Water temp, what's yours?
- Thread starter gamedawg
- Start date
monalisa
Active Member
Funny I should come across this thread just now.
My tank has been consistently between 78 and 80 degrees. This past weekend, we had a very large heat wave, and we were going to be gone for all of Saturday. Someone (ahem) decided that there's too much water in the tank for the outside temperature to matter so much, so HE turned the AC off before we left. I tried to argue my point, but, well, you know how that goes sometimes.
When we got back home, the temp in the tank was at 86
, yeah, I was just a little miffed. I turned the lights out and did the floating ice cubes in a zip lock bag, turned a fan on the tank, etc. Slowly, very slowly the temp came down to normal (now at 80).
Since this all happened though, my mushrooms are looking pretty sorry. Or could that be because of the higher wattage lights? I would like to know if it would be okay for me to place my 'shrooms lower in the tank to see if maybe they preferred the lower lighting. That would certainly be okay with me, because that would open up a nice spot for higher lighting corals. Any comments welcome...
Lisa :happyfish
My tank has been consistently between 78 and 80 degrees. This past weekend, we had a very large heat wave, and we were going to be gone for all of Saturday. Someone (ahem) decided that there's too much water in the tank for the outside temperature to matter so much, so HE turned the AC off before we left. I tried to argue my point, but, well, you know how that goes sometimes.
When we got back home, the temp in the tank was at 86
Since this all happened though, my mushrooms are looking pretty sorry. Or could that be because of the higher wattage lights? I would like to know if it would be okay for me to place my 'shrooms lower in the tank to see if maybe they preferred the lower lighting. That would certainly be okay with me, because that would open up a nice spot for higher lighting corals. Any comments welcome...
Lisa :happyfish
ophiura
Active Member
If you changed lighting at the same time it can be difficult to pinpoint. SUDDEN significant changes, such as a 6 -8 degree temperature spike (even within "normal range") are major stress on animals. Stability, as always, is critical. Rapidly reducing the temperature can also cause issues. So certainly the temperature will have caused issues...but they may also be reacting to suddenly different lighting.
chipmaker
Active Member
MIne has been holding an almost steady 80.3 both day and night with and without light on it. My lfs keeps his stuff at 75to 80 deg range......aim for a temp uyou can mainrtain between your lights heat and pumps heat and what your heater will keep up with and try and eliminate any large swings of over 1 degree or so....I would rather have a tank at 80 without more than a deg of swing than run it hotter/cooler and have 2 or so deg swing. .As to salinity, 1.020 is fine for fish only, higher is better for a reef..........and I keep mine at 1.023 as it gives me some leaway if things go crazy........when yur working at the nottom or the top of the loimits it leaves no room for error or problems.......I know how much water can be allowed to evaporate and not make salinity swing and if by chance I happen to get stuck waway from home for an extended period i have a bit of built in safety by working mid scale in temp and salinity. Seems ich in SW is opposite of FW IIRC, as its usually cooler water that seemed to induce ich in FW
bang guy
Moderator
Originally Posted by MonaLisa
I turned the lights out and did the floating ice cubes in a zip lock bag, turned a fan on the tank, etc. Slowly, very slowly the temp came down to normal (now at 80).
I would have done this differently. I would have raised the heater to 84 to prevent another temperature swing and then decreased it by one degree every day until it was back down to where I wanted it.
The spike in temp is stressful, no doubt. Lagoonal animals can handle it but most open water animals can't. What I think is even more stressful is to have two big temp swings in the same day, one up followed by one down. I think it's better not to purposely cause the second temperature swing and bring the temp back down gradually.
I turned the lights out and did the floating ice cubes in a zip lock bag, turned a fan on the tank, etc. Slowly, very slowly the temp came down to normal (now at 80).
I would have done this differently. I would have raised the heater to 84 to prevent another temperature swing and then decreased it by one degree every day until it was back down to where I wanted it.
The spike in temp is stressful, no doubt. Lagoonal animals can handle it but most open water animals can't. What I think is even more stressful is to have two big temp swings in the same day, one up followed by one down. I think it's better not to purposely cause the second temperature swing and bring the temp back down gradually.
willcon
Member
Hey i just goy my tank setup around a weekago and im starting the cycle, my temp is about 87 to 88 i cant seem to get it any lower. ive read that letting run hotter during the cycle benefits the bacteria and makes the cycle go quiker (so im not too concerned for right now). but my real question is, are there any practical ways to lower the temp. without the costs of a chiller? is 87 88 way too high? Thanks in advance im kind of concerned on how i willl lower it by the time i start adding fish. :help:
:notsure:
:notsure:
bang guy
Moderator
Originally Posted by WillCon
are there any practical ways to lower the temp. without the costs of a chiller? is 87 88 way too high? Thanks in advance im kind of concerned on how i willl lower it by the time i start adding fish. :help:
Try a small fan blowing air across the surface of the water.
If you have a glass cover that's a huge problem.
are there any practical ways to lower the temp. without the costs of a chiller? is 87 88 way too high? Thanks in advance im kind of concerned on how i willl lower it by the time i start adding fish. :help:
Try a small fan blowing air across the surface of the water.
If you have a glass cover that's a huge problem.