I'm the worst reefer ever.
- Thread starter NCNBilly
- Start date
stephenrsaiz
New member
There are some seriously low temperatures running around here.
If it is healthy what is the problem? I have tons of growth in the corals, the anemone is huge and the fish are fine. This is where it sits naturally I do not run a heater in it b/c the last one I had stuck on and cooked my tank while we were on a weekend trip. I lost everything in the tank about a grand worth of inhabitants, never again. I think the thermometer is probably off by a few degrees but it is what it is. The tank gets its heat from the vho's and the pumps and the house temp is 74-76, now and around 68 in the winter. My largest coral has triple in the 3 years I have had it, finger leather appox. 2 1/2 feet across now when I got it it was less than a foot. Unhealthy, I think not and I do have pics so no bs. Don't try and snub noses to what is not the mainsteam, just b/c it is not what you would do, don't judge.
Jandree22
New member
honestly I got the impression you were baiting for a fight in the first place. you put up a VERY unconventional practice, with no explanation further then a sentence or two, guess what, people are going to respond. and nobody snubbed you, they posted a question and a fact (yes, that's a seriously low temperature, when put up against the mainstream that runs like 78-81)
so just chill, mkay? it's not even your thread
No, it's not but it is not there's either. No fight here but when Elysia was mentioning that she is bring her temp down they were "DOWN from 75" and you Jandree22 were poking fun with the "penguin" crack, I chimed in to state that she is not the only one that keeps it cold. So yes you and others were "snubing noses". Yes it is cold but inhabitants adapt and thrive in healthy colder temps. Does the ocean stay at 78-81 year round? No.
mkay!
mkay!
stephenrsaiz
New member
lb013...you need to calm down.
As Jandree said, we have met the other members of the club before and often jest with one another.
If you attended one of our meetings, you would likely know this and not take forum posts here so personally. No one "snubbed noses" at you, as you mentioned.
Also, I never mentioned anything about the general heath of your tank or it's inhabitants, so please do not imply that I did.
If you'd like to attend a meeting, feel free to follow along in the forum for the next meeting. You'll likely find it an enjoyable experience with many interesting folks.
As Jandree said, we have met the other members of the club before and often jest with one another.
If you attended one of our meetings, you would likely know this and not take forum posts here so personally. No one "snubbed noses" at you, as you mentioned.
Also, I never mentioned anything about the general heath of your tank or it's inhabitants, so please do not imply that I did.
If you'd like to attend a meeting, feel free to follow along in the forum for the next meeting. You'll likely find it an enjoyable experience with many interesting folks.
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turbonegro
Member
I want to see pictures of your tank.
Stephenrsaiz, I am calm believe me, and I check the forum often and see a lot of banter here, which is nice. I don't need to go to them to see that. If you would have merely asked the reasons for being colder instead of the wise comments, now and before, I would have happily elaborated.
Jandree22, I appologize likewise. I do not bait for a fight. It is not my thread and I felt it needed no explanation since it was not mine. Like I said before it was to merely state Elysia was not alone in a colder tank.
Turbonegro, if directed at me I'll try and take some tomorrow after work.
Jandree22, I appologize likewise. I do not bait for a fight. It is not my thread and I felt it needed no explanation since it was not mine. Like I said before it was to merely state Elysia was not alone in a colder tank.
Turbonegro, if directed at me I'll try and take some tomorrow after work.
Jandree22
New member
lb013, thanks. same to you. it just seemed like somehow we got off on the wrong foot and I guess I just wanted to send a "reality check" for the lack of a better word, that the group of us are open minded and like to learn off of each other. I have never witnessed any derogatory type comments among us, and at worst it's just a little bit of tough love to get us back on track. that and plenty of grade school humor.
I would be interested in pics too just as part of the learning process, since you would be first < 70*F reef tank I've ever seen. usually when I hear of those temps, they occur in a winter power outage with a complete loss. everything you see and hear says that shouldn't work, but your experience apparently proves that as a misconception.
I would be interested in pics too just as part of the learning process, since you would be first < 70*F reef tank I've ever seen. usually when I hear of those temps, they occur in a winter power outage with a complete loss. everything you see and hear says that shouldn't work, but your experience apparently proves that as a misconception.
stephenrsaiz
New member
Yeah, I want to see the cold water SPS.
stephenrsaiz
New member
Yes, I did. And I know they don't do well. I'm betting lb needs a new thermometer or temperature probe.
03LightningSVT
New member
LOL! Allow me to quote Randy Holmes-Farley - "Temperature impacts reef aquarium inhabitants in a variety of ways. First and foremost, the animals' metabolic rates rise as temperature rises. They may consequently use more oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, calcium and alkalinity at higher temperatures. This higher metabolic rate can also increase both their growth rate and waste production at higher temperatures.
