How Much does the Temp Fluctuate in Your Tank Daily?

HowardW · 04/13/2006, 03:55 PM

Mine fluctuates as much as 1.7 degrees on some days, I wish it was less.

simion3 · 04/13/2006, 04:00 PM

mine fluctuates about 0.3 degrees a day at most.

xtrstangx · 04/13/2006, 04:34 PM

.0 thanks to my ReefKeeper 2 controller.

Putawaywet · 04/13/2006, 04:42 PM

1.0 degree give or take.

Brett

Craig Lambert · 04/13/2006, 04:43 PM

1 degree.

Scuba_Dave · 04/13/2006, 04:52 PM

Every tank fluctuates in temp.
Where the probe is located may stay at a fairly constant temp. But when you are heating & cooling water, it is impossible to have "0" variation in temp
The water near your heater has to be much warmer then the tank water in order to heat the tank
The water near your chiller has to be much cooler then the tank water in order to heat the tank
With MH lights going on & off the surface temp will fluctuate

aubee91 · 04/13/2006, 04:56 PM

Mine changes 0.4 degrees from lights on to lights off.

DMK · 04/13/2006, 05:16 PM

1 degree in winter and fall, up to 2 degrees in summer.

roons · 04/13/2006, 05:19 PM

mine does about 3-4 degrees a day, been this way for 3 years with no problems that i can see

ERICinFL · 04/13/2006, 06:19 PM

Mine changes about 2-3 degrees from morning till night. Usually starts at 78 degrees and gets up to 80-81 by lights out.

xtrstangx · 04/13/2006, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Scuba_Dave
Every tank fluctuates in temp.
Where the probe is located may stay at a fairly constant temp. But when you are heating & cooling water, it is impossible to have "0" variation in temp
The water near your heater has to be much warmer then the tank water in order to heat the tank
The water near your chiller has to be much cooler then the tank water in order to heat the tank
With MH lights going on & off the surface temp will fluctuate

My temp reads the same (80.5) regardless of where it is, whether it is in the tank or in the sump.

And depending on your water flow, the area around the heater may not be warmer.

wetWolger · 04/13/2006, 06:23 PM

.1C no chiller....just fans that turn on with the ligths

Mantisshrimp248 · 04/13/2006, 06:28 PM

about 0.5 *F at the moment. I have a fan that turns on with my lights and an additional one that turns on during the day in the sump. No chiller.

whiteshark · 04/13/2006, 07:12 PM

1-2, sometimes 3 degrees/day.

whalloper · 04/13/2006, 08:38 PM

if you dont run a chiller, does anyone think it would help temperature fluctuation to set your heater at the temp closest to where you normally are during daylight? In other words, so the heater will barely be on during the day (sensing the temp around 81 or 82) and on more at night (when it would normally fall to 78-79). Or, would that just make that water get too warm during the day?

Snausages01 · 04/13/2006, 09:01 PM

Its likely to make the tank warmer during the day. My temp is usually between 78-82.

reefD · 04/13/2006, 09:15 PM

heck how about an oppinion on how much of a flux is too much?

jab502 · 04/13/2006, 09:38 PM

I am new to all of this, but below is a short paragraph from the website of one of my local LFS. I have talked to the owner extensively and he seems to be very knowledgable. Below is his opinion on water temp. Seems to be contrary to what everyone says. What do you think?

".....Heaters have a bad habit of shorting out and remaining on. Being in business I hear this story about once a week. For the most part you don't need a heater at all. Pumps and lights keep a tank warm from their excess heat. It's OK to let your tank warm during the day and cool at night. The ocean does the same, especially in the shallow reef areas.
.....During low tide, the small pools left exposed often reach 100 degrees in the tropical sun. Small fish, inverts and corals survive just fine until the tide returns. I don't recommend that you let your tank warm to 100 but you can let it rise and fall 6 to 8 degrees daily somewhere in the range from 68 to 83. My shop tanks vary 6 or 7 degrees over 24 hours. This prevents thermal shock when there is a greater change in the tank from an especially hot or cold day. If you keep your tank at a fixed temperature during a very hot day and your tank suddenly jumps 10 degrees, the fish, corals. etc. really suffer.
.....If your situation is such that you REALLY do need a heater then put it on a timer. Set the timer to come on for a 4 hour period early in the morning; or in extremely cold situations for two 4 hour periods at different times of the day. "

fish_taste_good · 04/13/2006, 10:43 PM

i line in tampa FL, no need for a heater here

My tank temp varies about 2-3 degrees

funkyman · 04/14/2006, 05:05 AM

Thanks to a Reefkeeper, my 120 / 40 reef tank temp only fluctuates about .5 a degree. I also like the piece of mind knowing a heater won't get stuck "on". Once the temp reaches target, the power is shut off to the heater completely.

