Got this bad boy for that very reason. Waterproof, so I can be extra careless and dunk my whole arm in and still read it. Splash it, drop it in, fuhgetaboutit.
You can always take a sample from a deeper part of the res, you know.
Yes, Now thing to note is there is type types .5 conversion and .7 conversion. .5 is what most of us user ( Hanna)
I would suggest this http://www.amazon.com/Hanna-Combo-TDS-Tester-HI98129/dp/B002ZG8L58
love this meter, but you can buy cheaper ones from china that work well for <6 months.
It sounds to me like you're using more water than you need to. Water your plant slowly and as soon as you see runoff, stop. Wait a minute or two and repeat.
This is a tricky aspect of pH, but don't overthink it. It is true that temperature affects PH readings, but not in a useful way; you cant just heat something up to make it more acidic.
Reread the "warning" paragraph in your link. Basically, as you change the temperature of a solution you shift the pH scale, but this doesn't change the concentration of hydrogen ions in your nute solution.
A decent pH meter will automatically compensate for temperature. I recommend the Hanna brand. Here is the meter I use