Reef Temperature

[SFKINNC]

In the process of reef setup. Using BioCube 32. So far, temps seem high. Likely causes are lights or bad heater adjustment. Am working on heater adjustment which takes time, I know. Would like to avoid a chiller if possible. What is considered MAX acceptable temp for reef? What critters can live well at that temp? Can anyone suggest how to program BioCube LEDs to help lower temp without being too dim for corals?

 

[Crabs McJones]

I've heard of temps reaching 84 degrees and being just fine. Personally I try to not let mine go above 82 if I can help it.

 

[skiergd011013]

Ive gone up to 84 maybe even 85 on the hottest of summer days. I just blow a fan over the top, and keep the lights off all day if its going to be hot. Ive never seen any ill affects. My normal temp is 78-80.

 

[glb]

I took off the lid of mine and mounted it about 6” above the tank. It lowered the temp in the cube, allowed for more aeration, and allowed me room to add a little skimmer in one of the chambers. I used shelf brackets from Home Depot.

 

[SFKINNC]

Thanks! Realizing that an occasional day or two of high temps may stress the tank inhabitants, but they’d be fine as long as that was a once in a while occurrence. BUT what if it’s not?

To be clear: What is the max temp that is acceptable day in, day out, 365/24?

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

I've always heard that 82 should be the max, even then some specific corals and fish may not like that. I keep my tank at 78 using a heater in the fall/winter and A/C for the Summer months. If my tank was bigger, I would probably invest in a chiller, I'll definitely have one on my next tank.

 

[SFKINNC]

I took off the lid of mine and mounted it about 6” above the tank. It lowered the temp in the cube, allowed for more aeration, and allowed me room to add a little skimmer in one of the chambers. I used shelf brackets from Home Depot.

[/QUO
BRILLIANT IDEA! Very clever and simple! I might try it if I can find a way to shade the lights and hide the equipment. In the location where mc cube is, the lights, if raised above the tank, would blind anyone who was trying to read or watch TV! But I have a couple of FW tanks where this might be just what I’ve been looking for: a way to affix light fixtures without expensive gadgets.

 

[AdamNC]

When my AC went out this past spring I was without it for 3 days. Had to get a new one installed. Ugh so much tank money there lol. I ran the ceiling fan on high and a little 6 inch fan across the surface. During the day it would raise up to about 83 while the house was 86. At night it dropped to about 80. I normally keep my tank at 77.5. I went through a lot more top off but nothing died or got po’d.

I believe the top end you want is about 82-83.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks! Realizing that an occasional day or two of high temps may stress the tank inhabitants, but they’d be fine as long as that was a once in a while occurrence. BUT what if it’s not?

To be clear: What is the max temp that is acceptable day in, day out, 365/24?

The answer will certainly depend on more than just the temp, such as what organisms you are talking about, degree of aeration and flow, etc.

But in general, I think the "limits" that reefers can push (such as temp, but also how many fish can be in a tank, etc.) often is driven more by what happens when things go wrong than assuming everything will go right.

In a power failure, for example, aeration and flow may stop, and temps may rise further if it is summer. Starting at 78 deg F gives you a much bigger buffer than starting at 85 deg F because there is less O2 in warmer water, and the organisms are using O2 faster in warmer water.

 

[ChrisOFL]

My tank runs at 81F which is probably higher than most and I've never had an issue. A small CPU fan would help you keep things much cooler with the lid closed. Increasing the rate of evaporation with the air flow can drop your tank by a few degrees if you are running hotter than you like.

 

[nchin]

My tank has gotten all the way up to 86F without any ill effects. I have a mixed reef mostly sps.

 

[SFKINNC]

Thanks All! Good advice! Always best to be prepared for the worst, then you will not be disappointed. CPU fan is a great idea.

My problem seems to have been a case of operator head space and timing. Two new heaters were trickier to adjust than heaters I’ve used in the past. They work better when you figure out how to set the temperature. Tank is now hovering around 78.8 F (26 C).

 

[SFKINNC]

Thanks all!