keeping water at 72-75 vs 80 degrees?

[geaux xman]

Have you tried the evaporative cooling I mentioned in your other thread about it? I bet you could drop 2 degrees, maybe even three, just by using that method.

i will try picking it up one this weekend.

 

[namxas]

Would this suggest that animals commonly known to need lower temps due to collectiong depth do not actually need those cooler temperatures? I'm thinking along the lines of Bandit Angels, Interuptus Angels, etc.

IME with bluefin lions (Parapterois heterura), it's not only important, but imperative that this fish be kept cool (we run 63*F max) as soon as possible or they develop fatal bacterial infections.

We hit upon this temperature by trial and error with our current specimen. We started out at around 71*F, but each time the fish got a suspicious spot, we immediately administered oral antibiotics and dropped the temp a few degrees. Once we hit 63*F, the fish has been fine. We've had this fish for well over a year now.

I suspect this is true with other "deepwater" (I hate using that phrase now because it is just a way to add $$$ to the cost of "normal" fish) or temperate fish.

 

[dzhuo]

dzhuo,

who is the researcher?

I just PM you his info. Last time I checked, his work has not been published yet and might not be freely available. However, there are other references which he would be able to point you at that are free online.

 

[AquaticFins]

What kinds of temps are reefs seeing in the wild? The worldwide, yearly average is about 82. The average wintertime low is 77 and the average summertime high is 86. The often repeated "ideal" temperature of 78 replicates the low end of wintertime temperatures.

Certainly, I don't have data for the world's reefs at my fingertips...but this seems a little off to me.

Are these perhaps surface temperatures?

In my experience, 78°F is a fairly accurate average at reef depth. In winter, 74, 75°F is not at all uncommon for my reef dives.

Perhaps I'm not diving "typical" reefs, but my experiences don't match this quote.

I'd agree that corals can tolerate a much wider variety of temperatures than most expect, if acclimated slowly enough.

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

Would this suggest that animals commonly known to need lower temps due to collectiong depth do not actually need those cooler temperatures? I'm thinking along the lines of Bandit Angels, Interuptus Angels, etc.

Also, that some of the cooler water fish that have been difficult to maintain in aquariums, such as the blue spot jawfish (taking collection problems out of the equation), die from bacterial infections due to bacteria at higher temperatures they are not "used" to rather than just from being kept at a higher temperature?

 

[dzhuo]

Are these perhaps surface temperatures?

Yes most measurements I have seen are from surface temperature. However, the definition of surface temperatures varies greatly but generally speaking, it's anywhere between 1" below and 70' ft above. It's where majority of all photosynthetic corals and tropical fish live.

Here is a quick graph of the GBR and Willis Island. Both average about 81F.

Here is the data from July:

I am sure there are lots of data. However, looking at the average only shows part of the story where you only see the range which is large. What you don't see is the daily fluctuations which has been record to move as much as 9 degree within 3 hours. The shallower the greater fluctuations due to tidal change, heat from the sun and rains which can quickly cools or warms the water. Obviously, not every corals are found in such shallow water but these area is still full of corals and life.

 

[dzhuo]

Also, that some of the cooler water fish that have been difficult to maintain in aquariums, such as the blue spot jawfish (taking collection problems out of the equation), die from bacterial infections due to bacteria at higher temperatures they are not "used" to rather than just from being kept at a higher temperature?

If you are talking about sub-tropical animals, then you shouldn't have it in your reef tank in the first place. But since most fish and corals are pretty adaptive to temperature, you can certainly run your tank at lower temperature and subject the rest of your 95% corals to this low temperature to favor 1 or 2 fish. I am sure there are fish which are collected deeper which you might have no choice but to run the tank cooler.

Jus curious, is your bacteria comment a statement or a question? I couldn't tell.

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

If you are talking about sub-tropical animals, then you shouldn't have it in your reef tank in the first place. But since most fish and corals are pretty adaptive to temperature, you can certainly run your tank at lower temperature and subject the rest of your 95% corals to this low temperature to favor 1 or 2 fish. I am sure there are fish which are collected deeper which you might have no choice but to run the tank cooler.

Jus curious, is your bacteria comment a statement or a question? I couldn't tell.

It is a question. I don't have a blue spot jawfish but many people have had difficulty keeping them with them dying at various times from soon after acquisition to many months later. Someone named philter4 explained that many of the early deaths were attributable to collection practices (putting poisons like bleach in their den to force them out) as he has seen/participated in more proper collection. However, that still leaves a lot of the fish that have been collected properly but still die. I was wondering whether the fish were being subjected to types of bacteria at the higher temps of our aquariums that they hadn't adapted to and were unable to resist.

There are other fish that are listed as generally living at 65 - 74 degrees and thus of questionable suitability for our aquariums which may be kept at 77 - 80 degrees. I wondered if the exposure to bacteria is the problem or if the higher temperatures had an effect of their biological processes, thus making them live in ill health if kept at higher temperatures even if they survived.

I wasn't planning on running my aquarium at a lower temperature, just curious.

Thanks.

 

[mossimo654]

Added two fish today... flukes already?

Added two fish today... flukes already?

Hi all,

I have a 55g reef with an existing mcosker's flasher wrasse. Today I added a small hoeven's wrasse and lawnmower blenny. I don't have a qt. I acclimated and watched both fish make themselves right at home. Both started eating right away. My mcosker'a was "flashing" and "twitching" but no chasing or other signs of aggression.

I get home and notice the mcosker's "itching" his face against some rocks. Like he's irritated. I then literally just watched him put himself into the direct current of my power head and (I think) try and scratch himself on it. Well he got stuck in it and I nearly had a heart attack. He managed to escape and fly across the tank. He seems to have escaped sans injury but could he already have contracted flukes or something? The other fish have only been in for like 6 hours.