mr.wilson
.Registered Member
Great updated pics! Everything looks ship shape.
I don't want to drag the temperature debate out any longer that it already has been. As Peter mentioned, you would think we would have at least that one subject covered in the hobby by now.
The problem with magic numbers is they aren't magic for everyone. Peter has a high tech climate control system and a budget to keep it where he wants it. There are numerous fail safes and the high water volume and acrylic tank tank construction offers yet more stability. Fear of a temperature drop during a power outage or a high temp spike during a heat wave are not factored in when establishing target temp. If you have all of your ducks in a row, then a magic number of 82-84F fits the bill (no pun intended).
If you feel you are at risk of power outage, extreme weather (hot or cold), or equipment malfunction, then you should aim lower, closer to the middle of the temperature range (79-80F).
In most homes, it gets cooler at night. This can drop the system water a few degrees, especially since lighting and in some cases pumps are off at night and cooling fans are often left on. Most fish and corals are from areas with stable temperatures. The temp swing is more injurious than the temp value itself. For this reason, it makes more sense to keep the heater at 80F rather than 79 or lower so nightly drops are compensated for.
You can use a chiller to keep the temp from rising over 80F, but that represents a $1000 - $1500 equipment cost and elevated operational costs. It also increase the possibility of leaks and equipment failure.
I don't know the actual numbers, but the amount of dissolved oxygen in 79F water vs. 82F water isn't a huge difference. Keeping the resting temp lower will add extra minutes of air, rather than hours.
I posted an article by Dana Riddle earlier where he compares water temps to actual coral temps in aquaria. He uses a directional infrared thermometer to test the temp of the coral. Some lighting systems emit radiant heat that reaches the corals, making them warmer than the surrounding water. The sun also generates radiant heat obviously, so this heat transfer is not unique to our aquariums. Hopefully Peter can give us some documented water temps and coral surface temps. We have to keep him busy in the aquarium hobby or we will lose him in the wine closet
I don't want to drag the temperature debate out any longer that it already has been. As Peter mentioned, you would think we would have at least that one subject covered in the hobby by now.
The problem with magic numbers is they aren't magic for everyone. Peter has a high tech climate control system and a budget to keep it where he wants it. There are numerous fail safes and the high water volume and acrylic tank tank construction offers yet more stability. Fear of a temperature drop during a power outage or a high temp spike during a heat wave are not factored in when establishing target temp. If you have all of your ducks in a row, then a magic number of 82-84F fits the bill (no pun intended).
If you feel you are at risk of power outage, extreme weather (hot or cold), or equipment malfunction, then you should aim lower, closer to the middle of the temperature range (79-80F).
In most homes, it gets cooler at night. This can drop the system water a few degrees, especially since lighting and in some cases pumps are off at night and cooling fans are often left on. Most fish and corals are from areas with stable temperatures. The temp swing is more injurious than the temp value itself. For this reason, it makes more sense to keep the heater at 80F rather than 79 or lower so nightly drops are compensated for.
You can use a chiller to keep the temp from rising over 80F, but that represents a $1000 - $1500 equipment cost and elevated operational costs. It also increase the possibility of leaks and equipment failure.
I don't know the actual numbers, but the amount of dissolved oxygen in 79F water vs. 82F water isn't a huge difference. Keeping the resting temp lower will add extra minutes of air, rather than hours.
I posted an article by Dana Riddle earlier where he compares water temps to actual coral temps in aquaria. He uses a directional infrared thermometer to test the temp of the coral. Some lighting systems emit radiant heat that reaches the corals, making them warmer than the surrounding water. The sun also generates radiant heat obviously, so this heat transfer is not unique to our aquariums. Hopefully Peter can give us some documented water temps and coral surface temps. We have to keep him busy in the aquarium hobby or we will lose him in the wine closet
