81.1 - 81.9

[Folta]

Lately I've been trying to stabalize my temperatures. My aim was to get it at ~ 79.5 degrees. I have a digital thermometer, and until recently was getting a range of 77 to 84, night to day.

 

I bought a 6" fan, thats on the same timer as my halides. Past couple days, temps have sat around 81.5, dropping as low as 81.1 (oddly, while the lights were on) and going as high as 81.9 (again, lights being on).

 

Circulation seems pretty good in the tank, and doing my oh-so-accurate test of sticking one finger in each corner of the tank, it all feels the same temp.

 

My question, is is this range too high? In the 81's? My thought is that it'd be better to have it stable around 81.5, as opposed to dropping it to a lower temp but a bigger range (say 79.0 to 80.9).

 

Thoughts?

[Folta]

I also would like to add; I don't know how accurate this digital thermo is (its a corallife digital one, for aquariums and reptile things) - my jager 200 watt heater is set to 77 degrees, yet does click on during the night from time to time.. at which the digi thermo still reads in the 81's.

 

My thermo is in the main tank, is has got quite a bit of coraline on it... so I thought that this also could be affecting what temp it *thinks* the water is at?

[davelin315]

You're fine. Even if the digital thermometer is off by a degree or two (I think they are pretty accurate, I use them as well), you still have very little fluctuation and your temp is good.

[steveoutlaw]

Not trying to hijack this thread but have a question on this topic:

 

Why would you want to stabalize your temps?

 

There is a temperature fluctuation in the wild and I would think having one in your tank would be good for the livestock (makes them tougher). I can understand not wanting your tank to get up to 90 degrees but going from 75 at night up to 82 during the day would be fine I would think.

[unninair]

In the wild, since there a a guzzillions gallons of salt water, the temperature swings very slowly and the corals are able to adapt.

 

Unni

[rocko918]

81.1 - 81.9

 

i would not concider that as a big swing. Mine with lights off is 78.9 and with lights off and 80.5 lights on. I used to run a fan on the lights but now i only run one on the sump.

 

no worries.

[ErikS]

There is a temperature fluctuation in the wild and I would think having one in your tank would be good for the livestock (makes them tougher). I can understand not wanting your tank to get up to 90 degrees but going from 75 at night up to 82 during the day would be fine I would think

As pointed out - the ocean is huge & temp swings don't occur. The temp may climb during a season, but in a given day? Uh-uh, never.

[steveoutlaw]

Not even by a degree from mid-day to midnight?

[flowerseller]

Tidal pools and logoons can have similar swings to what has been mentioned here.

Some can be larger and SG is effected as well. As long as they are relatively gradual, it's not a big deal.

Even areas that are on the fringe of a gulf stream or similar to it can become accustomed to the variations just like your tank. It's the quick, large changes up or down that devestate.

Even anywhere in the water has somewhat of a surface temp change that quickly blends in.

 

Classic example is when your at the shore waiting to ride a wave in and you feel the quick change in temp. Like when no babies or your buddy is standing nearby, if you get my "drift" :D

[HowardofNOVA]

You want swings,

Try Low 72.5, high 88.7 in one week!

I'm having terrible issues trying to stabilize my system lately.

The Iwaki that I bought is running extremely hot, even with 3 fans running.

Bob, I'll be calling you soon to try to fix one of those chillers if still available

Avg temp been about 80-84

 

Death toll SO FAR: zero

Worst yet, the dang corals are doing GREAT!

...what's wrong with them, don't they know their suppose to be struggling! :P

[HowardofNOVA]

You want swings,

Try Low 72.5, high 88.7 in one week!

I'm having terrible issues trying to stabilize my system lately.

The Iwaki that I bought is running extremely hot, even with 3 fans running.

Bob, I'll be calling you soon to try to fix one of those chillers if still available

Avg temp been about 80-84

 

Death toll SO FAR: zero

Worst yet, the dang corals are doing GREAT!

...what's wrong with them, don't they know their suppose to be struggling! :P

[flowerseller]

Those swings aren't that bad Howard.

It's when it jumps up to 90ish like you had.

[flowerseller]

Those swings aren't that bad Howard.

It's when it jumps up to 90ish like you had.

 

 

[Folta]

Wow.. and I thought my swings were bad!

 

How are you getting such a swing though? If it is the pump, wouldn't you be running the pump 24/7 and your temps just be high? How do they get back down to being low?

 

 

Well, it sounds like my temps then are at a decent spot, and I should let it be. - I think its helping with the cyano issue... I've noticed that when the lights come on, I have some cyano but by the end of the light cycle it almost all seems to have gone away (without me siphoning any out even).

 

I was considering using the red slime remover product, to get rid of whats left. Has anyone had any experience with this type of product? I'm not a big fan of adding chemicals and what not to treat a problem, but it sounds like it'd be helpful in this case, to give my tank the edge in finishing off the cyano...

