Un-accounted for high tank temperature?

Thanks for all your responses. For starters, tank is in a dark basement, not near window; Lights are in a canopy but it is only 3 sided, open in the back, and in fact I propped the lid open still with no change; I have checked my evening temps with the lights dark and it's still the same steady temp; I have tried 3 different thermometers, same readings; I guess I'll have to go inside the water tomorrow and start grabbing a hold of items and check for heat output. I just don't know why all of a sudden my tank is warmer. One of the pumps suddenly kicking out more heat? BUT ISN'T 81-82 DEGREES TOO WARM FOR A MIXED REEF TANK?

 

i keep mine at 80 and ive heard of people keeping tanks as high as 86-88 but recommended is definitely 78-80....and temperatures that high shouldnt be too big a problem...if you have ever been to key west youd know during the summer their waters are 85-95 degrees at times for sometimes weeks on end and their reefs are still beautiful

 

I have my tank set at 80° during the summer. I have let it get as high as 83° before and not worried too much. above that, yea I start to sweat a bit but my old 75 was 82° constantly during the summer. no ill effects.

 

I'm really not buying the idea that 80+ degrees is OK.
Look at the recommended temps for most fish on liveaquaria.com- not the be- all- end- all, but 68-72 seems the norm.
There is a *big* difference in dissolved oxygen levels, I imagine, between 70 and 85 degrees.

To find out for certain, go to the general reef topics forum and ask if mid 80's is an OK temperature. I almost guarantee a lot of "no's"- for the reason mentioned above.

As far as why your temp is high, it could just be the pumps you have running- worse comes to worse- get a small chiller.

 

the key word is "recommended" people and other mammals live comfortably between 32-100 degrees Fahrenheit, doesn't mean that we aren't capable of living otherwise....theres people in sub arctic areas that live in the -30s and people who live in the desert at 115+ degrees, The dissolved oxygen is a real factor though which in most cases arent an issue since reef tanks tend to have a lot of flow and skimmers which maintain good O2 levels by gas exchange and I dont know where you are finding 68-72 degrees for saltwater tanks....the recommended temperature is like 10 degrees higher more in the range of 76-82 degrees

 

Concerning the temps.- yep, my mistake- 72-78 is recommended for many fish.
I don't know how much dissolved O2 levels are decreased by going up in temp. to, say 85 degrees. That's why I said O.P. might want to ask that question specifically, either here or the general reefs forum. I would be interested in knowing myself, as I sometimes get higher temps. during the summer.

 

Wouldn't algae be less aggressive or apt to multiply at a lower temperature as well?

 

that is true to an extent, like i know most of the algae that grows up around here dies off during the winter but i dont know if a few degrees would make a large impact so ill let someone chime in and add on to what i have said