Non-heated aquariums

[JCM]

My powder brown broke out when it hit 76 this winter. Fixed the apex programming mistake made and it bounced back by the following day.

That's strange. My tang seems fat and happy, the tank has even dropped to 70 inadvertently and nothing seemed fazed.

 

[GlassMunky]

My powder brown broke out when it hit 76 this winter. Fixed the apex programming mistake made and it bounced back by the following day.

Sounds like your fish are constantly on the verge of getting sick and any slight change stresses them enough for that to happen.
Having healthy fish would solve that issue IMO as healthy fish don’t “break out”

 

[BZOFIQ]

Sounds like your fish are constantly on the verge of getting sick and any slight change stresses them enough for that to happen.
Having healthy fish would solve that issue IMO as healthy fish don’t “break out”

You're right, I should look into that. Perhaps that's why I haven't lost a single fish in years.

Well, there was the filefish that jumped...

 

[MixedFruitBasket]

I haven’t figured out which corals I’ll get yet. Right now I’m just planning. It definitely won’t have any SPS though

Type doesn't really matter. If they need a certain temp, they need a certain temp.

 

[MixedFruitBasket]

Sorry if I sound pigheaded and stubborn. I truly do appreciate all of the responses and take them into consideration. I’m just looking for those with experience at lower temperatures or the science behind it, rather than a simple no with no context or evidence in support. For example, I know lower temperatures have a higher dissolved oxygen content. So would this negatively impact aquatic life or reef chemistry? I know cooler temperatures slow growth rates of coral and fish; however, this isn’t to a detrimental effect and can actually be beneficial in smaller tanks because it means less time spent fragging and rearranging

If you want a scientific answer go research the area your livestock will come from, research affects on temperature on corals/fish, growth, longevity, etc. 99% of *personal experience* from anyone on here (including me) will be anecdotal not a scientifically controlled experiment properly documented and peer reviewed.
Searches like these turned up dozens of papers: scholarly journal on temperature tolerance of coral in captivity
scholarly journal on cold temperature tolerance of coral in captivity
scholarly journal on temperature tolerance range of coral

You should find plenty of scientific data with any of these searches.

 

[Jeremy_d]

It’s a 6 gallon, I could fit it. I just don’t want to if it isn’t necessary

I’m 3 years late but Vic at world wide corals is running an 11 or 12 gallon long tank without a heater and it’s loaded with coral. 50% Water change every day though, that’s not feasible for most people.