Water temp (1 Viewer)

[FireEater]

I have completed my panals and 2 top doors on my tank.

Now with everything closed off the temp as risen slightly. I am running the fan and the 2 fans in the sump.

The temp before the panals was around 75 and now is at about 78 degrees. The thermometer is in the sump.

What is the idea temp I should try and maintain?

Mark

 

[SeanB]

I think 78 is in the safe range - just make sure it's a consistant temp.

 

[cparka23]

actually, 75 sounds a bit low. 78-80 is pretty typical. some will say you can even go up a little higher.

 

[incysor]

actually, 75 sounds a bit low. 78-80 is pretty typical. some will say you can even go up a little higher.

Actually from most of what I've read 78-80 is your top-end safe temp. While 70-72 is the low-end temp for most of the commonly available critters. Maintaining a constant temp is the goal and as long as you're somewhere in the middle you're doing good.

 

[cparka23]

came across an article about quarantine tanks, where it mentions tank temperature in passing.

The temperature and salinity of the quarantine tank should be maintained at the same levels as your display tank. This should be the same as natural seawater in reef environments: 26-29 C (79-84 F) and 35 ppt.

personally, i think 84º is high. for instance, i've noticed my bubble coral is much better when the temp is around 78º as opposed to 82º. i do know that some of the animals we buy require colder conditions than others, and the opposite is true as well. general recommendations vary quite a bit from person to person, as you can see (even among the LFS owners in town from my personal experience).

 

[AggieBrandon]

If your temperature remains stable (at a constant temp) then your corals and fish will be fine. When you have large temp swings is when your corals and fish start responding in a negative way. My tank temp stays at 82 degrees for the most part but during the summer it was staying at 84 degrees. I am running 940 watts of light over a 75 gallon without a chiller though

Brandon

 

[djreef]

Same here - my reef used to get up to 86 on some days with no problems. I think higher flow has alot to do with being able to get away with higher temps.

DJ
= 8-->{I>

 

[cparka23]

from some shimek RK mag article about detritus.

For every Fahrenheit degree of cooling, coral reef animals will lose between three and five percent of their metabolic rate. Such animals don't need to feed much, nor do they produce much in the way of excess particulate matter. Unfortunately, they also don't grow, and don't have any metabolic excess to fight off diseases, and finding a low temperature extreme is tricky. Many corals are not found at temperatures below about 76 F, and as they near this temperature their metabolic processes slow down to where they are barely living.

i would say that 70º is asking for disaster unless you're keeping animals all from colder waters (or a FO tank?). perhaps things would live at that temperature for some amount of time, but i'd shake my head at corals being kept indefinitely at that constant temp..

 

[Guest]

I've always kept my tank at 79-81, even with a chiller. I don't see any reason to keep it lower, and it just makes the chiller run more often.

 

[AggieBrandon]

mikester,

you mean there is something you haven't changed?

bnh

 

[Guest]

mikester,

you mean there is something you haven't changed?

bnh

- chiller
- live rock

That's about it.

 

[AggieBrandon]

sorry had to rib you on that I need to come check out your setup some time...then maybe we can argue about T5 and VHO or Icecap and WH7

BNH

 

[Guest]

80 is a good # to shoot for.Consistancy is the key avoid swings larger than 1 to 2 degrees.You dont want to keep reef fish in water cooler than what your corals require.Bubble corals generally grow on vertical surfaces or underneath ledges 30 to 80 foot down where the water is cooler and generally there is a thermalcline.