In the opposite circumstance where the first heater might just give out all together and not come on, I have a second heater plugged in that stays on standby. The controller gives it power once the temp falls to a certain level. I have the standby heater setting a half a degree lower than the main heater setting.

In our 60 gallon LRWF, that's a different story. No Reefkeeper or controller of any kind, and the temp flucs 1-3 degrees daily depending on room temperature.

rdmpe · 04/14/2006, 07:10 AM

3 to 4 degrees per day. Here are some articles on tank temp that you may find interesting
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...37#post7175137

jeffbrig · 04/14/2006, 08:25 AM

This link shows a water temperature plot at Molasses Reef near Key Largo. The highest temp recorded this week was 78.8, the lowest was 76.4. The largest single day fluctuation was almost 2 degrees.

rustybucket145 · 04/14/2006, 08:39 AM

My system is located in a sunroom with greenhouse top and my tank fluctuates more than I would like. The room is connected to my central heat and air but the temp of the sunroom fluctuates wildly. Especially during the winter and summer. This was the first year the tank was in the sunroom and I had to purchase 6 heaters to keep the temp within acceptable margins during the winter. And for the summer I purchased a window unit A/C to kick a little more cold air in the sunroom. The one thing that helped the summer heat most of all was raising my canopy a few inches and adding a small walmart fan uder the hood. Even with all this I get temp swings on average of 3-4deg daily. During extreme weather (cold front, summer heat) my tank has swung as much as 5-6deg.

This may sound crazy to all of you who have .5deg swings but it is the best I can do right now and all the inhabitants are fine. I have a very diverse eco-system and all of my corals are extemely healthy and grow and reproduce at a very fast pace. I don't have room for a chiller and my 30gal sump is lined with heaters. Does anybody have any ideas as to how I could narrow the temp swing? I'm open to ideas.

Anemonebuff · 04/14/2006, 09:02 AM

1-2 degrees.

Anemonebuff · 04/14/2006, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by rustybucket145
My system is located in a sunroom with greenhouse top and my tank fluctuates more than I would like. The room is connected to my central heat and air but the temp of the sunroom fluctuates wildly. Especially during the winter and summer. This was the first year the tank was in the sunroom and I had to purchase 6 heaters to keep the temp within acceptable margins during the winter. And for the summer I purchased a window unit A/C to kick a little more cold air in the sunroom. The one thing that helped the summer heat most of all was raising my canopy a few inches and adding a small walmart fan uder the hood. Even with all this I get temp swings on average of 3-4deg daily. During extreme weather (cold front, summer heat) my tank has swung as much as 5-6deg.

This may sound crazy to all of you who have .5deg swings but it is the best I can do right now and all the inhabitants are fine. I have a very diverse eco-system and all of my corals are extemely healthy and grow and reproduce at a very fast pace. I don't have room for a chiller and my 30gal sump is lined with heaters. Does anybody have any ideas as to how I could narrow the temp swing? I'm open to ideas.

In the Reef Aquarium Vol II, on page 459, they picture Jose Mendez's outdoor aquarium with anemones. I believe he is in Florida. The means of temp control mentioned are heaters, and for cooling the sump is in the shade. In another book I also saw that this tank hits temps in the 90's, with 10 degree swings from day to night.

04/13/2006, 03:55 PM	#1
HowardW Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Aurora, IL Posts: 1,763	How Much does the Temp Fluctuate in Your Tank Daily? Mine fluctuates as much as 1.7 degrees on some days, I wish it was less.

04/13/2006, 04:42 PM	#4
Putawaywet 20 and over club Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Long Beach, CA. Posts: 2,720	1.0 degree give or take. Brett __________________ She ain't broke, but can we fix her more better? Current Tank Info: A big box of water with some stuff in it.

