Temp has been 74 in my tank this whole time

PirateLove · 10/15/2017, 01:05 PM

I think I figured out why I cannot get my corals to open/grow. I placed my heater (brand new Eheim truetemp) in the same area of my return pump. The return pump was giving off enough heat that the heater never turned on. The temp in my tank was around 74 this whole time. Could this be the reason corals are not doing well and will they bounce back? Also, does this theory make sense about it being in the same chamber as my return? I do not think the new heater is malfunctioning...

Any advice would be helpful. Thanks!

billdogg · 10/15/2017, 01:14 PM

&4 is on the low end of normal range, but perfectly acceptable. I keep my tanks at 76 or so. The big advantage of keeping it at a lower temperature is the the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water is greater at lower temps. The coral and fishes metabolism may be a bit slower as well decreasing their need for more feedings.

The chamber you have it in has nothing at all to do with how effective the heater is. It just needs to be calibrated. (or just turned up a notch or two until you reach your desired target temp. You should NEVER rely on the thermostat of a heater! They are all notoriously prone to failure, and they almost always fail "on". You should actually use 2 (or more) smaller heaters so that when one does fail there is less chance of it cooking your tank.

I replace mine about once every 12-18 months just because.

mikem101 · 10/15/2017, 02:58 PM

+1 I keep my tank at 74-75 all the time, and does great. some people like to keep there tanks a little warmer but I feel my coral does better at these temps!

NanoReefWanabe · 10/15/2017, 06:57 PM

My tank will fluctuate daily from 75 to 78, though I have seen it up to 80 on days I forgot the AC...i use a reef keeper to make sure the heater never fails on... well I guess it could butt the rk will turn the outlet off....i think my pump and ambient temps are enough to keep my heater off though... my coral all seem to be fine at 75ish

lionfish300 · 10/15/2017, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikem101

+1 I keep my tank at 74-75 all the time, and does great. some people like to keep there tanks a little warmer but I feel my coral does better at these temps!

do you have chiller running all the time? I be lucky if my goes down 78 that is at night when all light off except for moon lights

mikem101 · 10/15/2017, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lionfish300

do you have chiller running all the time? I be lucky if my goes down 78 that is at night when all light off except for moon lights

No my house stays pretty cool and I think the depth of my tank really helps!

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der_wille_zur_macht · 10/15/2017, 07:03 PM

Question. How do you know it was 74 the whole time?

Sugar Magnolia · 10/15/2017, 07:47 PM

Another question, what temp was your heater set to?

mikem101 · 10/15/2017, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sugar Magnolia

Another question, what temp was your heater set to?

Heater is set @ 74 and I know it stays around 74 because my thermometer has a digital read out that shows me temps for the last 24 hrs. So maybe I should have said usually 74 does jump up to 75 even 76 rarely.

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justletmein · 10/15/2017, 08:00 PM

Wondering how the heck you guys get your tank temps down that far. Every tank I've ever owned was always in the 80's and usually up to mid-80's with the halides.

der_wille_zur_macht · 10/15/2017, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikem101

Heater is set @ 74 and I know it stays around 74 because my thermometer has a digital read out that shows me temps for the last 24 hrs. So maybe I should have said usually 74 does jump up to 75 even 76 rarely.

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For clarification, I was talking to the original poster. It seemed like they were surprised to suddenly learn that the tank was 74 degrees. I'm just wondering how that happened. Did they just add a thermometer? Is that thermometer accurate?

Any time I see or hear a reading out of the ordinary, or a sudden variation in a reading, my first inclination is to doubt the measurement method versus doubting the actual parameter. At the least, it always pays to validate your measurement.

mikem101 · 10/15/2017, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by der_wille_zur_macht

For clarification, I was talking to the original poster. It seemed like they were surprised to suddenly learn that the tank was 74 degrees. I'm just wondering how that happened. Did they just add a thermometer? Is that thermometer accurate?

Any time I see or hear a reading out of the ordinary, or a sudden variation in a reading, my first inclination is to doubt the measurement method versus doubting the actual parameter. At the least, it always pays to validate your measurement.

Ohhhh lol and that's a good point could be a false reading on a bad piece of equipment.

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mikem101 · 10/15/2017, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justletmein

Wondering how the heck you guys get your tank temps down that far. Every tank I've ever owned was always in the 80's and usually up to mid-80's with the halides.

I use LED's lol I have no lids and no canopy, also my house stays about 70 all year round lol!

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justletmein · 10/15/2017, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikem101

I use LED's lol I have no lids and no canopy, also my house stays about 70 all year round lol!

I keep mine at 74 so that probably has something to do with it.

mcgyvr · 10/16/2017, 04:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justletmein

I keep mine at 74 so that probably has something to do with it.

If your home (ambient) is 74 and your tank temp is higher than your return pump or lighting or whatever is raising it above the ambient..
Plain and simple..

You mentioned halides..

Many run LEDs and lower wattage DC pumps (or just more efficient pumps..or external pumps),etc....

ca1ore · 10/16/2017, 07:56 AM

Exactly right. My tank runs about 2-4 degrees above ambient. House runs nominally at 78 in the Summer, 67 in the winter. I generally don't let the tank fall below 77 or climb about 80 (though a larger min/max is unlikely to be problematic). Back in the 'old days' I would keep my tank closer to 75 year round, but I have found a slightly higher temp to be better. I've also not found reasonable variations to be a problem.

ReeferNoob4ever · 10/16/2017, 09:26 AM

74F here and my corals grow like crazy. Would they grow faster at higher temps? Maybe, maybe not. Usually growth is based on chemistry and lighting a bit more than temperature IMO.

