Is 83 degree too hot for a reef?

FOBMcGyver · 06/15/2006, 10:03 AM

Hi guys,
I'm trying to stay away from buying a cooler and I just set up my tank. It's still cycling and my temp is around 80-83 degrees.
Would that be too hot for a reef or can I pull it off without anything dieing?

Many thanks for your inputs..

ek9vboi · 06/15/2006, 10:06 AM

I would try to cool it down, seems high to me. My tank is around 82 most of the day. When I am done building my sump, I will have some fans pointed towards the water in the sump to cool it even further. You can put corals, but some of them are very sensitive to heat.

Reefer Wannabe · 06/15/2006, 10:06 AM

80 - 83 should be fine. Mine sometimes gets up to 84 in the Summer--no big deal.

I don't think you'll need a chiller -- fans blowing across the surface can cool it down dramatically.

FOBMcGyver · 06/15/2006, 10:13 AM

fans blowing across the surface of the tank?
that's a pretty good idea. just keep a fan on the tank during the summer. Is that what you mean?

Bambalamb · 06/15/2006, 10:22 AM

I don't think that temp range would cause problems. My tank warms up in the summer, but I have fans at both ends of my canopy that pull air across the surface. I think the real problem with temps are rapid increases or decreases.

smy168 · 06/15/2006, 10:32 AM

the fans will give you about a 2-3 degree decrease but it will also mean lots of evaporation so be ready to top off with fresh water.

namas · 06/15/2006, 11:09 AM

Buy a good air conditioner for the room and keep the room cool much cheaper than a chiller and you get to reap the benefits too.
Although most people keep thier tanks at 80 and I don't think 83 is that high as long at is doesn't go higher.

papagimp · 06/15/2006, 11:25 AM

the temp will work as long as you keep in consistant.

mike89t · 06/15/2006, 11:50 AM

As long as you keep it below 86 degrees you should be fine.

Temps on the reef vary through out the day as tides rise and fall, and the sun heats the water. Keeping the temp constant isn't absolutely necessary. Rapid changes in temp are what you don't want.

Summer time my tank varys during the day from 81-83 degrees.

jerehmy · 06/15/2006, 11:55 AM

I just built a sump/fuge and with a fan blowing across it tank won't break 80 and I live in San Diego Ca very hot this time of year

before the sump tank was up to 83

WaterKeeper · 06/15/2006, 11:56 AM

I have routinely kept tanks at 82Â°, which is actually very close to the median temp found on many true reef. As long as the room temperature is in the 70Â°-76Â° range in the summer it should not be a problem.

jaymz101 · 06/15/2006, 01:20 PM

Thats pretty close to a natural reef temperature. Most hobbyists just keep cooler systems b/c it lowers the metabolism of the inhabitants (ie. need less food, live longer, grow slower) and it gives them a little wiggle room for when the power goes out (at least it does in a Florida summer)

rickyscuba · 06/15/2006, 01:49 PM

Im a very active diver and in my local dive site (Falling Rock), a wall dive that goes from 30 feet to 1500feets (even more) the temp climb to 86 (even 88) degrees in the summer.

At the shallow portion of the reef we have a huge colony of elk horne coral very healthy during all the summer period.

I think its a matter of stability, no drastic and fast changes.

FOBMcGyver · 06/16/2006, 10:32 AM

WOW
thank you all so much for your inputs.. very very helpful..

michaeldaly · 06/16/2006, 11:45 AM

Throughout most of the summer my tank runs at 84

06/15/2006, 10:03 AM	#1
FOBMcGyver Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: The great city of Los Angeles Posts: 205	Is 83 degree too hot for a reef? Hi guys, I'm trying to stay away from buying a cooler and I just set up my tank. It's still cycling and my temp is around 80-83 degrees. Would that be too hot for a reef or can I pull it off without anything dieing? Many thanks for your inputs..

