off so I'm good with that. What I like about it is being able to control a fan for cooling as well as heat. I have it on a 24 gallon cube that gets warm in the summer and being able to control the fan helps reduce evaporation by not running it 24/7. I run Finnex controllers on my other tanks that have been good. Like others stated I set my heaters so if the controller failed they won't overheat the tank.
|
10/31/2018, 09:55 PM | #18 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Santa Monica, California, USA
Posts: 2,511
|
Not heard of Inkbird before. Was confusing it with Rainbird sprinklers.
__________________
Inventor of the easy-to-DIY upflow scrubber, and also the waterfall scrubber that everyone loves to build: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1424843 |
11/02/2018, 09:04 AM | #19 | ||
Registered Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Westminster, CO
Posts: 17,289
|
Quote:
Quote:
__________________
Hobby Experience: 9200ish gallons, 26 skimmers, and a handful of Kent Scrapers. Current Tank: Vortech Powered 600G SPS Tank w/ 100gal frag tank & 100g Sump. RK2-RK10 Skimmer. ReefAngel. Radium 20k. |
||
11/02/2018, 09:41 PM | #20 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Northern Cali. Bay Area
Posts: 1,669
|
Just picked one up today. Any recommendations on placement of the probe? Fully submersed?
|
11/02/2018, 10:18 PM | #21 |
Grizzled & Cynical
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Stamford, CT
Posts: 17,319
|
Just mothballed my last stinkbird today - just don’t trust it. Penny wise pound foolish.
__________________
Simon Got back into the hobby ..... planned to keep it simple ..... yeah, right ..... clearly I need a new plan! Pet peeve: anemones host clowns; clowns do not host anemones! Current Tank Info: 450 Reef; 120 refugium; 60 Frag Tank, 30 Introduction tank; multiple QTs |
Thread Tools | |
|
|