impact of temperature

[jadeguppy]

I hooked up my reefkeeper yesterday and the temp probe read 88 degrees, but my digital temp gauge was reading 81. I pulled a glass themo. from a fw tank and stuck it in the sw (after rinsing it). Sure enough, the reefkeeper appears to be correct. Thinking back, I turned the heater up during the winter thinking that it wasn't staying above 78. Now I find out that the guage I used was way off.

Would running a tank at 86-88 degrees for an extended amount of time cause a die off in bacteria that could keep the tank from being able to remove all the nitrates? Also, would the heat have killed some of my lps and sps? I lost two brains and a few sps. My tank had a mini-crash that shot nitrates to 50, but these corals died after I got the trates down between 10-20, usually close to 10. IF the heat has been interfering with the tanks ability to process waste products, how long should it be until the tank stabllizes?

 

[Peter Eichler]

I highly doubt that the elevated temps are the cause of your nitrate issues. I'd look at things like insufficient protein skimming, overstocking, at other more tarditional causes first.

 

[superedge88]

Yes, elevated temps can indirectly cause high nitrates. You end up having snails and other critters dying, and corals stop their normal uptake of nitrogen and phosphate due to temperature shock... your nitrates can shoot up quite quickly. Basically anything that shocks a normally healthy system can indirectly cause your nitrates to elevate quite fast. A healthy reef system uses a lot of nitrogen and phosphate, part of a perfect balance. Once that balance is compromised it can be a quick downfall.

 

[jadeguppy]

I didn't even think about snails. Snail die off would make a lot of sense since they have been breeding and hatching in the tank, but I no longer find juvies. I have adults and eggs, but use to have many different sizes. With a constant supply of baby snails to die...

 

[Peter Eichler]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15369298#post15369298 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by superedge88
Yes, elevated temps can indirectly cause high nitrates. You end up having snails and other critters dying, and corals stop their normal uptake of nitrogen and phosphate due to temperature shock... your nitrates can shoot up quite quickly. Basically anything that shocks a normally healthy system can indirectly cause your nitrates to elevate quite fast. A healthy reef system uses a lot of nitrogen and phosphate, part of a perfect balance. Once that balance is compromised it can be a quick downfall.

That's with the assumption that 86-88 is killing things... The question was if the temps would interfere with the tanks ability to process waste. To my knowledge there is no reason to believe that they would.

 

[Peter Eichler]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15369431#post15369431 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jadeguppy
I didn't even think about snails. Snail die off would make a lot of sense since they have been breeding and hatching in the tank, but I no longer find juvies. I have adults and eggs, but use to have many different sizes. With a constant supply of baby snails to die...

That's kind of a stretch, your snail population is most likely just self regulating to the available food source just like it would in just about every other tank.

 

[jadeguppy]

I would consider self regulation of the number of snails based on food source, but there is plenty of food for them to eat. They are barely making a dent in the mess on the glass. I can see where they are trying, but I've heard of people have 500 in this size tank with no problems. They only grow to about 1/2".