tas5tas' 237g Total System Build (1 Viewer)

[tas5tas]

Here is an article that I read last night after learning of the high temps....it says that anything over 82 degrees can be detrimental to SPS.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/6/tips

 

[crvz]

From that article (by "Advanced Aquarists Readers", i.e., no real author);

Maintain consistent water temperature. Anything consistently above 82-83 degrees is not good for SPS corals. They thrive better at 82 or less in my opinion.

I give that comment zero merit, as it's simply an opinion from someone in the hobby without any scientific support. Having seen many people's tanks that run in the 84-86 degree range (including those who like to have a ~5-6 degree diurnal temperature swing in an effort to further bolster their corals' "shock" handling capability for better shipping success), I still wouldnt but a ton of hope in the temperature alone being the issue. That's not to say it isnt, I hope for your sake it is as simple as that, but based on my experience you werent that far out of the nominal range.

 

[tas5tas]

I hope that temp is the issue, because everything else is perfectly inline and I thought temp was too. My valida and my birdsnest that had started bleaching pretty badly have already started to show some signs of recooperation just in the last 36hrs. I can actually see a green tint to my birdsnest again and the purple polyps are almost fully extended too.

 

[tas5tas]

Just completed a 50g water change with my new water change setup and it was much easier than it used to be. Here is a pic of the new gravity fed setup I use.....

As you can see it is gravity fed from the bottom and is about 6" taller than my sump so makes refilling the tank a breeze. In total it took me about 5 minutes to complete my 50g water change. I'm in the process of refilling it now for next week.....already 15g in and only another 35g to go.

 

[jhand]

Very nice, an automated water change system is one of my eventual goals.

 

[hank]

http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/SatelliteData/Cortad/currmax.jpg

http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/SatelliteData/Cortad/currmin.jpg

http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/SatelliteData/Cortad/currmean.jpg

1.8C+32=F for reference.

I hope it works out for you though.

 

[tas5tas]

Here are a few to look at as well.....

http://mclean.ch/climate/GBR_sea_temperature.htm

http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/virtual_stations/gbr_virtualstations.html

http://www.climateshifts.org/?p=823ons/gbr_virtualstations.html#AshmoreReef_GBR

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2006/coral_bleach.html

You will see that the average temperature for a year is around 26.5 degees celcius or 79.7 degrees and that bleaching starts to occur at anything over 84 degrees. Also, you will find that the average temperature variance over one month is around 1.5 degrees not the 3-4 degrees that most people let their tanks swing daily. Over the course of one year the temperature range varies about 7 degrees celcius from 22 degrees(71.6)-29 degrees(84.2).

My tank was running between 82.5 degrees and 87.0 degrees daily.......I'm pretty sure that my tank will start to show the positive effects of the temperature being closer to actual reef climates.

 

[ReefWatcher]

Build

My thermometer registers 89.7 up to 90.0+ F.But i don't believed it.I used my own finger as a probe and imagine that I'm snorkeling on the reef and feel the temperature (wow!!!).But your right (tas5tas) I may need to recalibrate my controller(I hate to it) or probably buy a petco/walmart brand.

 

[RR-MAN]

Re: Build

My thermometer registers 89.7 up to 90.0+ F.But i don't believed it.I used my own finger as a probe and imagine that I'm snorkeling on the reef(wow!!!).But your right (tas5tas) I may need to recalibrate my controller(I hate to it) or probably buy a petco/walmart brand.

That is too funny. I also check the temperature that way (finger method). I keep the house temperature very stable and also keep an eye on the hard corals.

 

[decimal]

i was truly amazed when i was beginning in the hobby that there was no reliable way to accurately read temps. i used a coralife digital temp meter and a floating thermo until got a controller. even now i am still not sure what the temp is (i.e. if i should believe the reading) redundancy and averages are actually the closest thing to an accurate reading you will get.

 

[tas5tas]

I recalibrated my Ac/Jr using averages from about 4-5 different thermometers including a laser thermometer that is NIST certified. I just hope it is close to where it should be now. With the temp steady @ 79.2 if it is off .5 degrees in either direction then the hottest the tank will get is 79.7 and the coolest is 78.7.

 

[tas5tas]

I picked up 4 very, very, very nice pieces today and I think I'm officially just about out of room in my tank!!!

Here are the pieces I was able to pick up.....

Strawberry Delight Staghorn
Steve Elias Staghorn
Fire and Ice Digitata
30k Lokani


I will try to post a few pics in a day or so once everything settles in.

 

[andrew7b]

I picked up 4 very, very, very nice pieces today and I think I'm officially just about out of room in my tank!!!

Here are the pieces I was able to pick up.....

Strawberry Delight Staghorn
Steve Elias Staghorn
Fire and Ice Digitata
30k Lokani


I will try to post a few pics in a day or so once everything settles in.

Thomas
If you are out of room for them. I have the room for them in my tank. LOL. Look me up when you start fraging the ORA. I think my tank water is looking better when I did BB. What tank are you getting this up coming summer.

 

[tas5tas]

What tank are you getting this up coming summer.

It's a secret.....

This is one project that will not be revealed until it is 100% complete.

 

[tas5tas]

This system no longer exists and I will be leaving the hobby until I am finished with school.......moderators please close and lock this thread.