Stable Temperatures

pyro

pyro

Active Member
Well... might not be the ideal time to ask this considering my floating glass thermometer broke last night and I found it laying on its side in the sand with a nasty crack and a hole (knew I should have bought a new one)...
I know my temperature is fluctuating a good bit. If I remember right, 2 normally, sometimes up to 4 degrees in a day. I have a 10g sump under my 30g display with 192W of power compact lighting. The lights are pretty close to the water (probably about 6 inches). I have a 100w heater in the sump, but don't beleive its ever on much at all, even during the night.
Does anybody have any suggestions on how to help keep my tank temperature stable? It keeps fluctuating anywhere from 78-82 degrees. I'd like to avoid buying a chiller, I still have to buy an RODI filter and a good protien skimmer.
Thanks!
 
coastie55g

coastie55g

Member
question about water temp.. you say set it at 82.. what if your tank is steady at 80 degrees day and nite? :notsure:
 
donahue

donahue

Member
If it is steady where its at and your having good success then theres no reason to change. anything around 80-84 is good i think.
 
mary

mary

Member
I sure hope you are correct about up to 84 being safe. I will also raise my thermometer for the same reason. I have fluctuation of 5-6 degrees from morning to evening. I like to keep it at 75 but it is a losing battle. Have a large fan running all winter in front of the tank when all lights are on. The lights put it up to 80 in the winter and 82 in the summer. I thought 84 would threaten the corals and some fish that prefer cooler waters as does the sea cucumber. I have power compacts, actinics and day light bulbs. Bang Guy, should have not used Chem Clean. Having had such a battle with red slime, for so long and after having so many hobbiests go that route with good luck, decided to do it. What a miostake. I lost all the coraline algea.. No one mentioned that would be destroyed. All else seems to be fine. Have ordered bacteria from Kent to suppliment some of what was lost. If it comes back, I may have to give up this hobby also. I love it but with such a busy day to day treadmill, I can't spend three days doing water changes and treating tank. Love my tank and inhabitants. Can not be a slave to it. Now, I did not have a lot of coraline but over the years what I had was that beautiful dark hard as a rock purple coraline. I am broken hearted. The first time I used it, the slime algea didn't budge. Waited 36 hours, nothing!The second treatment all color left every rock. I followed directions specifically. Never again! Now when I turned my very well cleaned skinner on, it fills container immediately, within 10 minutes, so have to spend another day mixing another 15-20 gal. of salt water to keep refilling as tank water gets skimmed away. First time ever useing a chemicall, and last time!
 
mary

mary

Member
Skimmer, not skinner! How do I miss those stupid mispelled words! I re-read every thing I wrIte!
 
pyro

pyro

Active Member
Willllllllll do, thankyou! I'll turn it up tonight and let you know how it works. (would really help if I had a dang thermometer. Just so happens, it broke the day my parents left for florida, and I get my license next week. I'll be able to get one friday when my sister gets home, do you still suggest changing the heater?)
 
viper_930

viper_930

Active Member
It would probably safer to turn up the heater after you get the thermometer to make sure it doesn't go up too high.
 
donahue

donahue

Member
What kind of heater do you have? My tank used to have major fluctuations in the temperature and would at times reach temps near 88. I thought that the heater that came with the tank was a good one and that my lights were what was causing this heat issue. Fortunately i caught onto the heater and replaced it with a good ebo jager heater. With the same lights and a better heater my temperature has never strayed more then 1/2 a degree from 80.
 
mary

mary

Member
Ebo also. Lights are often the problem. Heater is off when temp rises. In my case it is just the lighting situation. Ebo's are great!
 
pyro

pyro

Active Member
It's marine land I beleive. Had great expiriences with them in freshwater... Do you think that is possibly the problem?
I think I am going to wait until I get the thermometer friday before fooling with it. Considering the 2 perculas, 1 purple firefish, the snails and hermits, and my coral banded shrimp don't seem to mind at all. The green star polyps are also doing good. I'd rather just wait than risk frying them for a slight improvement.
Thanks!
 
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