79 or 80 degrees for tank temp

[RioReefr]

I have a chiller solution that I can maintain a fairly stable water temperature. I have generally stayed around 80 degrees F. Would there be any benefit dropping to 79 or even 78.

This is a LPS/Sofies tank with fish, crabs, snails, starfish and crocea clam.

[FullBoreReefer]

Originally Posted by RioReefr

I have a chiller solution that I can maintain a fairly stable water temperature. I have generally stayed around 80 degrees F. Would there be any benefit dropping to 79 or even 78.

This is a LPS/Sofies tank with fish, crabs, snails, starfish and crocea clam.

Not really other than it’ll give you more of a “buffer zone”, plus you’ll just use more electricity HAHA

[thegrun]

It depends on what fish you are keeping but generally most of the common fish in the trade are fine with anything 82 and under and daily swings 4 degrees or less.

[mcgyvr]

No benefit from lowering it....you can save money if you set it to 81 though

[AlSimmons]

Originally Posted by RioReefr

I have a chiller solution that I can maintain a fairly stable water temperature. I have generally stayed around 80 degrees F. Would there be any benefit dropping to 79 or even 78.

This is a LPS/Sofies tank with fish, crabs, snails, starfish and crocea clam.

No problem.

FWIW one of my older tanks used to vary between 75-86 throughout the year without any issues. These corals/fish/invertebrates are a lot stronger than one might think.

[Member No. 1]

Originally Posted by AlSimmons

No problem.

FWIW one of my older tanks used to vary between 75-86 throughout the year without any issues. These corals/fish/invertebrates are a lot stronger than one might think.

+1
I believe they are better off with a bigger daily temp swing.

[Joe0813]

I run my tanks at 77-78

[OrionN]

Originally Posted by Member No. 1

+1
I believe they are better off with a bigger daily temp swing.

I really disagree with this. Temp in the ocean is constant from day to day. They do swing but over months winter to summer. There is NO base for stating that they are better with temp swing. Only animal that have temp and salinity swings are blaskish animal and animal in tidal pool.
They will do better with constant temp and salinity. Every species is different. Keep them stable and you can keep more sensitive animals

[SBV]

Originally Posted by OrionN

I really disagree with this. Temp in the ocean is constant from day to day. They do swing but over months winter to summer. There is NO base for stating that they are better with temp swing. Only animal that have temp and salinity swings are blaskish animal and animal in tidal pool.
They will do better with constant temp and salinity. Every species is different. Keep them stable and you can keep more sensitive animals

Disagree with this. Temp of the ocean is not constant day to day, heck, even second to second. Ever been snorkeling or diving? Even waist deep in the surf? You can have a drastic temp difference in a second. I remember snorkeling in Maui and being fine one moment then being so chilled I had to head back to shallow water so I could get my body out of the water.

[OrionN]

Originally Posted by AlSimmons

No problem.

FWIW one of my older tanks used to vary between 75-86 throughout the year without any issues. These corals/fish/invertebrates are a lot stronger than one might think.

This is the significant reason why some Reefer can keep certain animal while other cannot. Condition they are keep is a big part of how well they do in our artificial reef.
Most animal will be fine at 80 degree day if it does not drop too much~2 degrees at night

[Member No. 1]

Originally Posted by SBV

Disagree with this. Temp of the ocean is not constant day to day, heck, even second to second. Ever been snorkeling or diving? Even waist deep in the surf? You can have a drastic temp difference in a second. I remember snorkeling in Maui and being fine one moment then being so chilled I had to head back to shallow water so I could get my body out of the water.

+1
Not to mention corals that are on reef flats where low tide exposes them to air and direct sunlight for hours, don't seem to have an issue.

I'm not suggesting you subject your corals to a huge temp swings, but in my opinion, a few degree temp swing per day will only strengthen the coral to possible adverse conditions should they arise. Heck I've had power outages in winter where the temp was in the low 70's or the summer when I had a chiller issue, the temp rose to the upper 80's and none of my corals look worst for the wear.

@ Orion, "This is the significant reason why some Reefer can keep certain animal while other cannot"
Please tell me which ones are sensitive.

[OrionN]

Temperature of the water changes with dept. That much is true. Surface water, or water at a certain dept is fairly constant. Our body is not a sensitive thermometer for sure so use our body as a sensor to determine water temp is not very accurate.


There are tons of data out there regarding water temperature, how they varies, especially how surface water of the ocean and wind pasterns and hurricane formation. Everybody can read about and make their own decision. About the concept of how one strengthen an animal by expose them to condition that they are not used to. I guess it may work to a minor extend, but evolution take multiple generations to evolve, and it work by ELIMINATE members of the species that cannot tolerate the change.


