Best way to get an accurate temperature read?

[N.B.H.]

Hi! I've been fumbling with setups for my red, and I've been trying to bump the temperature up over 100 degrees for some time now with a lamp of the proper wattage. Well I bought one, but my thermometer still read 94°f.

That was when I figured. Maybe it's not actually my setup, but my thermometer instead, so I grabbed the thermometer gun I got in what was basically a grab bag that I've never really used, and it clocked the temperature as 106-109°f.

So, well. All that really told me is one of my thermometers is wrong, and I'm not entirely sure which one.

tl;dr: I would really love an accurate thermometer. Does anyone have any recommendations for tank thermometers, or any advice on how to check which of my thermometers is more accurate?

 

[AlphaAlpha]

NBH your thermometer will be measuring air temp and your gun will be measuring surface temp........ And on that basis I say your hot end / basking area is a good temp, you just need to make sure it tapers off down at the cool end....

 

[Merlot]

Put some black electrical tape down under the basking sight and let it sit for a bit and then measure it with a temp gun. Those temp guns are a bit finicky. The emission settings are usually at 95 for non adjustable units and I learned that tip from someone else and when I tried I got the reading I was looking for that I was sure I was producing with the lights but had to ensure it was that