04/13/2006, 04:43 PM	#5
Craig Lambert Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 2,897	1 degree. __________________ "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will spend all day in a boat drinking beer." Current Tank Info: 75G Tank, 29G Sump, 100lbs LR, AquaC EV-180, Iwaki MD-20RT return Tunze nano streams 4X54 t-5/Icecap Ballast & SLR's 2x110 vho actinic

04/13/2006, 04:56 PM	#7
aubee91 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 211	Mine changes 0.4 degrees from lights on to lights off. __________________ Brad There are two kinds of fool. One says, "This is old, and therefore good." And one says, "This is new, and therefore better." --John Brunner There is no 'e' in hobbyist. :) Current Tank Info: 210 AGA w/57 gallon (nominal) sump/refugium

04/13/2006, 06:19 PM	#10
ERICinFL Rejisturd Mimbur Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Brevard County, FL Posts: 1,346	Mine changes about 2-3 degrees from morning till night. Usually starts at 78 degrees and gets up to 80-81 by lights out. __________________ Ummmm... yeah... don't touch the Mag Float. Sorry kids, your college fund is gone, but the tank looks SWEET right? Current Tank Info: 150gal mixed reef. ER CS135, 65gal sump/fuge with a Mag12 return. (2) Korillia 4s, (1) modded MJ1200, two SunSun 3200gph powerheads. 250+lbs LR.

04/13/2006, 04:00 PM	#2
simion3 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Barrie, Ontario, Canada Posts: 238	mine fluctuates about 0.3 degrees a day at most.

04/13/2006, 04:34 PM	#3
xtrstangx Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Shawnee, Kansas Posts: 4,568	.0 thanks to my ReefKeeper 2 controller.

04/13/2006, 04:52 PM	#6
Scuba_Dave EMERTXE YID Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Asylum, South of Boston, MA Posts: 10,362	Every tank fluctuates in temp. Where the probe is located may stay at a fairly constant temp. But when you are heating & cooling water, it is impossible to have "0" variation in temp The water near your heater has to be much warmer then the tank water in order to heat the tank The water near your chiller has to be much cooler then the tank water in order to heat the tank With MH lights going on & off the surface temp will fluctuate

04/13/2006, 05:16 PM	#8
DMK Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: central NJ Posts: 2,494	1 degree in winter and fall, up to 2 degrees in summer.

04/13/2006, 05:19 PM	#9
roons Moved On Join Date: May 2005 Location: saugerties ,ny Posts: 1,240	mine does about 3-4 degrees a day, been this way for 3 years with no problems that i can see

04/13/2006, 06:23 PM	#12
wetWolger Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Colorado Posts: 1,955	.1C no chiller....just fans that turn on with the ligths __________________ cheers, jent d-_-b Current Tank Info: 66gal = 32x24x20

04/13/2006, 06:28 PM	#13
Mantisshrimp248 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Stamford, CT Posts: 237	about 0.5 *F at the moment. I have a fan that turns on with my lights and an additional one that turns on during the day in the sump. No chiller.

04/13/2006, 07:12 PM	#14
whiteshark Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bethlehem, PA Posts: 3,024	1-2, sometimes 3 degrees/day. __________________ Deep Blue 60 gallon cube: Setup in progress.

04/13/2006, 08:38 PM	#15
whalloper Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Maryland Posts: 317	if you dont run a chiller, does anyone think it would help temperature fluctuation to set your heater at the temp closest to where you normally are during daylight? In other words, so the heater will barely be on during the day (sensing the temp around 81 or 82) and on more at night (when it would normally fall to 78-79). Or, would that just make that water get too warm during the day? __________________ Please let me know when they invent the device which makes water changes unnecessary and foolish... I cant wait Current Tank Info: 72 gal mixed reef (SPS acros montis stylo miles, LPS, zoos, shrooms, clams, xenia, chili) 26 gal zoo/softies/LPS reef

04/13/2006, 09:01 PM	#16
Snausages01 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Baton Rouge, LA Posts: 739	Its likely to make the tank warmer during the day. My temp is usually between 78-82. __________________ -Chris

04/13/2006, 09:15 PM	#17
reefD Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Schenectady,New York Posts: 4,968	heck how about an oppinion on how much of a flux is too much? __________________ DAVID Current Tank Info: it has four sides and a bottom...oh yeah and it has water in it. lol

