Ideal Temp

[ocamrzr]

I realize that many specimens require different environments but for someone with a reef tank that has LPS and SPS, softies and reef fish....what would be ideal? I realize that variation is more a concern than absolute temp but I would appreciate your thoughts.

[Yellotang]

81 degrees is the ideal temperature for a reef system. And more important then the direct 81 degree point is the stability of that temp. temperature swings are the killer.

[tanku]

i keep my temp at 81-82. seems to work just fine for me.

[kmk2307]

I try to keep my tanks at 80. I start worrying when temperatures exceed 82.

Kevin

[flemingljr]

read this article, it seems 82 isn't even that high.

http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish2/aqfm/1997/nov/features/1/default.asp

[ocamrzr]

Once again, I greatly appreciate your insight into my question.... It's so amazing to think about how many people interact on this forum and how much cumulative knowledge exists! Thanks much.

[Dag]

I recall an article from Ron Shimek where he recommended about 81.7.

[Sloeber]

corals grow fastest and have the fastest rate of calcification around 84 degrees. if i narrowed my tank to a stable temp, it would be 84.

my tanks flucuate from 82 in the morning up to 86 - 87 on most days. i have hit 90 - 3 times already this summer with no ill effects.

FWIW, stable temps are definately not normal on a wild reef. anyone that has been diving a reef wall can tell you of 6 - 10 degree temp swings in a matter of seconds from cold updrafts are common place. also, lagonal aniamls get the chance to live in daily temp swings that come and go with the tides. every new high tide brings in cooler water.

i'd go so far as to say anyone who limits themselves to any stable temp (be it 78 or 88) is setting themself up for a failure. when their tank does have a temp spike or drop, the animals will no longer be prepared for this, and the result could be death.

HTH

henry

[kmk2307]

I should have stated in my earlier post that I keep some "temperate" animals including a neon goby and a lot of florida cerith snails that seem to react adversely to high temperatures. At 85 my neon goby starts breathing really heavy and lays on the sandbed. I keep a lot of other varied snails and some chitons and I know a lot of my molluscs are temperate and don't like (/can't survive in?) higher temperatures. My aquarium is in my bedroom and I have a fan in my doorway blowing air into my room. As long as that fan is on my aquarium stays about 82. It drops back down to about 80 a couple hours after the lights go out. I never see my heater, which is set at 79, turn on.

Kevin

[Sloeber]

hey kev, thanks for responding, even though i wasn't singling out any one person. anyway, you ready to rumble? ;)

i should note that my tank has a very large number of florida key natives. my tank contains 3 of those same cleaner gobies, 12 other caribbean gobies from the keys, 3 grammas, and a black cap. plus those same snails, hermits, etc.

i just happened to be diving in the keys about 3 weeks ago. my dive computer registered an average temp of 85 degrees. note this is still early summer down there with several more months for hot weather to increase the water temp.

At 85 my neon goby starts breathing really heavy and lays on the sandbed.

you bring up an interesting point of which i was getting at earlier. your animals have been conditioned to a lower temp. it makes sense that they freak out at 85 - 86. i keep the same species which was likely collected within 50 miles of yours (if not from the same collector), and it lives happily at 86 daily. it likely exhibits the same stressed condition at 90 degrees as yours does at 85.

henry

[kmk2307]

Originally posted by hcs3
corals grow fastest and have the fastest rate of calcification around 84 degrees. if i narrowed my tank to a stable temp, it would be 84.

Could you please cite a source for this information, or does this statement reflect your experience?

Thanks!
Kevin

[epon]

I must admit , after many heated " discussions " between hcs3 and myself, I've crumbled , and bumped my setpoint to 82.5 on the heater. Tank (65g) usually sits around 82.9° with lights off , 84.6° after aprox 10 hr MH photoperiod (2x250 mogul 6" from water). SPS frags , 3 grammas, goby, mandy, and 2 clams * knock on wood * seem happy.

55g I'm leaving at 80.5 its happy * more knocking * My heart cant take two crashes.

If the 65g crashes , I'll blame it on hcs3 :p

HTH

[Sloeber]

hey kev,

you can start here,

Coles, S. L. and P. L. Jokiel. 1977. Effects of temperature on photosynthesis and respiration in hermatypic corals. Mar Biol 43:209-216.

then move onto here,

Barnes, D. J., B. B. Taylor and J. M. Lough. 1995. On the inclusion of trace materials into massive coral skeletons. Part II. Distortions in skeletal records of annual climate cycles due to growth processes. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 194:251-275.

this one ain't to shabby, either,

Clausen, C. D. and A. A. Roth. 1975. Effect of temperature and temperature adaptation on calcification rate in the hermatypic coral Pocillopora damicornis. Mar Biol 33:93-100.

if you're bored,

Coles, S. L. and P. L. Jokiel. 1978. Synergistic effects of temperature, salinity and light on the hermatypic coral Montipora verrucosa. Mar Biol 49:187-195.

oh, i like this one,

Goreau, T. F. and N. I. Goreau. 1959. The physiology of skeleton formation in corals. II. Calcium deposition by hermatypic corals under various conditions in the reef. Biol Bull 117:239-250.

don't wanna forget this one,

Houck, J. E., R. W. Buddemeier, S. V. Smith and P. L. Jokiel. 1977. The response of coral growth and skeletal strontium content to light intensity and water temperature. Proc 3rd Int Coral Reef Symp 2:424-431.

how can we forget,

Coles, S. L. and P. L. Jokiel. 1978. Synergistic effects of temperature, salinity and light on the hermatypic coral Montipora verrucosa. Mar Biol 49:187-195.

:lol:

seriously, though, it is pretty well documented.

[epon]

I forgot to mention I have a 9" fan blowing on its lowest speed in the open backed but eggcrated canopy of the 65g. Fan is on the same timer as my actinics, 12 hours. It's mounted to the wall about 22" from the bulb. Canopy also has a top that I can move slightly to allow hot air to escape from the top. So far this summer, I usually run it in this position.

HTH

[ocamrzr]

hcs3 - I greatly appreciate your response. As a physician, we use evidence based medicine to decide what is best for our patients. I want to thank you for your evidence based opinion on the proper temperature range for a reef tank. I am slowly widening the allowable temps and gradually increasing the temp in the tank so it's not such a battle to keep it cool.

I have found no other hobby like reefkeeping that allows so many opinions to come together and so many ideas and thoughts to be assimiliated for our projects of keeping these beautiful organisms.

CS

[reefgal]

I keep mine at 83 in the summer and 81 in the winter. (I live in Arizona, and the higher temperature means lower electricity bills.)

I also think my animals are better able to deal with high temperature fluctuations. Not too long ago, the temperature probe got unplugged from my controller and the temperature in the tank reached 88. I found the problem the next morning and brought the temperature back down with the chiller. None of my animals showed any ill effects.

If I lived in cooler climates, I would probably keep the temperature at 80 under the assumption that an equipment failure (heaters) would cause temperatures below normal rather than above normal.