Another important impact of temperature is on the chemical aspects of the aquarium. The solubility of dissolved gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide, for example, changes with temperature. Oxygen, in particular, can be a concern because it is less soluble at higher temperature.
So what does this imply for aquarists?
In most instances, trying to match the natural environment in a reef aquarium is a worthy goal. Temperature may, however, be a parameter that requires accounting for the practical considerations of a small closed system. Looking to the ocean as a guide for setting temperatures in reef aquaria may present complications, because corals grow in such a wide range of temperatures. Nevertheless, Ron Shimek has shown in a previous article that the greatest variety of corals are found in water whose average temperature is about 83-86° F.
Reef aquaria do, however, have limitations that may make their optimal temperature somewhat lower. During normal functioning of a reef aquarium, the oxygen level and the metabolic rate of the aquarium inhabitants are not often important issues. During a crisis such as a power failure, however, the dissolved oxygen can be rapidly used up. Lower temperatures not only allow a higher oxygen level before an emergency, but will also slow the consumption of that oxygen by slowing the metabolism of the aquarium's inhabitants. The production of ammonia as organisms begin to die may also be slower at lower temperatures. For reasons such as this, one may choose to strike a practical balance between temperatures that are too high (even if corals normally thrive in the ocean at those temperatures), and those that are too low. Although average reef temperatures in maximal diversity areas (i.e. coral triangle centered Indonesia,) these areas are also often subject to significant mixing. In fact, the cooler reefs, ( i..e. open Pacific reefs) are often more stable at lower temperatures due to oceanic exchange but are less tolerant to bleaching and other temperature related perturbations.
All things considered, those natural guidelines leave a fairly wide range of acceptable temperatures. I keep my aquarium at about 80-81° F year-round. I am actually more inclined to keep the aquarium cooler in the summer, when a power failure would most likely warm the aquarium, and higher in winter, when a power failure would most likely cool it.
All things considered, I recommend temperatures in the range of 76-83° F unless there is a very clear reason to keep it outside that range."
IMHO - the tropical reef critters we keep should be kept as close as possible to the temp of their naturally occurring environment. Deep and cold water critters are an all together different story. Could one survive in the others environment? Maybe, but the situation would not be ideal.
Another important impact of temperature is on the chemical aspects of the aquarium. The solubility of dissolved gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide, for example, changes with temperature. Oxygen, in particular, can be a concern because it is less soluble at higher temperature.
So what does this imply for aquarists?
In most instances, trying to match the natural environment in a reef aquarium is a worthy goal. Temperature may, however, be a parameter that requires accounting for the practical considerations of a small closed system. Looking to the ocean as a guide for setting temperatures in reef aquaria may present complications, because corals grow in such a wide range of temperatures. Nevertheless, Ron Shimek has shown in a previous article that the greatest variety of corals are found in water whose average temperature is about 83-86° F.
Reef aquaria do, however, have limitations that may make their optimal temperature somewhat lower. During normal functioning of a reef aquarium, the oxygen level and the metabolic rate of the aquarium inhabitants are not often important issues. During a crisis such as a power failure, however, the dissolved oxygen can be rapidly used up. Lower temperatures not only allow a higher oxygen level before an emergency, but will also slow the consumption of that oxygen by slowing the metabolism of the aquarium's inhabitants. The production of ammonia as organisms begin to die may also be slower at lower temperatures. For reasons such as this, one may choose to strike a practical balance between temperatures that are too high (even if corals normally thrive in the ocean at those temperatures), and those that are too low. Although average reef temperatures in maximal diversity areas (i.e. coral triangle centered Indonesia,) these areas are also often subject to significant mixing. In fact, the cooler reefs, ( i..e. open Pacific reefs) are often more stable at lower temperatures due to oceanic exchange but are less tolerant to bleaching and other temperature related perturbations.
All things considered, those natural guidelines leave a fairly wide range of acceptable temperatures. I keep my aquarium at about 80-81° F year-round. I am actually more inclined to keep the aquarium cooler in the summer, when a power failure would most likely warm the aquarium, and higher in winter, when a power failure would most likely cool it.
All things considered, I recommend temperatures in the range of 76-83° F unless there is a very clear reason to keep it outside that range."
IMHO - the tropical reef critters we keep should be kept as close as possible to the temp of their naturally occurring environment. Deep and cold water critters are an all together different story. Could one survive in the others environment? Maybe, but the situation would not be ideal.
