What's your temp swing?

[JTEAGUE]

I just switched from 260W PC's to a tek light t5 219W. I have heard that t5s run cooler. Not sure how accurate that statement is? My temp went from 79.2 to 83.7. I always run a fan on my sump. I moved this to the top of the tank and ran to the store and bought to small desk fans to clip to the canopy. All fans are on timers with the lights. Lights out fans out! The canopy is open in the back and has slats on the top (partially open). The temp is currently 81.3 not so bad!

What temps do your tanks maintain during the day and night?

[jdieck]

I use a chiller so it is not comparable, the controller is setup to maintain a 1*F of difference 78.5 minimum 79.5 maximum.

[USC-fan]

i try to keep a .3 +- difference in temp throughout the day.

On the hot summer days 100+ my a/c wont keep up so i put frozen 2 little coke bottles in the sump to help keep the tank cooled down.

[drummereef]

On my controller no more than 0.5+/- degrees. I keep it right at 80.5F.

[skydvr]

Sounds like a homebrew solution for lagering.

[JTEAGUE]

I'm desperately trying to avoid a chiller! If I planned on a chiller halides when have been added. I went with t5 to try and avoid a temp problem. I'll just have to see how the fans do for a day or two. Thanks for the info.

[jmick]

In the morning and until mid morning my tank is at 80 and by the time my lights go out (halide) I top off at 83. I've a very gradual temp swing and all my corals seem to do fine. If it were a larger swing and happened rapidly I might be more concerned. That said, I am planning on getting a chiller, worried about the summer months.

[JTEAGUE]

I'm down to 80.4 @ 10 pm Aquablue + bulbs out at 10 pm. Actinic + out @ 11 pm. I'll check the temp late tonite or first thing in the morning. I still have one fan pulling air out of the canopy that will go off with the actinics.

[greenbean36191]

Usually mine is about 3 degrees, but it's not uncommon for it to be as much as 8.

[JTEAGUE]

Came home today temp is down.It's 78.2 so turned off the two fans in the canopy and left the one over the sump. Not sure what made my temp spike so much yesterday. It was 80.1 at 7 am this morning? WEIRD

[Aquabucket]

Although T5s run cooler than other fluorescents running a 12VDC fan or 2 on them is a good idea. Bulbs that are kept cooler give off more PAR and last longer. I am overdriving 4 39W T5s on my 40 and 1 fan at each end of the hood in a push pull config keeps my temp swings at a half a degree. The trade off of course is a higher evap rate.

[kappaknight]

My tank can swing 6 degrees in the summer.. no visible harm though.

[reefredy75]

between 78.4-79.5

[JTEAGUE]

It has ran for more than 24 hours now between 78.2 and 78.9. I can not figure out what caused it to go to 83.7 the first day the lights were installed. Currentl I only have one small fan mounted under the light blowing across from side to side. It,s not even pointed at the water. It reached 80 degress outside today. Feels like summer.

[samson78945]

mines between 76-78

[saltfishlover]

wow i must be the odd ball
mine stays steady at 75

[King Nine]

My tank is new and still cycling but it was running steady at 75 to 76 until my new lights came in. Now with my MH and CF lights it stays at 80. It is 80 in the morning and at night. It doesn't seem to budge off that number with or without lights or glass top.

[dragonforce]

I have MH and t5s on my 37g mixed reef. I also have a jbj nano arctica chiller and my temps are 79.6-80.4 the less the better :) good luck!