I am not sure how to answer Member No.1 except point out the fact that there are a number of corals and fishes that are know to require "expert" care while other like aptasia where we cannot kill. Animals on the reef flat are notorious difficult to keep, namely we cannot provide the current, nor the intensity of light they need to thrive. I am sure these corals can tolerate temp change and dry out when they are exposed to air in mid day tropical sun. However, these are all beside the point because these corals are not thriving in our tank. If we are able to provide these conditions, coral that normal do well in our tank will not survive. Because temp and current changes are too drastic for them.
Keep your temperature and salinity constant and you will be able to keep MORE corals and fishes happy and thrive.

[Uncle99]

Correct parameters and stability of those parameters is the key to success in this hobby. If I constantly fluctuate the heat in your home you will get sick. If I turn off the heat in the winter (assuming your north of the boarder ) you will get sick.
Stability is best for long term success...

And for the record, there is a 32 degree celcius difference in temp between the poles -2 and the tropics +30

[AlSimmons]

Originally Posted by OrionN

This is the significant reason why some Reefer can keep certain animal while other cannot. Condition they are keep is a big part of how well they do in our artificial reef.
Most animal will be fine at 80 degree day if it does not drop too much~2 degrees at night

So going from lets say 82 to 80 during the night, which can be a 10, 12 hour period etc is bad?

FWIW I've been to Hawaii a few times and that water went from warm to cool in an instant. (pockets) You don't think these corals/fish/invertebrates were designed for such things?

[OrionN]

For reef tank I try not to get the temp drop more than 2 degree at night. I keep Gigantea anemone, and it seem that they like warm temp. I have purposely keep my tank at 83 day and keep heater turn on at 81. Keep in my that our thermometer is not always accurate. IME, most coral will do OK with temp peak at 83, but stable. You cannot run tank at 76 then sudden peak over days to 83. This will stress coral.
Keep temp at 82 decrease to 80 or 81 at night is fine for most.

Certain animal will tolerate heat better. Xenia will melt if you have a heat spike.

Many deep water fish, will not like or tolerate high temp. They just don't do well. Maybe not living as long as they should, or not able to get into spawn condition. I like to keep fish in pair or harem (if possible) and they spawned all the time.


When we play at the beach in protected area (lagoon or tidal pool), when the tide is low, shadow water will get heat up. As the tide get higher water from outer part of the ocean will be cooler and may cool down the water in protected lagoon. Perhaps this is what you feel. Corals that live in these area are very intensive and current intensive and normally not easy to keep in aquarium because we cannot provide what they need. Coral that we keep come from a little deeper and have much less current, lower light but also not adapted to high temp change.


If we keep the temp in out tank change a lot, temperature wise, we can keep reef crest animals, but not in term of light and current, therefore they will not live, even if they can take the temp swing.


Regarding fish, if you are a shore fisherman, you will know that fish bite the most when the tide coming in. It is likely that small fish can become sluggish with the drop in temp and can be come easy prey. I don't know that this is the case but I always thought that is the reason why I catch the most fish from shore with tide raising. Slow drops over hrs is likely not a problem for fish, more of a problem for corals.

[AlSimmons]

Perhaps...

It's really easy to take a stand and say that this is bad and that is good, (tap water, phosphates etc) but change/adapting is what keeps the world spinning, no? If we were at a standstill there's really no point. (75-86)

[shaginwagon13]

Originally Posted by SBV

Disagree with this. Temp of the ocean is not constant day to day, heck, even second to second. Ever been snorkeling or diving? Even waist deep in the surf? You can have a drastic temp difference in a second. I remember snorkeling in Maui and being fine one moment then being so chilled I had to head back to shallow water so I could get my body out of the water.

I agree with this. If you scuba you have felt that massive rush of cold/warm ocean currents multiple times throughout a normal dive.

Lets not forget the shallow reefs that get exposed to air for hours.... all of which have coral colonies that are incomparable to anything we have in our reef tanks in both coloration, size and growth.

[Djbeasley05]

Originally Posted by shaginwagon13

I agree with this. If you scuba you have felt that massive rush of cold/warm ocean currents multiple times throughout a normal dive.

Lets not forget the shallow reefs that get exposed to air for hours.... all of which have coral colonies that are incomparable to anything we have in our reef tanks in both coloration, size and growth.