04/13/2006, 09:38 PM	#18
jab502 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 157	I am new to all of this, but below is a short paragraph from the website of one of my local LFS. I have talked to the owner extensively and he seems to be very knowledgable. Below is his opinion on water temp. Seems to be contrary to what everyone says. What do you think? ".....Heaters have a bad habit of shorting out and remaining on. Being in business I hear this story about once a week. For the most part you don't need a heater at all. Pumps and lights keep a tank warm from their excess heat. It's OK to let your tank warm during the day and cool at night. The ocean does the same, especially in the shallow reef areas. .....During low tide, the small pools left exposed often reach 100 degrees in the tropical sun. Small fish, inverts and corals survive just fine until the tide returns. I don't recommend that you let your tank warm to 100 but you can let it rise and fall 6 to 8 degrees daily somewhere in the range from 68 to 83. My shop tanks vary 6 or 7 degrees over 24 hours. This prevents thermal shock when there is a greater change in the tank from an especially hot or cold day. If you keep your tank at a fixed temperature during a very hot day and your tank suddenly jumps 10 degrees, the fish, corals. etc. really suffer. .....If your situation is such that you REALLY do need a heater then put it on a timer. Set the timer to come on for a 4 hour period early in the morning; or in extremely cold situations for two 4 hour periods at different times of the day. "

04/13/2006, 10:43 PM	#19
fish_taste_good Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 632	i line in tampa FL, no need for a heater here My tank temp varies about 2-3 degrees __________________ Looking for a day job Current Tank Info: 240 Reef

04/14/2006, 05:05 AM	#20
funkyman Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Lorain, Ohio Posts: 1,811	Thanks to a Reefkeeper, my 120 / 40 reef tank temp only fluctuates about .5 a degree. I also like the piece of mind knowing a heater won't get stuck "on". Once the temp reaches target, the power is shut off to the heater completely. In the opposite circumstance where the first heater might just give out all together and not come on, I have a second heater plugged in that stays on standby. The controller gives it power once the temp falls to a certain level. I have the standby heater setting a half a degree lower than the main heater setting. In our 60 gallon LRWF, that's a different story. No Reefkeeper or controller of any kind, and the temp flucs 1-3 degrees daily depending on room temperature. __________________ 150 gallon mixed reef, Kessil x 3, Gyre x 2, IceCap 48XL sump, Reef Octopus Regal 200-INT skimmer.

04/14/2006, 07:10 AM	#21
rdmpe Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Central Florida Posts: 3,737	3 to 4 degrees per day. Here are some articles on tank temp that you may find interesting http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...37#post7175137

04/14/2006, 08:25 AM	#22
jeffbrig Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Ft. Lauderdale, FL Posts: 5,548	This link shows a water temperature plot at Molasses Reef near Key Largo. The highest temp recorded this week was 78.8, the lowest was 76.4. The largest single day fluctuation was almost 2 degrees. __________________ Beware the power of stupid people in large groups..... Current Tank Info: formerly 250g room divider

04/14/2006, 08:39 AM	#23
rustybucket145 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: valdosta, ga Posts: 3,707	My system is located in a sunroom with greenhouse top and my tank fluctuates more than I would like. The room is connected to my central heat and air but the temp of the sunroom fluctuates wildly. Especially during the winter and summer. This was the first year the tank was in the sunroom and I had to purchase 6 heaters to keep the temp within acceptable margins during the winter. And for the summer I purchased a window unit A/C to kick a little more cold air in the sunroom. The one thing that helped the summer heat most of all was raising my canopy a few inches and adding a small walmart fan uder the hood. Even with all this I get temp swings on average of 3-4deg daily. During extreme weather (cold front, summer heat) my tank has swung as much as 5-6deg. This may sound crazy to all of you who have .5deg swings but it is the best I can do right now and all the inhabitants are fine. I have a very diverse eco-system and all of my corals are extemely healthy and grow and reproduce at a very fast pace. I don't have room for a chiller and my 30gal sump is lined with heaters. Does anybody have any ideas as to how I could narrow the temp swing? I'm open to ideas. __________________ 400gals of various tanks in the same system. Current Tank Info: 2 175w MH, 2 VH0 Actinics, Lots of Live Rock, tons of copepods, a Fat Mandarin Goby, Niger Trigger, Yellow Tang, Falco Hawkfish, Bi-Color Pseudo, numerous soft, SPS and LPS Corals

04/14/2006, 09:02 AM	#24
Anemonebuff Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: LI,NY Posts: 3,877	1-2 degrees.