Reef Central Online Community - View Single Post

rshimek · 12/27/2001, 11:00 AM

Hi,

Saltshop THANKS!!! for the good information.

Reef corals - and all other coral reef animals - will do better at normal coral reef temperatures, these are the temperatures thay have adapted to over millions of years. The average coral reef temperature in the world (of over 1000 reefs) is 82 deg F. These animals loose between 3 and 5 percent of their metabolic capability for each degree F in temperatre drop. So animals living at 78 have lost between 15 and 25 percent of the their capability to cope with stress, etc., because their metabolic rate is slower.

Bleaching may be initiated by sustained temperature (several days to several weeks) several deg F above the maximum temperature that the animals are normally exposed to. If the animals are maintained at 82-84 degrees F. bleaching generally will not occur until the temperatueres exceed 90 deg. F. If the animals are maintained at 78 degrees, F., bleaching will often occur in the low 80's . Maintain your animals at higher temperatures for insurance sake, if nothing else.

While bulk flow water flow is important for organism health, primarily to bring food to the them in a natural manner, for the little colonies we have in our tank, the effect of this versus any temperature variation is likely to be insignificant.

12/27/2001, 11:00 AM	#7
rshimek Moved On Join Date: Oct 1999 Posts: 24,538	Hi, Saltshop THANKS!!! for the good information. Reef corals - and all other coral reef animals - will do better at normal coral reef temperatures, these are the temperatures thay have adapted to over millions of years. The average coral reef temperature in the world (of over 1000 reefs) is 82 deg F. These animals loose between 3 and 5 percent of their metabolic capability for each degree F in temperatre drop. So animals living at 78 have lost between 15 and 25 percent of the their capability to cope with stress, etc., because their metabolic rate is slower. Bleaching may be initiated by sustained temperature (several days to several weeks) several deg F above the maximum temperature that the animals are normally exposed to. If the animals are maintained at 82-84 degrees F. bleaching generally will not occur until the temperatueres exceed 90 deg. F. If the animals are maintained at 78 degrees, F., bleaching will often occur in the low 80's . Maintain your animals at higher temperatures for insurance sake, if nothing else. While bulk flow water flow is important for organism health, primarily to bring food to the them in a natural manner, for the little colonies we have in our tank, the effect of this versus any temperature variation is likely to be insignificant.