How much does your Temp. swing from morning to night?

[fishgeek01]

Ok so here is my question. I got a new digital thermometer and put it in my tank. I had noticed that my water temp was perfect in the mornings but by the time that the lights go off it has risen almost 5 degrees. The temp starts out at about 80.2 and by the time the lights go out at night it is at 84.7. Here is the thing. I have 4 sets of fish that breed regularly, I have seen a lot of growth out of all of my corals, including my acros. When i got my current acro it was a small half inch frag, now it is 5 branches that are about 1 to 1.5 inches long each. That was about 5 months ago at the most. My monti plate is huge, the size of a dinner plate, my monti digi stands about 9 inches tall and about 5 inches around with all its arms. I have an assortment of mushrooms, zoos, xenia, and other corals that all have similar growth to them as well. I have to thin my xenia out once every 2 weeks just to keep it cut back.
Sorry so long but here is the question.
What is considered to much of a temp shift, and how much does your tank shift from morning to night. Also include what corals and inverts you keep as well.

 

[fishy7]

From what I have read:
You should have no more then a 2 deg swing. Your goal should be to keep it consistant. Pick a tem (78-80 is ideal) and keep it there. TO much of a swing is stressful to the inhabitants.
I keep mine at 79 during the winter and 80 during the summer with a 0 deg swing. I have to add a tray of ro ice cubes to keep it from going to 81 in the summer.
I have the following: Hammer, 2 anemones, daisey polyp, pulsing xenia, leather. All do pretty good in the growth department.

 

[lion_crazz]

I would not let it fluctuate more than 2 or 3 degrees from morning to night.
In the summer, I was getting a 1 to 2 degree fluctuation on the very hot days. Now, I do not get any fluctuation.
I have a hammer, leathers, mushrooms, zoos, button polyps, star polyps, cladiella, xenia, anemone, caulestrea, a few acro frags and I am sure I forgetting some things in there.

 

[oceana]

i keep mine at 82 at all times. chiller keeps it from getting hotter then that and the heaters keep it from getting colder. constant temp is key . i few degree here and there wont make a huge difference but if st up right it can be kept are one temp all the time.

 

[acrylic51]

Yeah I'd say 5 degrees is alot in terms of "swing", but your breeding fish, so it must not be to bad on them.....If you could narrow the swing down you might see a little improvement in what sounds like an awesome system......

 

[1journeyman]

Right? I'd calm the swing down too but sounds like the tank is doing awesome.

 

[acrylic51]

I know it sounds really a wide gap, but with the fish breeding doesn't seem like it really affects anything.........

 

[fishgeek01]

I am currently building a 30 gal fug so hopefully that will help with the temp swings, my tank is doing great, i see growth in all of my corals from one week to the next, they use a bunch of calcium it seems like, but i manage to keep all my levels near perfect, the only thing i have problems with is that temp swing. But like all of you said, it seems to be working for me right now. My tank also evaps about 1 to 1.5 gallons a day in water, always topping off every night when i go home form work, i plan on putting a auto top off on my fug at some point in time, just not yet (spent all my money on the skimmer pumpms and other needed items for the fug).
Plus i just wanted to get an idea of what your tanks did in terms of a temp swings thanks to all that replied and continue to

 

[ginarox]

from what my marine bioligist tells me, when my tempature gets up to 83 he starts to worry...good luck ...keep us posted,,,the summer time my tempature would stay around 80 to 82...now its about 75 to 78..have a great day...

 

[hatessushi]

Mine is usually about a half a degree either way but it's a bit more since I am adjusting to season changes right now. 77.5 to 78.5

 

[acrylic51]

I don't really think temp is the issue.......If you can get your system use to that temp all will be fine.....I think when you run into issues is when you do get swings......

 

[1journeyman]

You know... think about it though... I bet it depends a lot on the species you have. Diving the GBR this August we were at sites during low tide where 3 feet of coral was out of water. Pics of Fiji show the same thing. Many inverts live in tidal pools with crazy temp swings...
I'm not advocating temp swings at all, don't get me wrong. I'm just saying I bet a lot of our tankmates can stand quite a bit more than we think.

 

[acrylic51]

True different parts of the ocean would be different temps.....

thanks 1Journeyman.......

 

[reefkprz]

I definatly agree with journeyman, while maintaining a set parameter is ideal, there are spots in the ocean, where lots of fish live, that the temperature swings up and down almost forty degrees in seconds. Though I sure would never let that happen in my tank *S*
IMO 2 degrees is about as much as you "want" your tank to swing in temp. less is better when changing anything in a closed system.