70 degrees

[shark2]

I have a chainlink moray, blue dot grouper, a barracuda and blue dot stingray. I think I might toss the blue dot. Can I keep my temp at 69-70 degrees.

 

[DoubleM 10]

could you physically yes.

is it a good idea no. upper 70's is what is suggested for the aminals we keep in our tank.

what would make you want to keep it at 70?

 

[shark2]

There are several reasons. To save on food and electric. I want to get a a bunch of Catalina gobys. My friend told me when people say a reef is 79 degrees that is the surface temp. As you get deeper it gets colder. My fish don't don't hang out normally in the shallow reefs.

 

[DoubleM 10]

There are several reasons. To save on food and electric. I want to get a a bunch of Catalina gobys. My friend told me when people say a reef is 79 degrees that is the surface temp. As you get deeper it gets colder. My fish don't don't hang out normally in the shallow reefs.

this isnt the hobby to save money in. and i would think the surface of the water is hotter being it is direct sunlight. Ever go into a pool and water is hot? probably hotter than 79. the reef stays near the mid to high 70's.

why not keep the tank at about 75? thats the higher end for the gobies. and just below normal for the corals and more tropical fish

 

[moogoomoogoo]

you are trying to mix tropical with temperate. Hard to do.

 

[moogoomoogoo]

If you mean put them all in one tank- which is what I think you mean- the gobies will become a quick snack.

 

[Winwood]

A friend of mine worked at a public aquarium. They kept all of their tanks, which included various reefs, FO, large shark lagoon, around 68-70 degrees. When I got a behind the scenes tour, after donating a stars and stripes puffer the size of a football, I specifically asked the head aquarist about it. He explained to me that it was a means of keeping both the food bill and electrical bill low. I also asked if he had seen any negative effects keeping corals/inverts/fish at such low temperatures and was told they hadn't. All of they're displays looked healthy including a sps dominated reef, a lps reef, non photosynthetic reef, and various other species specific displays. Just for verification, I stuck my finger in some of the displays and they did feel quite chilly.

 

[Stevenliu9]

barracuda is definitely a tropical fish dwell on reef top, snorkeling in Belize the water temp is over 80 where they are. So tossing them in a 70 degree tank would be rather cruel despite their survival. And like Moogoo said, any small fish, including catalina goby, is a quick snack for barracuda. By the way you do realize barracuda grow to 7' long in the wild right?
Winwood, can you please name the public aquarium that keeps EVERYTHING at 70F? I am really curious to learn more of their technique. Thanks!

 

[Winwood]

barracuda is definitely a tropical fish dwell on reef top, snorkeling in Belize the water temp is over 80 where they are. So tossing them in a 70 degree tank would be rather cruel despite their survival. And like Moogoo said, any small fish, including catalina goby, is a quick snack for barracuda. By the way you do realize barracuda grow to 7' long in the wild right?
Winwood, can you please name the public aquarium that keeps EVERYTHING at 70F? I am really curious to learn more of their technique. Thanks!

Sure. It's the Portland Aquarium in Portland OR. They are a for profit aquarium, and to my knowledge do not receive any state funding. I believe that this is one of the reasons their maintenance budget is a top priority. From what I understand, the same guy who started it, also has a similar style one in Boise ID, and was starting another one in Austin TX at the time of my tour (about a year and half ago).

 

[ace_92101]

There are several reasons. To save on food and electric. I want to get a a bunch of Catalina gobys. My friend told me when people say a reef is 79 degrees that is the surface temp. As you get deeper it gets colder. My fish don't don't hang out normally in the shallow reefs.

Depends where you're diving. Many spots in SE Asia, ie Philippines/ Indonesia the temperature on the reef are in the high 70's low 80's. I think most people think that reef temps are lower than what they really are.

 

[Winwood]

I realize Hawaii is pretty far north of the equator, but it's interesting to note that at least a couple of islands experience temperatures in the mid to low 70's for a couple consecutive months. I also assume these are surface temperatures but that is speculation.

Here's the info from NOAA.
https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/hawaii.html

Also interesting to note the year around temps for the Eastern Gulf of Mexico.
https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/egof.html

 

[Betta132]

Your catalina gobies will become a snack, or they'll be too terrified to come out. Catalina gobies should be kept in a cool-water tank with other peaceful cool-water species.
Do you have a pond or something? Because barracuda get BIG.

 

[Zoodiver]

A friend of mine worked at a public aquarium. They kept all of their tanks, which included various reefs, FO, large shark lagoon, around 68-70 degrees. When I got a behind the scenes tour, after donating a stars and stripes puffer the size of a football, I specifically asked the head aquarist about it. He explained to me that it was a means of keeping both the food bill and electrical bill low. I also asked if he had seen any negative effects keeping corals/inverts/fish at such low temperatures and was told they hadn't. All of they're displays looked healthy including a sps dominated reef, a lps reef, non photosynthetic reef, and various other species specific displays. Just for verification, I stuck my finger in some of the displays and they did feel quite chilly.

Many of the facilities that will allow seasonal drops down low are showcasing animals found in regions that also have that temp swing. As an example, South FL water temps will dip down into the upper 60s for a short period in the winter. The marine life will drastically slow down, but survive. (Side note: surviving and thriving are two very different things.) If it lasts too long, mortality spikes on the reefs here. A few years ago, we had record cold spell and it wiped out a very high percent of the coastal fish and inverts.

I've been in the public aquarium industry for about 15 years. Not all do it this way. In fact, very few do it this way. despite what anyone says, it's not a great idea long term. There are short term benefits (slower metabolism etc...). Most places run water for tropical marine fish between 75-80. Displays specifically for cold water species are maintained at lower levels that will match the area the fish are found.

 

[Winwood]

Many of the facilities that will allow seasonal drops down low are showcasing animals found in regions that also have that temp swing. As an example, South FL water temps will dip down into the upper 60s for a short period in the winter. The marine life will drastically slow down, but survive. (Side note: surviving and thriving are two very different things.) If it lasts too long, mortality spikes on the reefs here. A few years ago, we had record cold spell and it wiped out a very high percent of the coastal fish and inverts.

I've been in the public aquarium industry for about 15 years. Not all do it this way. In fact, very few do it this way. despite what anyone says, it's not a great idea long term. There are short term benefits (slower metabolism etc...). Most places run water for tropical marine fish between 75-80. Displays specifically for cold water species are maintained at lower levels that will match the area the fish are found.

I wasn't advocating it nor knocking it. I was simply stating I've witnessed it, and did not see any signs of stress on the animals. In fact, their corals displays looked very good with bright coloration, good polyp extension, lots of new growth etc.. They also kept a FO display with huge versions of angels, tangs, triggers, moorish idols, groupers and more, all at right around 70.

Personally, I strive to keep my aquariums around 78 degrees, and find that to be where I have the greatest success. Certain fish that are common in the trade, especially ones with large distributions like gold rim tangs, moorish idols, various wrasses and groupers, I wouldn't think twice about keeping them at lower temps. A lot of these fish's distribution extends all the way to the Eastern Pacific, where they are subject to a lot cooler temperatures due to the up dwelling antartica currents.

Personally I think rapid temperature drops are much more devastating than low temps themselves. If temps are gradually lowered, many animals seem to tolerate temps not normally associated with tropical aquariums. One example of this, from personal experience, are cichlids.

I keep various old and new world cichlids. In the summer, I keep many of them in an outdoor pond that ramps up and down throughout the season. I realize cichlids and marine fish are apples and oranges essentially, but these fish survive and seem to thrive at temps outside what is recommended.