Is it pointless to compare our artificial reefs to the ocean? There are so many people trying to compare what coral in the ocean can tolerate and we will NEVER be able to simulate the ocean. What most of us have in our tanks are corals that are so far down the evolution chain that they have adapted to our “fake oceans”. I’m convinced if I take any of the corals out of my tank and put them up against ocean parameters a good portion will die off until it adapts. Thoughts?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[shaginwagon13]

Originally Posted by Djbeasley05

Is it pointless to compare our artificial reefs to the ocean? There are so many people trying to compare what coral in the ocean can tolerate and we will NEVER be able to simulate the ocean. What most of us have in our tanks are corals that are so far down the evolution chain that they have adapted to our “fake oceans”. I’m convinced if I take any of the corals out of my tank and put them up against ocean parameters a good portion will die off until it adapts. Thoughts?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I simply think that you can't take a single factor, like temperature, and pinpoint an exact set point for what we believe to be an ideal environment. Given a normal range, for the most part, changing one variable alone for a species doesn't result in any harm. Think about how fragile of a species that would be if a 4 degree swing would result in death... along everything living on earth would be extinct a long, long time ago.

I agree with you. We change so many factors by placing corals and fish in our tank. Everything from salinity to light source, food and even the shear size of what they are coming from and adapted to over millions of years. There are hundreds of variables that we change on these animals by having then in our tanks and tbh if you think about it, even the MOST difficult corals can adapt. Sure some adapt better than others, but if you took took a human and changed as many environmental variables as we do to the inhabitants of our reef tanks, I doubt we would flourish, let along prosper at the rates we are expecting from our corals and fish.

Corals have been around for millions and millions of years; far longer than humans and if you took a coral from the ocean and were able to change 1 factor (again within a normal fluctuating range), I would guarantee it would survive just fine.

[Jonviviano]

[QUOTE=Uncle99;25459182]Correct parameters and stability of those parameters is the key to success in this hobby. If I constantly fluctuate the heat in your home you will get sick. If I turn off the heat in the winter (assuming your north of the boarder ) you will get sick.
Stability is best for long term success...

Wow....I. amazed people still believe this old wives tail. Temperature fluctuation does not make you sick! Absolute rubbish. Viruses, bacteria, and other variables make you sick! Not temperature alone. In the winter my house hits 60 degrees, and warms to 75 with the wood stove. Summer time my house hits 80,and 60 when I sleep with the air conditioner..going into the beer cooler at the distributor and back to the summer heat does not cause illness. Cmoon seriously!!!

[shaginwagon13]

[QUOTE=Jonviviano;25459631]

Originally Posted by Uncle99

Correct parameters and stability of those parameters is the key to success in this hobby. If I constantly fluctuate the heat in your home you will get sick. If I turn off the heat in the winter (assuming your north of the boarder ) you will get sick.
Stability is best for long term success...

Wow....I. amazed people still believe this old wives tail. Temperature fluctuation does not make you sick! Absolute rubbish. Viruses, bacteria, and other variables make you sick! Not temperature alone. In the winter my house hits 60 degrees, and warms to 75 with the wood stove. Summer time my house hits 80,and 60 when I sleep with the air conditioner..going into the beer cooler at the distributor and back to the summer heat does not cause illness. Cmoon seriously!!!

Again. I agree.

I think people need to understand that natural selection would have killed off any species that was genetically so weak they were unable to tolerate fluctuations slightly outside their ideal range.

[Uncle99]

[QUOTE=Jonviviano;25459631]

Originally Posted by Uncle99

Correct parameters and stability of those parameters is the key to success in this hobby. If I constantly fluctuate the heat in your home you will get sick. If I turn off the heat in the winter (assuming your north of the boarder ) you will get sick.
Stability is best for long term success...

Wow....I. amazed people still believe this old wives tail. Temperature fluctuation does not make you sick! Absolute rubbish. Viruses, bacteria, and other variables make you sick! Not temperature alone. In the winter my house hits 60 degrees, and warms to 75 with the wood stove. Summer time my house hits 80,and 60 when I sleep with the air conditioner..going into the beer cooler at the distributor and back to the summer heat does not cause illness. Cmoon seriously!!!

Not sure where I refer to slight variations. After 5 degrees change in a short period, this is what I am referring to.

Instability in temperature and environment surves to add stresses to our body and reduce immunity, thus setting up an environment for which the virus's you speak can take hold. It is not unlike ICK. ICK is defended by having strong healthy fish with limited stress. Even an infected fish can rid itself of ICK provided stress remain low and food intake up.

While temperature is not the cause, it is one important factor in the creation.

So like I was saying, consistency, reliability and stability is the key learning and is the difference between a reef and a great thriving growing reef bio-sphere.

So, C'mon this is the foundation of reef keeping, or at least mine.

[stingythingy45]

I would say 79.5 deg.

[shaginwagon13]

Originally Posted by stingythingy45

I would say 79.5 deg.

Not 79.6?

[shaginwagon13]

repost