Is it too hot for my tank?

[ocellaris06]

Will it be too hot if my tank is around 83F in the afternoon in these few days? It will down to about 80F at night.
Can BTA withstand this condition?

 

[rhino509]

thats about as high as i would want it to go.just get a little fan to point across the top of the tank,it will drop about 2-3 degrees off the temperature,but be sure to turn it off at night as it will cause it too get a bit cool(at least at my house it does).just my thoughts

oh and also,i have had temp spikes higher than that with no immediate effect,but as for overall wellness of the tank...prevent temp spikes

 

[finfan4u]

I would put a cheap clip on fan over the top of your tank or sump and run it during the day, ideally you want it 76-80 degrees.

 

[mhhauser321]

You can tell me if i am wrong, but fish and coral live in the ocean and the ocean reaches much higher temperatures than even 85 degrees so whats to worry about.

matt

 

[erbio]

Interesting, however the temperature swing could be dangerous.

 

[markandkristen]

i would hook the fan onto the same timer/outlet as your lights and you should be fine

 

[hmello@bermexin]

I'm with mhhauser321 on the question though. Don't corals especially those in the shallow reefs and in places where there are chimneys of hot or cold water see those kinds of temp swings during the day?

 

[arts007]

Coral reefs survive best at temperatures between 25º and 29º Celsius (77-84 F) , depending on where they are located, a study showed that an increase in 1º C over the normal range caused bleaching in corals at a depth of 6-15 feet. Yes surface temperatures get higher than that, but in our enclosed systems its a good idea not to push the temp to high to give us a buffer, since temps can rise much faster in a shorter period of time in the enclosed system, of course depending on tank size

 

[Frick-n-Frags]

good rule of thumb is to keep it below 85º

also, hitting a higher temp on a daily swing is easier on the corals than just staying at that higher temp.

corals evolved with temp swings due to tides and landmasses and currents.

 

[ocellaris06]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10241168#post10241168 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mhhauser321
You can tell me if i am wrong, but fish and coral live in the ocean and the ocean reaches much higher temperatures than even 85 degrees so whats to worry about.

matt

I agreed! The condition in our tank should be better than in ocean. The point is most information avaliable over internet states that temperature should be kept between 72F-78F (22C-26). Is it over-specification or just make them more "professional"?

 

[mhhauser321]

I was just thinking that, most corals being second and third generation frags are probably used to a certain temperature so to ocellaris06 you should try to keep your tank at a stable and safe range (77-85 F)

and of course i know our tanks are not the ocean so don't just let it go, you need to watch so that you don't have any melting corals.

LOL

matt

 

[jthao]

i usually have mines at 79F at night and as high as 85F during the day. everything seems fine, and I've been having that swing of temp for quite some time now. my corals and fish are fine. I do have a chiller and can keep the temp below 80F, but that means the chiller will keep kicking on and my tank is in the house. chiller on to keep tank cool, means the living room is hot and musty unless the a/c goes on. so chiller on means a/c on, which means a grip load on the electric bill. I think I might try that fan over the tank thing. I don't wanna use my chiller unless I really have to, maybe end of july or august.

 

[kmf507]

I think people in general get too worked up over temp swings. Are you going to tell me that an urchin, coral, etc in a tidepool do not experience significant changes? As general practice, I wouldn't want my tank to swing more than 3 degrees in a day, but if your tank commonly heats up during the day and cools in the evening, I think (I think, but I'm only an amateur) you should be fine.