Tank temperatures

[Arthacker87]

Hello yall I've been debating tank temps for a while (mines 77.5-78°) I have heard the cooler you can keep your tank the better the colors out of coral? Anyone have experience with this if so maybe some photos as well? So tanks temps and color photos?

 

[Rilo]

I will post a picture of my tank tomorrow.

My tank has been at 81F for the past couple of weeks. All corals look nice under my kessil a160we. I've never heard of better colors under cooler temperatures.

 

[Arthacker87]

From what sweet sweet Google forums have said the cooler temps have more oxygen etc so fidnt know if that was true is all.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

I have heard the cooler you can keep your tank the better the colors out of coral?

Don't hear much about Arctic coral reefs

 

[Rilo]

From a quick google search

"Do cooler tanks produce better color" 2014
"Tank temp poll" 2006

I'm going to make a post to see more current results. But the consensus from my brief reading is that warmer tanks produce better growth for everything because of the increased metabolic rate in the live animals that goes for beneficial growth (corals, fish, beneficial bacteria) and detrimental growth (Red slime, bha, etc) if present in the system.

The cooler temperatures shorten the growth rate causing thicker branches to form in turn making the "better colors".

 

[Arthacker87]

Hey I was right.....ish thanks for the feedback.

 

[Salt & Peper]

I run all my tanks at 74 degrees. I'll post some pictures for you when I get home from work!

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Hey I was right.....ish thanks for the feedback.

What evidence are you basing your response on?

I doubt that an Indonesian coral living in 30C (86F) water would appreciate being put in a tank with a water temp below 23C (73F).
The strain of zooxanthellae living in a coral tissue is determined by water temp. The same species of Acropora living in two separate regions with different water temps will have different zooxanthallae strains living in them.
Its the zooxanthallae /water temp connection that's important. Corals predominantly are found in warm tropical waters for a reason. They like it warm.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Although the cooler temps referred to in this thread are above the temp reported in the following incident I've posted, it's still worth pointing out.

Severe 2010 Cold-Water Event Caused Unprecedented Mortality to Corals of the Florida Reef Tract and Reversed Previous Survivorship Patterns
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/art...l.pone.0023047

In January 2010, coral reefs of Florida, United States, were impacted by an extreme cold-water anomaly that exposed corals to temperatures well below their reported thresholds (16°C), causing rapid coral mortality unprecedented in spatial extent and severity.

The impacts recorded were catastrophic and exceeded those of any previous disturbances in the region.

The mean percent coral mortality recorded for all species and subregions was 11.5% in the 2010 winter, compared to 0.5% recorded in the previous five summers, including years like 2005 where warm-water bleaching was prevalent.

 

[Arthacker87]

Guys I'm not saying under 70° water lol cooler in the realm of safety. Like the idea I believe is 76 to 79° (roughly) keeping it closer so 76° not 78 or 79

 

[Arthacker87]

Yes extreme anything will kill coral. I'm saying within the ideal temps is the cooler (76°) sorry if I assumed people would assume keeping it in safe temps lol. I'll be clearer in the future. Btw guys super low salinity or super high kills coral too

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Guys I'm not saying under 70° water lol cooler in the realm of safety. Like the idea I believe is 76 to 79° (roughly) keeping it closer so 76° not 78 or 79

Ok, but why would coral color be better at 76° as opposed to 80°

 

[Arthacker87]

Dunno lol it's something I happen to see on google so thought I'd run it by yall and see what comes out. Just inquiring

 

[Arthacker87]

What are some temps yall keep? Most people closer to or at 80?

 

[Arthacker87]

Am I low at 77.5?

 

[CuzzA]

I have never heard temp being associated with coral color. I think 80° is pretty much the average temp you will find around most of the world's reef and since we often keep species from many different zones and locations I think that's a good number to shoot for.

Also keep in mind many species we keep are from depths of 30 meters or less so these zones are naturally going to be on the warmer side. Take millepora for example. One of the most colorful hard corals out there, found in colors from blue to red to yellow to rainbow, and they are a super shallow coral getting blasted with light, warmer temps and super strong flow.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

I'm running 79.7 to 80.6. No other reason than not working my chiller as hard.

But higher temp does correlate to increased growth rate as a result of increased metabolism.

 

[Arthacker87]

I'll bump it a degree a week to get it up to at least 79.5

 

[Arthacker87]

Appreciate the info yall

 

[bar|none]

I just changed to 77 max because of addition of blue spotted jawfish.

Interested in this thread...following.

My corals are happy and colors better than ever, not necessarily related to temp diff.