Do you think I'm wrong for being angry about this?

[lionstorm]

Ok two nights ago my dad left the window open in the upstairs living room where both my 75 and 25 gallon salt water aquariums are, it got really cold that night, like in the 50's or 60's. When I woke up in the morning the 75 gallon tank's temperature had dropped from 82 to 78 degrees. That's practically 4 degrees of a change overnight, I'm really lucky it didn't dip below 78. The temperature is back up around 80-81 now but my Dad thinks I was being rude when I told him the next time he wants to kill my fish he should just put some windex right into the tank. I know he didn't mean to leave the window open but he thinks I'm overreacting and that it wasn't that serious.
Am I overreacting? The upstairs portion of the house was 74 degrees with the window open and the tank was at 78 and dropping with it open. I told my dad fish can't handle extreme temperature changes, it stresses them and he says the ocean changes temperatures and I told him it doesn't fluctuate 4 degrees unless you go very deep down. The general area where fish live in the ocean maintains a constant temperature usually depending on the area.
But am I overreacting? Please let me know.

 

[lionstorm]

i know im just saying im lucky that it didn't go lower, if the tank hadn't been sitting at 82 that day, and had been at 78, it would have dropped to 74, which would have been bad.
i probably did overreact i'm just annoyed that he doesn't think what happened was that serious.

 

[asbury030]

well i dont blame u i would be mad too.

 

[azonic]

Do you have a heater in the tank to compensate for something like that?
I have sorta the opposite situation at my house. When my halides come on in the afternoon, the tank can heat up to around 84-86 degrees in no time. To compensate that, I've told everyone in my house to never close the door to my room and never close my window If I don't do it myself. The airflow from outside (10 degress celcius) is the only thing keeping my temp down around 82.
I get a LITTLE ticked off when I come home and find the door and window closed on the odd day.

 

[daniel411]

If you're asking, even you state that you don't feel he meant to harm your tank. Yet you accused him of doing something as similar as spraying poison/windex, into the tank? On top of that, unless he's been into aquariums, he probally has alot more on his mind than worrying about some fish.
Of course he's not going to think a four degree temperature difference could be harmful. Unless he's "interested" and has the time to read up on it. Can't blame someone who doesn't know the particulars of a hobby they're not actively interested in.
Just one of those things to live with as you're growing up. Can't be that bad if you've got a house and a couple saltwater tanks while in highschool.

 

[slofish]

along the lines of what daniel said, its true, not everyone knows what it takes to keep this hobby going. I myself wouldnt have had the slightest clue about temperatures, salinity, ph, etc until i got into it and started doing all the reading.
People make mistakes and thats just a part of life. I bet at one point, you may have left the oven on or forgot to lock a door or something in that nature. If you did, would you like it if you were told "the next time you wanna burn the house down..." or "the next time you wanna rob the house...."
I dont know how old you are, but yes, keeping these fish healthy and alive is important and serious, but as Daniel said, there are lots of other things that are much more important things like making car, house, electrical, water, trash and insurance payments, and of course working for everything he has.
So everyone makes mistakes, as long as we learn from them.
So my opinion, yes you may have overreacted a bit. But simply let him know how important this hobby is to you and what the consequences may be of leaving a window open. Personally, i would apologize and ask him if he would keep the window closed next time.

 

[squidd]

Get a heater and apologize to your DAD...
...or move out...

 

[marvida]

If you have a heater, get a bigger one. The heat in my office is very inconsistant in the winter. I had to replace the 50w with a 100w for those special occassions. The tank is a 10 gal.

 

[beerman]

You overreacted. If my son talked to me that way I would have knocked him on his *ss.

 

[karajay]

Originally posted by Beerman
If my son talked to me that way I would have knocked him on his *ss.
Yeah...if I had done that when I was that age, I STILL wouldn't be able to sit down (15 yrs. later)

 

[stacyt]

I agree with beerman. I think that you've overreacted. I've been diving, and have dove a few places that flucuated by more than a few degrees from one day to the next. Durring the summer it's normal for my tanks to fluctuate 2-3 degrees on a daily basis. A sudden drastic change in temp is bad, but a slow gradual change is not.

 

[nm reef]

My reef temp fluctuates from 78-82 on a daily basis. Lights out early in the morn it'll be around 78-79 degrees and mid day with lights on it'll be about 81-82 degrees. I run a couple of 100 watt heaters in the refugium to maintain a relatively stable temp but the range still is +/- a few degrees daily. Yup...I think you severely over reacted and need to reconsider your attitude. I'd never consider giving my dad that kind of attitude when I was younger ( I'm 47 with a son of my own). Dad was a boxer for many years and his stiff right hand would have corrected my mouth and attitude right quick!

 

[thomas712]

Have the same flucuations in temp from day and night much like NM. Two heaters both 250 watts.
I know it makes you mad but you'll get over it, discuss it with reasonable attitude and you go farther, always meet in the middle with another human being. And remember, forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who tresspass against us.
Hehe...Dad was a Drill Sergeant in WWII, can't remember a time that I tested him that he didn't put me down. Pretty even tempored most of the time, but I could once in a while see why he was a DI. Imagine it tough guy like that and he was also a concert violinist, and math teacher. Why is it the musical people are always good at math?
Thomas

 

[cadbury]

I also think you over-reacted. I know you got mad, but he did'nt mean to do it. The house may of been warm and he just tried to cool it. After all, I bet he pays for the Electric bill for "Both" your tanks?

 

[karajay]

Originally posted by Thomas712
Why is it the musical people are always good at math?

I studied music for 10 yrs. and got a D in Algebra

 

[squidd]

I "honored" in math,trig,geometry and calc. and I can't hold a tune in a paper sack with BOTH hands... ...It doesn't even sound good when I play the Radio...

 

[dreeves]

Dad pays the

[hr]
...how could he have been wrong?

 

[cowbuoy]

an average heater has a temp range of 2 degrees
that is if you set it at 80 it wont turn on till it hits 78
and in the other extreme it wont turn off till it hits 82
ie 2 degrees each way - that way it is not going on and off constantly with little temp variations
a better heater will have a 1 degree range ie set at 80 range will be 79-81
btw - in the shallower areas where a lot of our fish (but not all) come from the temp often varies by that much or more on a regular basis