Maximum Temp. Fluctuation

reidcrandall · #1 06/08/2007, 10:27 AM

What do you think is the maximum amount of acceptable temperature fluctuation throught a day? Right now I am running about 79 through the night and around 81 during the day when the lights are on. I am kind of worried, because a fan isn't keeping the temp down and I don't exactly have the cash for a chiller. since I just had to replace my lighting.

Reid

bucky56477 · #2 06/08/2007, 10:30 AM

my tanks go from 79 to 81, and sometimes a little more and I have never had any problems. But I dont keep any temp sensitive corals.

Der_Iron_Chef · #3 06/08/2007, 10:31 AM

Mine's about the same. I haven't noticed anything wrong in my aquarium. What lighting do you have?

reidcrandall · #4 06/08/2007, 10:32 AM

I have 4 T5s in my 29g.

scarter · #5 06/08/2007, 12:18 PM

I run 79-84 sometimes, not a good thing, but I have no ill effects

theop · #6 06/08/2007, 12:28 PM

I don't have a scientific answer, but 2 degrees of fluctuation should be fine.

My tank can go as low as 78 at night and during the day will oscillate between 80.5 and 81.0 due to fans on a controller.

greenbean36191 · #7 06/08/2007, 12:33 PM

10-15 degrees. Coral reef animals are perfectly capable of dealing with large, short-term fluctuations in temperature and they deal with them every day. There is no reason that temperature swings would be harmful to any animals you keep unless you acclimatize them to unnaturally stable temperatures.

killagoby · #8 06/08/2007, 12:39 PM

My tank has gone between 76 to 80 in one day with no problems.

reidcrandall · #9 06/08/2007, 01:04 PM

This makes me feel better. It seems like I should be OK. I like to keep it as stable as possible, but there is only so much that can be done.

israelnajar · #10 06/08/2007, 01:08 PM

My tank goes from 75 over the night to 80 during the day. No problems.

wharfrat48 · #11 06/08/2007, 01:38 PM

Mine can have up to a 5-6 degree swing during the summer. I have been runnings a fan over the sump to try and keep the temps a bit lower. I found that repositioning the fan so it is closer and blows directly on the water has helped dramatically. I have bumped up my heater set point to 80 and my fan comes on at 81. Now my temp only swings about 2 degrees.

Tang Salad · #12 06/08/2007, 01:58 PM

Mine has a 3-4 C fluctuation.

BTW, i think it's funny that this same question, if asked a year ago, would have had twelve exactly opposit answers. "Temp. stability is very important..."

DrBegalke · #13 06/08/2007, 02:00 PM

2 degrees is a very small change. I was just snorkeling out on some reefs in Hawaii, and the temperature changes at least 10 degrees in a matter of minutes/swimming a few feet there.

Also:
http://www.reefs.org/library/talklog...en_011898.html

lpsluver · #14 06/08/2007, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tang Salad
Mine has a 3-4 C fluctuation.

BTW, i think it's funny that this same question, if asked a year ago, would have had twelve exactly opposit answers. "Temp. stability is very important..."

Yeah but I don't care what anyone says a 5.5 F to 7.5 F (3-4C) swing in temp is big and in the long run stressful to the animals that cannot swim out of it if they do not like it. These swings are bigger issues when the temps swing across and above 85F-86F.

reidcrandall...2 F is not a problem.

RichConley · #15 06/08/2007, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by greenbean36191
10-15 degrees. Coral reef animals are perfectly capable of dealing with large, short-term fluctuations in temperature and they deal with them every day. There is no reason that temperature swings would be harmful to any animals you keep unless you acclimatize them to unnaturally stable temperatures.

Seconded.

72-82

RichConley · #16 06/08/2007, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by lpsluver
Yeah but I don't care what anyone says a 5.5 F to 7.5 F (3-4C) swing in temp is big and in the long run stressful to the animals that cannot swim out of it if they do not like it. These swings are bigger issues when the temps swing across and above 85F-86F.

Provide evidense that temp swings are stressfull if you're going to make that claim.

Swings aren't a bigger issue when crossing 85F. Crossing 85F is the issue.

mojoreason · #17 06/08/2007, 03:32 PM

two degrees is fine ... five degrees is a little bit but still ... anything more than six or seven degrees & you've a problem.

scarter · #18 06/08/2007, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by RichConley
Seconded.

72-82

thirded

Tang Salad · #19 06/08/2007, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by RichConley
Swings aren't a bigger issue when crossing 85F.

According to E. Borneman, they might be. He's written that corals which are kept at consistently higher temps appear to better handle the occasional spike into even higher temps.

Put another way, the SPS tank that's normally in the low 80s and occasionaly spikes to 86 would fare better than the SPS tank that's normally in the mid 70s and occasionaly spikes to 86.

Pmolan · #20 06/08/2007, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by scarter
thirded

Fouthed!!

caesar Gdi · #21 06/08/2007, 09:14 PM

I thought it took days for the ocean temp to change... I know air temp swings from 70s-80s but the ocean is pretty stable, am I wrong?

bgiles11 · #22 06/08/2007, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by caesar Gdi
I thought it took days for the ocean temp to change... I know air temp swings from 70s-80s but the ocean is pretty stable, am I wrong?

It does take days for the ENTIRE ocean temperature to be overall affected. But in the shallows, tides, and currents portions of the ocean can be affected quite fast. One Ice cube in a 90 gal aqaurium has little (if any) afffect on the temp of the tank. But the water within a square inch of that ice cube will be colder.