temps at 86-88

[Sugar Magnolia]

rsantangelo, I have a 30g Oceanic cube with a 250w MH over it and keep a fan clipped to the canopy. I turn the fan on when I turn the lights on in the morning, and turn it off when I turn the lights off. Before adding the fan, my temp fluctuation was 76 before the lights came on, and up to around 84-86 later in the afternoon. That was a pretty big temp fluctuation for me. Adding the fan keeps the temp swing down to about 2-3 degrees. The only drawback is the increased evaporation. I evporate about a half a gallon a day.

 

[BlueTangarang]

With all this talk about temperature fluctuations and differences, I'm surprised no one mentioned thermoclines. I've personally been diving in Monterey where surface temp was 53'F and 20 feet down there was seriously a line where the temp. just dropped and hit 48'F. Then you could come up 5 feet and it was back to 53'.

 

[Tadashi]

I think our tanks are too small to experience that phenomenon.

BTW, at different temps you will have a different ppt salinity reading (Shimek's book has a chart)

 

[HighlandReef]

i think we have to remember we have enclosed system, our tanks are not the ocean
i would bring those temps down to what i would consider norm
76-80
use a fan across the top of the tank and make sure you dont have glass lids on, i use eggcrate for top on my tank
i dont think it will hurt anything in short but i would not just leave it

 

[Santoki]

Metabolic rates are higher at higher temps. This is true for algae, desirable as well as nuisance. You may have a harder time controlling them at those temps.

 

[hotrodolds]

glad to see some common sense chiming in here. Anyone thats spent anytime in the ocean will know the temp can readily swing a few degrees in seconds with the way currents work.