06/15/2006, 10:06 AM	#3
Reefer Wannabe Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Maryland Heights, MO Posts: 2,000	80 - 83 should be fine. Mine sometimes gets up to 84 in the Summer--no big deal. I don't think you'll need a chiller -- fans blowing across the surface can cool it down dramatically. __________________ "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." --C.S. Lewis Current Tank Info: 28 JBJ LED Professional - softies and LPS

06/15/2006, 10:32 AM	#6
smy168 Back to the habit Join Date: May 2002 Location: New York City Posts: 1,027	the fans will give you about a 2-3 degree decrease but it will also mean lots of evaporation so be ready to top off with fresh water. __________________ SY Current Tank Info: Nuvo 16

06/15/2006, 11:25 AM	#8
papagimp COMAS Rocks! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oklahoma City, OK Posts: 8,185 Blog Entries: 2	the temp will work as long as you keep in consistant. __________________ 58g Softie & 75g Stoney Member, Central Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society Current Tank Info: 58g Mixed Reef Project - Started June 2011

06/15/2006, 11:50 AM	#9
mike89t Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chandler, Az Posts: 1,889	As long as you keep it below 86 degrees you should be fine. Temps on the reef vary through out the day as tides rise and fall, and the sun heats the water. Keeping the temp constant isn't absolutely necessary. Rapid changes in temp are what you don't want. Summer time my tank varys during the day from 81-83 degrees. __________________ Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach that person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks. Current Tank Info: Sold my 150G reef tank. :^(

06/15/2006, 10:06 AM	#2
ek9vboi Registered Member. Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: South FL Posts: 3,027	I would try to cool it down, seems high to me. My tank is around 82 most of the day. When I am done building my sump, I will have some fans pointed towards the water in the sump to cool it even further. You can put corals, but some of them are very sensitive to heat.

06/15/2006, 10:13 AM	#4
FOBMcGyver Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: The great city of Los Angeles Posts: 205	fans blowing across the surface of the tank? that's a pretty good idea. just keep a fan on the tank during the summer. Is that what you mean?

06/15/2006, 10:22 AM	#5
Bambalamb Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 102	I don't think that temp range would cause problems. My tank warms up in the summer, but I have fans at both ends of my canopy that pull air across the surface. I think the real problem with temps are rapid increases or decreases.

06/15/2006, 11:09 AM	#7
namas Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Pottstown PA Posts: 81	Buy a good air conditioner for the room and keep the room cool much cheaper than a chiller and you get to reap the benefits too. Although most people keep thier tanks at 80 and I don't think 83 is that high as long at is doesn't go higher.

06/15/2006, 11:55 AM	#10
jerehmy Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: san diego Posts: 511	I just built a sump/fuge and with a fan blowing across it tank won't break 80 and I live in San Diego Ca very hot this time of year before the sump tank was up to 83 __________________ Fish are the best medecine for body and mind Current Tank Info: 55g, 40g, 29gx2, 60g, 10g African Cichlids (Breeders) 40g SW Reef with a 20g sump/refugium 75lbs prime LR Mag 9.5 SCWD and Remora skimmer, 2x96w PC's

06/15/2006, 11:56 AM	#11
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	I have routinely kept tanks at 82Â°, which is actually very close to the median temp found on many true reef. As long as the room temperature is in the 70Â°-76Â° range in the summer it should not be a problem. __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

06/15/2006, 01:20 PM	#12
jaymz101 Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: St. Pete, FL Posts: 410	Thats pretty close to a natural reef temperature. Most hobbyists just keep cooler systems b/c it lowers the metabolism of the inhabitants (ie. need less food, live longer, grow slower) and it gives them a little wiggle room for when the power goes out (at least it does in a Florida summer) __________________ In 96 hours, Jack Bauer has killed 93 people and saved the world 4 times. What have you done with your life? Current Tank Info: Lobo, local Oculina, Acro., hydnophora, lots of zoas, caulastrea, pagoda and scroll, foxface flasher wrass and firefish

06/15/2006, 01:49 PM	#13
rickyscuba Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Puerto Rico Posts: 61	Im a very active diver and in my local dive site (Falling Rock), a wall dive that goes from 30 feet to 1500feets (even more) the temp climb to 86 (even 88) degrees in the summer. At the shallow portion of the reef we have a huge colony of elk horne coral very healthy during all the summer period. I think its a matter of stability, no drastic and fast changes. __________________ Deep Down No one hear you scream! Current Tank Info: 55 FOWLR in transition to reef

06/16/2006, 10:32 AM	#14
FOBMcGyver Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: The great city of Los Angeles Posts: 205	WOW thank you all so much for your inputs.. very very helpful..

06/16/2006, 11:45 AM	#15
michaeldaly Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Earth Posts: 2,009	Throughout most of the summer my tank runs at 84