How HOT is to HOT.....

This is the first summer for my 55 gal and so far everything is going OK...touch wood...
I'm noticing that the temp is starting to creep a bit its at 78 - 79 right now. I'm wondering How hot is to hot? I have a air conditioner and haven't needed if for us humans yet. I'd like to use it to help with the temp if I can...
Do I really need a chiller....?
Any ideas.

 

dont know the specific answer to this as it varies according to coral species being kept
some dont seem to show any signs of suffering in temps over 83 degrees , whilst others show clear signs of discomfort as soon as it gets near 81, 82

in my tank I have just added a chiller as my temp was reaching 84 during the day

my LPS showed no signs of problem
My GSP where fine
My Zoas looked OK
My leather corals opened and looked great
but my 2 shroom colonies started splitting from the middle outwards - (a last ditch attempt to save themselves by splitting up and heading off I reckon)

so from my experience I would say that once it climbs towards the mid 80s , some species will show signs of discomfort]

some people on this site run their tanks at 81 so Im sure low 80s are OK although
I will set my chiller to 78 ( 26 in C)



Steve

 

Somewhere there is a book and I haven't figuerd out which one but I think it's Saltwater for Dummies that recommends keeping a reef tank at 76 degrees! This is hogswallop!

Your tank should be at 79 degrees, minimum and 82 Maximum. It's important to keep no more than a 2 degree fluctuation so get a good heater. Hagen makes an EHeater that is very good at keeping the temp stable and has a digital thermometer. Seventy-eight to 79 is certainly not an issue.

 

So if Saltwater for Dummies says 76 is a perfect temparature....
Where did you come up with the 79 minimum and 82 maximum?
And is hogswallop a type of heater?
Danny

 

Experience, my dear and advice from people who have been reefing longer than I've been alive!

Gin

 

According to Shimek and a few others, tests have show that most acros have an optimum growth temp which is 81.5 degrees. Pocillipora also has another optimum temp which is in the middle to lower 70's, this is why, according to them, that Pocillipora can take control on many reefs, it can live deeper and farther from the tropics and still flourish.

The average temp on the reefs and least about 5 years ago was 81-82 with exceptions, namely the Red Sea that can easily get to 86 or even higher.

Other hobbyists and scientists recommend about 79, because while it is still warm enough it will slow spread of bacterial infections and so on.
Many people claim that heat is the main trigger for bleaching in corals and yes once you get to 86 or so you will most likely see bleaching, you will see even MORE bleaching in cooler temps believe it or not. I personally run the tank at 81 and would recommend something there abouts, but at the end of the day you have to do what works for YOU not ME!

Happy reefing!

 

A few weeks ago, when it warmed up here in NY, I ran @ 85-87 for a couple weeks. Nothing died, nothing looked unhappy, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't comfortable for them to suffer. I dropped an Azoo quad fan on the top of the tank, popped off the lids, and ow running @ 80-80.7 day and night, lights on/off.

 

I'm quite surprised by this. What kind of fish and corals do you have in your tank? I ask because most folks that keep sps corals and big fish (like tangs) would easily lose everything in their tanks if their temps ran in this range for even a few hours (mostly because of oxygen deprivation as a result of high temps).

 

i also have a 55 gallon and live in NY last week it reached temp outside of about 85-89 degrees, i bought a nice 3 speed fan and screwed it at the lvl of my lights, i also setup a timer working around my lights so once my lights go on...it also turns on the fan so far my temps been good around 79-80. This method works great...u mite have a little bit increase on your con-ed bill but i know my tank is cooling...i also have my a/c setup on energy saver at around 75deg. (only on really hot and humid days). Good luck.
-tony