PirateLove · 10/21/2017, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by der_wille_zur_macht

Question. How do you know it was 74 the whole time?

After reading everyone's responses I guess it wasn't stuck at 74 but fluctuating temp. It is in a room with a heater that turns on at night (gets pretty hot in the room), also have a line outside from my skimmer and the outside temperature was under 60. I think all these factors along with my heater never turning on because it was right next to my return pump made my corals mad, some never recovered. I put the heater in the tank itself and it's steady at 80. Everything is happy again.

hotdogmj71 · 10/21/2017, 07:23 PM

I have one temp gauge in the upper corner of my tank & one in the sump. They are 2-3 degrees F apart (sump is higher) so I just shoot for consistent temp.

10/15/2017, 01:05 PM	#1
PirateLove Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Lexington,KY Posts: 511	Temp has been 74 in my tank this whole time I think I figured out why I cannot get my corals to open/grow. I placed my heater (brand new Eheim truetemp) in the same area of my return pump. The return pump was giving off enough heat that the heater never turned on. The temp in my tank was around 74 this whole time. Could this be the reason corals are not doing well and will they bounce back? Also, does this theory make sense about it being in the same chamber as my return? I do not think the new heater is malfunctioning... Any advice would be helpful. Thanks! __________________ "Pirate love, is what I'm looking for. Pirate love, is what i'm wanted for." Current tank: Cad Lights 42 versa. Kessil AP700. Some Sps and Lps.

10/15/2017, 01:14 PM	#2
billdogg Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Grove City, Ohio Posts: 10,806	&4 is on the low end of normal range, but perfectly acceptable. I keep my tanks at 76 or so. The big advantage of keeping it at a lower temperature is the the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water is greater at lower temps. The coral and fishes metabolism may be a bit slower as well decreasing their need for more feedings. The chamber you have it in has nothing at all to do with how effective the heater is. It just needs to be calibrated. (or just turned up a notch or two until you reach your desired target temp. You should NEVER rely on the thermostat of a heater! They are all notoriously prone to failure, and they almost always fail "on". You should actually use 2 (or more) smaller heaters so that when one does fail there is less chance of it cooking your tank. I replace mine about once every 12-18 months just because. __________________ I'll try to be nice if you try to be smarter! I can't help that I grow older, but you can't make me grow up! Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef with 40b sump, RO 150 skimmer, AI Sol Blue x 2, and a 60g Frag Tank with 100g rubbermaid sump. 2 x Kessil A360w lights, BM curve 5 skimmer

10/15/2017, 07:03 PM	#7
der_wille_zur_macht Team RC Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NY Posts: 17,749	Question. How do you know it was 74 the whole time? __________________ Inconveniencing marine life since 1992 "It is my personal belief that reef aquaria should be thriving communities of biodiversity, representative of their wild counterparts, and not merely collections of pretty specimens growing on tidy clean rock shelves covered in purple coralline algae." (Eric Borneman)

10/15/2017, 07:47 PM	#8
Sugar Magnolia Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Northern VA Posts: 17,691	Another question, what temp was your heater set to? __________________ Adrienne The only thing to fear is fear itself....and spiders.

10/16/2017, 07:56 AM	#16
ca1ore Grizzled & Cynical Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Stamford, CT Posts: 17,319	Exactly right. My tank runs about 2-4 degrees above ambient. House runs nominally at 78 in the Summer, 67 in the winter. I generally don't let the tank fall below 77 or climb about 80 (though a larger min/max is unlikely to be problematic). Back in the 'old days' I would keep my tank closer to 75 year round, but I have found a slightly higher temp to be better. I've also not found reasonable variations to be a problem. __________________ Simon Got back into the hobby ..... planned to keep it simple ..... yeah, right ..... clearly I need a new plan! Pet peeve: anemones host clowns; clowns do not host anemones! Current Tank Info: 450 Reef; 120 refugium; 60 Frag Tank, 30 Introduction tank; multiple QTs

10/15/2017, 02:58 PM	#3
mikem101 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 819	+1 I keep my tank at 74-75 all the time, and does great. some people like to keep there tanks a little warmer but I feel my coral does better at these temps!

10/15/2017, 06:57 PM	#4
NanoReefWanabe Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Barrie, Ontario, Canada Posts: 6,639	My tank will fluctuate daily from 75 to 78, though I have seen it up to 80 on days I forgot the AC...i use a reef keeper to make sure the heater never fails on... well I guess it could butt the rk will turn the outlet off....i think my pump and ambient temps are enough to keep my heater off though... my coral all seem to be fine at 75ish

10/15/2017, 08:00 PM	#10
justletmein Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: TX, San Antonio Posts: 2,188	Wondering how the heck you guys get your tank temps down that far. Every tank I've ever owned was always in the 80's and usually up to mid-80's with the halides.

10/16/2017, 09:26 AM	#17
ReeferNoob4ever Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: NM Posts: 523	74F here and my corals grow like crazy. Would they grow faster at higher temps? Maybe, maybe not. Usually growth is based on chemistry and lighting a bit more than temperature IMO. __________________ Get a life! Current Tank Info: 20gL mixed reef, 10g mixed reef w/nem & clown, 5g NPS & harlequin

10/21/2017, 07:23 PM	#19
hotdogmj71 Registered Member Join Date: May 2015 Location: Arkansas Posts: 241	I have one temp gauge in the upper corner of my tank & one in the sump. They are 2-3 degrees F apart (sump is higher) so I just shoot for consistent temp. __________________ 120G 48x24x24; Trigger Ruby 30e; Mag12 return; MarsAqua 165 x2; Aquamaxx ConeS Q2; ReefKeeper Lite; SmartATO 10gal