How bad are temp swings 74-81

[lindenfish88]

Well I recently noticed that my temp swings from 74 - 81 , and its been going on for a while. Could this lead to zoas dying?? I've noticed over the month some zoas starts to shrink and shrivel up and disappear and some started getting pox. Is 74-81 a big swing? I ordered a new heater I think mine was going on, couldn't keep the tank warm anymore.

 

[650-IS350]

I'm thinking POX can be attributed to temps and seasonal changes.... just a guess in regards to SC's.

 

[lindenfish88]

Hmm what about the shrinking zoas and melting any relations to temp swings?? Its been going on for awhile,

 

[650-IS350]

got pics of the polyps in question. Some are just pure melters like armaggedons and darth mauls or african blues. But some due to being wild caught, aren't used to our tanks and stress out? some could be due to predators like spiders.

 

[lindenfish88]

nah I don't have any of those high end hard to get zoas, My tub blues are dying back. And I am wondering if its cause of the temp swing. Before lights on its 74 and when lights on it gets back to maybe 81. I think my heaters busted or something its set at 79 and it can't even reach that. Oh and I do have asterina star fish that I'm picking out. And I also have wrasses in my tank 2 yellow coris and 1 mccosker wrasses all of them are 2"+. The yellow coris I've seen picking at stuff all the time. I also dip all my stuff and I haven't added any new corals recently been a long time since I added anything. The dying tubs recently occured.

 

[650-IS350]

Do you have a controller on that heater... I know some heaters are notorious for going off spec and cooking tanks. I have a contoller on mine. Goes on at 75.9 off at 77.5 I think. My tank stays around 76.8-77 with the MH

 

[lindenfish88]

Nope no controller, its a ebo jagger 250w, set at 79 and everytime I get home around 5pm-6pm, temp is at 74. So I am assuming it can't keep up or its going down hill. Tanks only a 50g.

 

[650-IS350]

I only use ebo jagers but sometimes I guess due to age, they go off??? in regards to actually temp settings.

 

[saltydog64]

Nope no controller, its a ebo jagger 250w, set at 79 and everytime I get home around 5pm-6pm, temp is at 74. So I am assuming it can't keep up or its going down hill. Tanks only a 50g.

lindenfish.......

I cann't answer your ??? on Zoa vs temp swings (I know to little about them) BUT yes that is way to large for the well being of all your critters...IMO

just my $0.02 but for your situation, a 50 Gal (you make no mention of a sump, as a sump will add to the heat demand, you know water coming and going....) a single heater especially one the large 250 watts is a problem waiting to happen....sooner or later a heater will stick "on" and cook an over " powered " system....what I would do is have two heaters with enough total power to maintain a steady setting but should one stick on it shouldn't cook the tank...and if your current heater @ one time maintained a steady temp and now can't then as you know it's had it....

 

[rkelley_10]

A temp swing of 4 degrees is considered by some to be detrimental to coral health. Some varieties of zoas are "melters" and others are wild caught and have notriously poor outcomes. The large varieties of named zoas are available to the aquarist via aquaculture and propagation. Ever wonder why certain zoas cost so much? They are either in limited supply, grow very slowly, or do not acclimate well to the home system. Aquacultured specimens have acclimated to parameters in reef aquariums and have been grown out and passed on to other hobbyists. For example, Blue Steels and Blue Hornets are in abundant supple from certain wholesalers. They do however tend to melt away. I picked up 2 polyps of Blue Steels from a local LFS and in 6 months, I have about 40. All of the other Blue Steels in the area simply melted away. Survival of the fittest. As for rehabbing zoas, research vitamin C dosing. Best practice I have employed thus far

 

[sleepy.b.Floyd]

whats the average daily temp swing. my tank has about a 4 degree difference between lights out and when the mh's are on. can you keep it within a degree or two? looks like I need to look into a new heater

 

[Cpl_usmc]

I had a tank in the past with no heater and it was by a outside door, in the winter I would have temp swings of 10 degree's a day with no ill affects to my zoas or any of my other softies..

 

[flyyyguy]

if they are used to it every day then it shouldnt be a cause for any problems. 7 degrees is a little more than I would recommend, but I intentionally swing all of my systems 4-5 degrees daily and it surely isnt detrimental. In fact, I believe it not only makes them ship much better if you trade often, it also makes them much more resilient when something does go a little awry temp wise in your system.

If you are one to keep your temp at exactly the same temp all of the time, THEN swing it 7 degrees you could see some issues, but in the wild 6 degrees daily swing is commonplace and IMO is good to swing the temp a little every day in our systems.

If you have lots of pox going on, I would try to tighten that swing up a little but most importantly start treating all affected colonies until you get rid of it. Along side the furan (which should be used if you have the pox to any extent), good water quality and excellent flow will help you get a handle on the pox until you can find it no more

 

[Lobb4920]

That is a pretty big swing I don't thinlk that is your problem My tank swings from 74-79 and I havr had no problems

 

[PokerReefer]

I agree a 4-5 degree shouldn't be detrimental. Imo that is a scapegoat for somthing else that has been done in those situations.

 

[tate1]

We have temp swings of about 8 degrees a day. All of our SPS and LPS are doing great. So are most of our zoas. The only ones we have issues are the blue hornets, armaggedons. I have never really blamed our temp swings for any issues we are having. Although it may further weaken an ill coral. All I can say is whoever figures out exactly why zoas melt and how to stop it will be well off.