Temperatures and Corals

[monopolybag]

I don't know if it is me, but I don't think I hear that much about temperature and coral bleaching when it comes to aquariums, but it is the primary concern with coral reefs in the wild.

I have had accounts where tanks have the corals bleach, sometimes very hardy corals like LPS and Mushrooms. Often more complicated factors are looked at, but I feel temperature may not be addressed often enough. As long as it is in the "ideal range" we are fine. Yet in the wild, only a few degrees can stress out and bleach corals.

What are others people thoughts on this?

[seapug]

This is a pretty widely discussed issue and has spawned an entire industry of aquarium chiller manufacturers. The problem is there is only a few degrees separating "ideal" and "lethal" temperatures for corals in both the wild and in aquariums so monitoring and controlling temperatures is an important part of maintaining a tropical reef aquarium.

[Cptn Spaulding]

I would imagine it has to do with the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water. In warmer water, there is less oxygen, therefore more surface agitation, skimming, flow, etc. you would need to keep that same amount of oxygen in the water. Most people keep their tanks at 78-80, where in the wild temperatures are between 80-84 sometimes even! If your tank reached 84 many things would not appreciate it even though they are subject to that high of temperatures in the wild. Am I on to something here? Anyone else?

[snorvich]

From my diving experience, it seems that temperature shifts to the warm side result in bleaching. Some animals go lower in the water column when temperatures shift upwards. But, this is my empirical observation without proper cause and effect analysis.

[elegance coral]

From my diving experience, it seems that temperature shifts to the warm side result in bleaching. Some animals go lower in the water column when temperatures shift upwards. But, this is my empirical observation without proper cause and effect analysis.

Science would agree with your observations. Most scientists believe that our stony corals are living at, or very near, their upper thermal limit. Some corals have bleached at 86 degrees. I personally try to keep my systems around 80ish.