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Location
Huntington
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I would say anything above 84 is getting into the danger zone (yes!) but it also depends on how quickly the temp swings. A drastic swing even within the acceptable range can kill things. I would try not to let it get past 82 so you have some room but watch for the swings.
 

TRIGGERMAN

Advanced Reefer
Location
Staten Island
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I would say anything above 84 is getting into the danger zone (yes!) but it also depends on how quickly the temp swings. A drastic swing even within the acceptable range can kill things. I would try not to let it get past 82 so you have some room but watch for the swings.
I was going to say the same..if it gets up to 82 I would worry. You might want to invest in a chiller or switch your lighting. At one point I had an MH set up for winter and T5 for the summer. Personally I think it makes more sense than a chiller because you are only running either fixture and not the fixture and chiller so it saves electric.
 

Chris Jury

Experienced Reefer
Location
Kaneohe, HI
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Generally agreed with the above. I would do my best to ensure that the tank isn't rising above 84 F, though pretty much everything we keep in captivity can tolerate temps a few degrees higher than that for short periods of time without problems (hours to days, depending).

Exactly what your temp targets are depend, I think, a little on how tightly you can regulate temp. If the tank naturally swings a few degrees daily (which is fine and potentially quite useful IMO), as long as it is maxing out at or below 84 F (e.g., 79-80 F in the morning, 83-84 F at lights out), you should be ok. However, there could also be the potential for temps rising higher than expected if you get a heat wave while you're away for the weekend, or something of that sort. Rock solid temps that vary only slightly on a daily basis (e.g., 79-80 F) can be great, but corals and other organisms are likely to be hypersensitive to elevated temps in the event of equipment failure, and a spike in temps. For instance, corals that see a temp that varies from 79-83 F daily are going to be fine at 84 F (or even a bit higher for a short period). Corals that are kept at a constant 79-80 F may be significantly stressed with a spike to 84 F, and may well freak out and bleach or die at higher temps.

So, I think a little of both worlds can be useful: some temperature variation when you are around helps to condition the corals and other critters to cope better with an unexpected temp spike in the event of equipment failure or a heat wave, but you definitely want to minimize the chances for problems when you are away, as bad things snowball fast.

cj
 

Brando457

NJRC Member
Location
North, NJ
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My tank is currently at 83.6, no idea why it is running so hot though. I am going to buy a clip on fan and blow it across the sump though.

Granted my AC is not in the window yet, but I'm sure once that kicks in it will drop to its normal temperature.
 

Brando457

NJRC Member
Location
North, NJ
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I have the stock pump that came on my hurricone cat 2 I think it's an askoll (spelling), a mag 18 for return, and a small quietone for my reactors.


Sent from my iPhone using Reefs
 
Location
Brooklyn, NY
Rating - 97.4%
74   2   0
Generally agreed with the above. I would do my best to ensure that the tank isn't rising above 84 F, though pretty much everything we keep in captivity can tolerate temps a few degrees higher than that for short periods of time without problems (hours to days, depending).

Exactly what your temp targets are depend, I think, a little on how tightly you can regulate temp. If the tank naturally swings a few degrees daily (which is fine and potentially quite useful IMO), as long as it is maxing out at or below 84 F (e.g., 79-80 F in the morning, 83-84 F at lights out), you should be ok. However, there could also be the potential for temps rising higher than expected if you get a heat wave while you're away for the weekend, or something of that sort. Rock solid temps that vary only slightly on a daily basis (e.g., 79-80 F) can be great, but corals and other organisms are likely to be hypersensitive to elevated temps in the event of equipment failure, and a spike in temps. For instance, corals that see a temp that varies from 79-83 F daily are going to be fine at 84 F (or even a bit higher for a short period). Corals that are kept at a constant 79-80 F may be significantly stressed with a spike to 84 F, and may well freak out and bleach or die at higher temps.

So, I think a little of both worlds can be useful: some temperature variation when you are around helps to condition the corals and other critters to cope better with an unexpected temp spike in the event of equipment failure or a heat wave, but you definitely want to minimize the chances for problems when you are away, as bad things snowball fast.

cj

Excellent advice Chris. You should write this stuff up sometime...oh wait......
 
Location
Huntington
Rating - 100%
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My tanks have always fluctuated slightly within an acceptable range (78-82 normally) and I've never used a chiller on my own tanks as of yet. I've never needed one or have found alternatives that worked, negating the need. I've never thought about that range of temps as giving the corals an edge, but it makes sense. I think that doing it on purpose might be more difficult to reproduce on a regular basis when you are trying to do it though (kind of like when you think about walking lol).
 
Location
Catskill NY
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
winter i run my tank at 78 summer at 80. up to 84 is safe just not for more than a few days. I think we are a little too worried about our tank temps look at the corals in the wild, many of them are exposed to equator mid summer sun while out of water for hours during low tide.
 

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