Observation

Tank temperature is a highly debated topic throughout available Reef articles/books.

I have been keeping mine right at 80 degress (measured in the sump) since starting up. However, recently, when placing one of those sticky "strip" indicators on the bottom of tank, I found it read only 78.

Am sure I would get a higher reading near the top, but am wondering now if it should not be more.

To test, (timidly) I raised the sump water temperature to 82. Was not long before the outside indicator (at tank bottom) went up to 80.

Was also not long after that I noticed BTA (located about midway in tank) opening up and "reaching" much more fully then I have ever seen it before. ("happiness indication"? :-/ )

While fish may be fairly tolerant of considerable temp ranges..I wonder about inverts/corals.

May be explanation why I have never had any success with either colt or kenya tree corals which have totally disintigrated after introducing to tank. - up to now have attributed it to some toxic imbalance with other species in tank. Am now not so sure.

Should I move it higher yet?

Wondering,

OmarD

 

Your thermometer should be at the furthest corner away from the heater. I have a big Kenya tree and my tank is 78 to 81 tops. I have 3 thermometers . 1 in the sump 1 in the refugium 1 in the tank. Tank reads 80 refugium 81 (have a heater in the ref) sump is 79 and when I use the pH meter the temp is 80. May be the higher heat in your tank sparked some kind of food growth that the BTA liked? don't know what to say.