75 too cold?

Schwaggs · 09-11-2003, 09:53 PM

I was just reading through my Aquacontroller manual and it has a "real temp" feature that adjusts the temperature of the tank to simulate the temperature variations on a real reef. The highest temp is 80.5 last month which I can live with. I am wondering if the low temp, 75 degrees in February is too cold. The device adjusts the temp a little bit each day so the adjustments are very natural and gradual.

What do you think, 75 too cold?

rogerthmyers · 09-11-2003, 09:55 PM

75 will be just fine, just do it slowloy

MontanaRocknReefer · 09-11-2003, 10:29 PM

As long as the temp does not remain constant at 75 degrees and you have a variation which is slow up and down I see no problems with this as my tank does the same and has been running for 2 years and 5 months now!

Pirate · 09-11-2003, 11:28 PM

I believe that 75 for any length of time may stress some of the members of your tank. I keep mine at a constant 78 during the winter and in the summer (due to variation in outside temp) it remains between 78 - 82 degrees. I personally have noticed that at lower temps some of my inhabitants growth and reproduction is retarded to some degree. And as always... this may not be the case with everyone, just my experience.

Ray1214 · 09-12-2003, 08:19 AM

I guess I have to echo Pirate's Sentiments. Mine stays put at 77-78. Bout the only time I see the heaters on. However my tank has risen past 83 in the summer.

Ray

Jeremy1973 · 09-12-2003, 09:10 AM

I agree with Pirate..when I started...I had read somewhere to keep my tank at 72 degrees. Everything was fine..but there was little "life" to my tank. Then the LFS told me that the temp should be 78-80, which I then confirmed in a book, and once I raised my temp to 78...boom..corals looked happier, pods were a little more active, etc.

Schwaggs · 09-12-2003, 10:37 AM

Thanks for the info guys, I guess it will be ok. The controller varies the temp a little bit each day so the change is very gradual. It hits a low of 75 during February but is 76 or higher for 6 months and 78 or higher for 5 months.

Jeremy1973 · 09-12-2003, 11:18 AM

One thing I would like to point out... where are your corals from? Granted, this sounds like a cool way to imitate a reef..having the temp fluctations based on year.. but not all corals have the safe temp variations. So, while some of your corals may enjoy the cooler temps, another coral that isn't use to any temp below 78 might not like it, get stressed, and possibly diseased. So, just want you to keep that in mind.

MontanaRocknReefer · 09-12-2003, 11:20 AM

Hey Jeremey ya need to toughen up your corals so they can go on the "Survivor" show!!

You do make a good point about where your corals came from!

laddy00 · 09-12-2003, 01:46 PM

I think authors to often state the importance of a completly stable temp at 78° F. If you look at data from temperature loggers on coralreefs you will find that reefs do go through daily temperature changes and that seasonal variations can range as much as 11°C . I don't think that 75° would in any way harm the inhabitants even if kept at that temp year round. This may not produce optimal growth because as we know biological processes speed up as temp goes up. But no one has really proven that faster growing equals healthier, somtimes it can be bad. Just my .02 from my knowledge of temp data and not an author.

Schwaggs · 09-12-2003, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jeremy1973
One thing I would like to point out... where are your corals from? Granted, this sounds like a cool way to imitate a reef..having the temp fluctations based on year.. but not all corals have the safe temp variations. So, while some of your corals may enjoy the cooler temps, another coral that isn't use to any temp below 78 might not like it, get stressed, and possibly diseased. So, just want you to keep that in mind.

Same can be said for those people that keep all corals and inverts at 80 degrees all year long. What about the animals taken from 75 degree water? I would guess that all parts of the ocean vary seasonally in teperature to a certain degree, so keeping the temp at one setting could be bad. Everything is a comprimise in our little reefs

BTW, the temperature and photoperiod variations that the Aquacontroller use are taken from a reef at 15 degrees north lattitude somewhere.

Quote:

I think authors to often state the importance of a completly stable temp at 78° F.

I agree, I think the most important thing is to limit the daily fluctuations as well as the extremes. Some shallow water corals should be able to tolorate higher daily fluctuations but deeper water corals may not handle it so well. And for extremes, not many reef animals can handle 90 degree or 60 degree water for very long...

Jeremy1973 · 09-12-2003, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Schwaggs
Everything is a comprimise in our little reefs

Amen to that! heh heh

squid · 09-12-2003, 07:08 PM

Question...every one talking about the corals, but aren't there other inhabatints in the tank? Inverts, fish? Shouldn't we know that before we say "yeah, that's fine" or "NO, don't do that?"

Some fish can't live in that cold of water...some can.
some inverts live in that cold of water....some can't

JMO

squid · 09-12-2003, 07:11 PM

We should also find out what type of lighting. If using MH lamps, they will continue to put out the heat and the chiller will be working that much harder to keep the temp down,...and electricity use issue. Can you afford to run your chiller 365 days a year?

squid · 09-12-2003, 07:13 PM

I'm just full of questins today