[davelin315]

Temperature swings can affect corals in that they could cause bleaching in them. When you have daily swings in our small systems, it also effects the ability of the tank to function and is bad for fish. In the oceans, there are very quick temperature swings on a reef. This is because of upwelling and currents. The surface water on shallow reefs is much warmer than that below and as water wells up from below, sometimes very abruptly, the temperature will rapidly change. That said, however, the average temperature does not change much. In our systems, with long term swings, that's what has an effect on the corals. I think that quick temperature swings have less of an effect than the drastic ones we see in our tanks from day to night.

[HowardofNOVA]

Dave,

Big time agree! But for some reason, SO FAR, nothing negative has happened and I have Acros, Milli, Anenomes, Clam, Softies, everything in the tank!

 

Folta,

Remember these words when ever you think of Cyanobacteria: BLUE NEON STRIPED HERMIT CRABS! I'm ordering them on Monday from Vivid Aquariums. I'm telling you, the single one in my 10g tank has no end to the amount he has eaten over the past month! AWESOME! Besides, beautiful crabs as well!!!!

 

Reason for the swings:

2 issues.

#1 Power kept kicking off on lines and figures out why, I have 2 dedicated 20amp lines running to my tank. one for lighting and one for plumbing. BOTH has 15Amp GFCI hooked up. One was fried accidentally when water was poured into it. Replaced and no problem. Second one hooked up to plumbing would kick off late in the day and FINALLY realized what was happening and replacing it. So that resulted in the LOW temperatures.

HIGH was coming from combinations of Painters turning fan to cool THEM instead of tank and my IWAKI MD70RLT running hot. Still working on it but hopefully have it figured out. Normal right now is about 84 with 79 at night. Still too much swing, but trying to correct it!!

Howard

[Folta]

Howard,

 

are you talking about these : Hermits ?

 

my cyano isn't really that bad.. but it annoys me because I see it everyday ^_^ I'd say its covering.. hmmm 2-3% of the rockwork, if I let it go.

 

I have 8 scarlets, and 8 blue legs in there now... or how ever many are left of those. Do either of those types touch cyano? I know they both go after hair algae; I've witnessed that.

 

Good luck with getting your temps stabalized!

[HowardofNOVA]

That's them!

Beside great looking, they do an awesome job!

Text that I read on them before I got them said they DO NOT Harm anything and are strickly algae eaters. The one in my tank has shown no animosity towards anything or one so far!

Example: "If there is not sufficient algae growth you can supplement its diet with dried seaweed (Nori)." Notice, nothing about meat! :P

 

I'm seriously considering removing all of my Blue/Red leg crabs for these guys and keeping them and Redtipped legs only from here on out!

 

Howard

[Caribbean Jake]

On the temperature swing.

 

Have you tested the Temp in the water at different levels? Well if you have a deep tank, for over 24" high, you will notice that there is a temp difference between the first 5 G of water (on top) and the bottom of your tank. Usually a .3 or .5 difference. Now having said that, do you test the water skimmed off the surface? The same water that is exposed to the MH bulbs?... think about that and consider there is a similar fluctuation in the wild with the sun and ultraviolet rays.

Jacob B)

[flowerseller]

Well put!

[Caribbean Jake]

One more word of advise.

 

If your thermostat is low in your tank (near the bottom) and is reading 84+ degrees, please take a minute to check the Temp at the top of your tank. You may consider adding a fan or extractor if you find that the top level is over 86 degrees F.

[Folta]

That is a good point. My thermometer is about 4" below the surface level of the water. I also have a glass thermometer, that I checked several places in the water with last night, but all closer to the surface rather than deep. Happily, the reading on the glass thermometer coincided with the digital thermometer.

 

I think I need to pull my heater out, and get all the coraline off of it. I'll also check temps near the bottom.

[HowardofNOVA]

Jacob,

Makes sense, but we are only talking less than degree of difference anywhere in the system. No where should we have 100% stagnant water, even in a fuge portion of your setup. The swings I was talking about where like 15 degree's.

I'm using a titanium heater with built in thermostat. Now granted, I might have peaked around the corner, just after the heater was on, but I hope not. I have it set to come on around 77.5 degrees WHEN the electricity is on. Of course with my system which was kicking off the GFCI, coming on wasn't the issue.

Another question, My IWAKI MD70RLT will show dust residue coming from the fan area on the housing of the pump, being blown on. Could my pump be ready to go?

Howard

[flowerseller]

That's just room dust blown there from the cooler fan on the back of the pump.

Just wipe it off and wait for it to come back.

[HowardofNOVA]

HEY! YOU SAYING MY PLACE IS DUSTY!!!! :o

 

Shoot, I thought is was Katrina passing through!