Mobile Bay Reef Keepers

Im going to set a record for most useless questions in a week.

Im wondering, what do you guys consider a safe temperature for your reef? Im hovering around 80 with the Halides...But I just want to get an idea as to what you would say is too hot. Thanks in advance.

Over 84 degrees is too damn hot. Alot of people reach 83 degrees for long periods with no ill effects other than higher growth rates on corals. Some people go as low as 75 degrees and like to keep there tank that low.

anything over 83 is my limit.... I keep my setup at 80-81, but my halides spike the temp up to 81.9 or so during the day right now... my room temp is 75ish during this spike temp.

One thing to think about is that you evaporate a LOT of water with the temp that much higher than room temp... I'm losing many gallons a day from the 240.

Well, Im adding fans to the hood tomorrow anyway...just trying to get a range here. At least Im not hurting anything yet. Thanks.

Depending on what you have in your tank now, 86 is the highest you can go without some fatalities. If you are able to keep your temp at 80 without fans that is great. Fans will help with temperature fluctuations. Temperature fluctuation is something you want to avoid. You may have to fiddle with the heater to find a setting where the difference between the high and low is less than 2 degrees.

I was going to put in some PC fans that were rated for 36cfms each...but Im reading that is a joke. Do you guys have any suggestions as to where to pick up some fans that will do the job better? Might try and electrical supply tomorrow.

For my application (8' long hood), walmart had some $8 small floor fans that rock.... they're right at 12" tall from base of stand to top of cage.

Eww...Thats not really the size I was looking for. Looking for something in the 4 inch range. Not really wanting to get one of those Radio Shac fans as people just dog them too much. Thanks

I'd have to agree with Scott. i've lost SPS before when my tank hit 86 ( air conditioner broke ). I've learned my lesson since then... I keep frozen icepacks for coolers ready to go if the tank ever gets past 82, they do a wonderful job of bringing temp back down to acceptable ranges. I shoot for a steady 79-80 with a full time window air unit blowing across the tank.


As for hood fans.. the best i've used so far are the icecap fans... (don't waste the $ on radioshack) Only problem i've had with mine so far is that the piece of metal that it uses to gauge the resistance via temperature to change the fan speed broke off and stopped working, so the fan either ran at max speed or low speed. ( quick fix : i got some resistors at radio shack and manually adjusted the resistance between the 2 temp leads to the perfect fan speed )


-Mark

I have 2 four inch radio shack fans hooked up on my tank. Until i just took the prizm skimmer off the tank I couldn't hear them. The one is acting up since i had the hood drilled and installed the fans. My tank is usually around 83 and is a sps dominated tank. I want to get the temp down and the fans on the side of the hood should help and i might add a fan blowing across the sump. If i can get the temp down to 80 i'll be happy