lower temp limit for SPS tank
- Thread starter Allmost
- Start date
rwb500
Active member
please refrain from posting if you have no idea what you talking about. seriously.
anyways, i know a few people that keep large (300g+), beautiful reefs in their basements. the tank temperature is kept at about 70-72 during the winter. no problems at all.
29reef
It's all about the flow
You might want to take a little more time to be polite to other members before you post such things.
The truth as I know it is that it's possible to keep a sps tank at a lower temp, but it's not recommended. Most corals thrive at higher temperatures. Most NSW reefs will be above 78, with some having a surface temp as high as 84-85!
If you wish to keep fish that require a lower a temp, you might want to set up and establish the tank as a fish tank and then introduce the corals later after you have mastered the fish part of it. Both are hard enough to accomplish on their own, trying together at the same time can be a recipe for disaster. GL
M007
Acro Whore
If you took the time to consider the big picture, instead of being rude, you might consider this senerio; purchase an SPS from a LFS, wild/cultured/you pick, then place it in water 4 to 5 degrees cooler. That type of aclimation requires some experience, but you know people with tanks running 70-72 so I guess that's OK.
jimmy frag
New member
72-78 with out drastic swings. IMO 74 is my target.
jimmy frag
New member
perfect temp
Drastic swings normally do not hurt corals unless you go out of there normal temps that they are used to. There is a huge write up in the chemistry forum with tons of feedback.
My tank has gone from 73-86 in a matter of hours. My temps year round range from 72-86. Every now and then I will hit 84-86 during the summer months and 72ish during winter. I wouldnt go any higher than 86 or lower than 72.
And yes, I have a full blown 180G SPS system with some nice large colonies.
Coral reefs in the wild can have +/- 10 degree swings in a matter of seconds depending the currents and high/low tides.
I maintain 74 to 78, in reality I don't know my lower range, I've kept many tanks without heaters in San Diego and the bay area and have never lost a coral to low temp that I know of, so I would guess a low of around 70/72 in the winter. I've also been up to 93 before, surprisingly didn't lose anything either. Went on vacation and accidentally turned my light timer ahead 4 hours instead of back, so my halide and mhos turned on at noon in 85 degree weather instead of 8... Everything established was ok, cuc wasn't happy and all of the $200 in corals I brought back died, even after acclimating and waiting for my temp to drop to 82. It really seems to depend on what the corals are used to so I would recommend dropping the tank 2-4 degrees a month till your where you want and have consistency in daily fluctuations to not shock them.
d0ughb0y
Active member
I have always read temp range to be 72-78. I once saw a reef tank display at a public aquarium, and they maintain it at 72 with a chiller. I only keep mine at 78-80 for practical reasons because that is about where my room temp is. anyways, the OP question is how low it can go, not what the lowest you keep your tank at.
Fsurocks99
New member
I have kept my 40 at 76 for a year now with no problems.
Allmost
New member
thanks guys. appreciate all different points of views.
battling some minor case of AEFW, mixed with Red Bugs, and also waiting on a couple of deeper water fishes[fingers crossed] ... I will lower the temp to 76 his week. wait a week and see how corals respond. if all good, I will go down another 1-2 degrees.
my seahorses are going to love me for this
haha
battling some minor case of AEFW, mixed with Red Bugs, and also waiting on a couple of deeper water fishes[fingers crossed] ... I will lower the temp to 76 his week. wait a week and see how corals respond. if all good, I will go down another 1-2 degrees.
my seahorses are going to love me for this
hahatinmanhouston
Member
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