I'm so sorry for your loss. It's always very upsetting when these things happen (I've had this happen about 10 years ago. However, it was with tropical fish).
Although it may seem like a lot of money initially, I'd recommend getting a quality thermostat. I love herpstat. I do have a jumpstart that's kept around in an emergency if needed.
As an FYI, I keep a separate thermometer probe an inch or two from the thermostat probe for comparison. I also take random readings with a temp gun. The tubs higher up on a rack will be a bit warmer since heat travels upward.
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