OMG!!!!! My temp hit 90 degrees today

[jkcrumb]

I just purchased a new lighting system that has 3 250 MH's. I only have them on for 3 hours a day right now. When I went to look at the temp when the lights went off I saw that it hit 90 degrees!!!!!

I only have a few softies, 1 or 2 LPS's a brand new Maxum clam and 4 fish.........I immediatly put a fan on the water to cool it down and its already down to 84 degrees....I dont think it couild have been at the high temp for any more than an hour............what should I expect?????????? Is everything gonna die?????

 

[rykna]

Chill dude

(sorry couldn't resist) Slowly drop the temp, and add some stress zyme. What are your water levels?
How are the fish acting? Everything should be okay as long as you drop the temp slowly.
I had my reef peak a 92, everything was okay.

 

[jkcrumb]

Originally Posted by Rykna
Chill dude

(sorry couldn't resist) Slowly drop the temp, and add some stress zyme. What are your water levels?
How are the fish acting? Everything should be okay as long as you drop the tamp slowly.
I was just saying the samething about myself......."chill out".........All my levels are fine it was only the temp that out of control...........I'll bring it down slowly.........it should take about 4-5 hours to drop down to the 78 degree point...........thanks for the piece of mind

 

[rykna]

More info:
Even though an aquarium heater may be set at 75°F, if a room reaches 90°F during the day, the water may also increase to 90°F. The temperature could increase even more if the aquarium includes pumps, lights, or other electrical equipment. If that night the room temperature drops into the 70s, the water in the tank could drop to 75°F. This sudden drop in temperature will compromise your fishes' immune systems making them more prone to parasitic infections such as ich. If you cannot stabilize the room temperature to prevent these large fluctuations, slowly raise the thermostat on the aquarium heater closer to that of the expected high temperature of the room or add a chiller. Whatever you do, remember that if you change the temperature of a tank, do it slowly.

 

[rykna]

Sounds Great

Here's another piece on chillers~
http://www.peteducation.com/article....articleid=2910

 

[reefkprz]

dont add stress zyme or any other water additave to compensate for high water temperature.. ever.....
additaves like stresszyme increase surface tension (decreases oxygen exchange) the hotter water is the less oxygen it can hold. at higher temperatures you need all the oxygen exchange you can get.
Rykana is correct about slowly lowering the temperature, not rapidly dropping it it can add additional stress to the fish.

 

[maxalmon]

Reasons like this are why some type of controller unit is important, I use the Neptune Jr, it monitors just about everything and will shut down specific systems once a set perameter is breached...My lights shut down at 82 and a extra fan turns on, once temp goes back down then the lights come back on...Peace of mind is essential with a reef tank...

 

[maxalmon]

Originally Posted by reefkprZ
dont add stress zyme or any other water additave to compensate for high water temperature.. ever.....
additives like stresszyme increase surface tension (decreases oxygen exchange) the hotter water is the less oxygen it can hold. at higher temperatures you need all the oxygen exchange you can get.
Yeap

 

[rykna]

Originally Posted by reefkprZ
dont add stress zyme or any other water additives to compensate for high water temperature.. ever.....
additives like stresszyme increase surface tension (decreases oxygen exchange) the hotter water is the less oxygen it can hold. at higher temperatures you need all the oxygen exchange you can get.

WOW!!! Learn something everyday. I never thought of that

thanks for the info reefkpr

 

[digitydash]

You should have computer fans if you are run MH since they give off alot of heat.Running a fan over the water should decrease the water temp slowly like you have done.I have 4 on my tank and I only have one MH on it.Also if you have glass or a cover over the tank I would remove it till you get it back in check.When I cove mine it gets to about 84 deg if I uncover it it drops to 76 deg when it starts geting high I will remove the covers till it is back to normal.

 

[mscarpena]

It seems to me you either have a small tank or your thermometer is not in the right place. I see you bout 3 MH so it is probably not that your tank is small and heating up quickly. If your temp swings are that sudden it just does not seem right to me. Make sure your thermometer is in yoour sump away from your lights so you are not getting a false high reading. I know it might sound stupid, but the simple things are often over looked and we all know we have done stupid stuff. Well good luck and I hope it is as simple as my suggestion.

 

[puffer32]

Thats alot of MH lighting. Do you keep a fan running when they are on? Is the room the tanks in to warm? My little 55 with just T5 lighting would go to 90 easily with no fan on the water surface. Make sure you run one during lights on. My fans on both my 55 and 150 are on timers and go on when the lights go on. Your corals will probably react some to the temp jump, but should recover.

 

[mudplayerx]

Make sure you don't lower the tank's temp more than two degrees in 24 hours. That would be much more harmful than the 90 degree temp itself.
A good way to slowly lower the temp is to freeze gallon jugs of water and float them in the sump/tank. The fan you added will help a great deal as well.

 

[skipperdz]

yea anything more than 2 degrees and really mess with the fish's systems. my 4vhos runs the water at 84degrees, when they go out its only 83. my heater is set at 72 and my room is a constant 77. so i think all that keeps my water within 1 degree flux