Reef Tank Summer Time Temp - Aquarium Advice

ryshark · 05-15-2008, 09:52 AM

What is the hottest your Reef tank gets in the summer time? I am worried I may have trouble keeping mine under 82-degrees this summer.

fijiwigi · 05-15-2008, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryshark

What is the hottest your Reef tank gets in the summer time? I am worried I may have trouble keeping mine under 82-degrees this summer.

How hot does your house get in the summer. Do you have air conditioning or central air? And what kind of light fixture do you have on what size tank??

CatatonicBug · 05-15-2008, 10:43 AM

Your house gets above 82? Wow! That would be miserable! I keep my AC at 74 all summer, just for my own comfort. Of course, the midwest humidity is killer above that anyway.

bodie · 05-15-2008, 11:21 AM

I also have trouble keeping my reef tank below 82 during the summer. I live in California and it's only May and the high today is 103. I think the highest my tank temp has ever crept up was around 84. I started using a directional fan that I can point directly at the light hood and my tank is located under an A/C vent. This has helped prevent my temp from going above 80.

**melosu58** · 05-15-2008, 11:38 AM

The key to temps is stability. I prefer the temp to be a little lower than 82 but even that would be OK if it stayed there all the time. You could have it a blissful 78 but if it`s bouncing around then you have stress problems with your fish and corals. Do me a favor both of you and let me know what range your temps are in during a 24 hr period. The lowest and the highest. If you are getting only a 1 or 2 degree change then I would say you are OK. A good temp to be at IMO would be from 77 to 82 in a reef tank.

ryshark · 05-15-2008, 12:21 PM

My AC in the house is set to a permanent 76-degrees. My tank heater is at 78-degrees. This morning at 6am I noticed that my tank temperature was at 79.7. I usually get less than a 2-degree temp swing from my lighting, which is 440 watts of VHO and 39watts of T5HO over a 75-gallon tank with 2-fans in the canopy for about 10 hours. One fan blowing air over the tank the other blowing air out of the canopy. I just set up my tank last July and it was not a reef tank at that time. It sounds like I am still ok so far. But summer is still to come, its only May. It gets pretty hot where I live in Southern California.

**melosu58** · 05-15-2008, 02:12 PM

If it does what you are saying there then IMO you will be OK. Remember the key is stability.

**Ziggy953** · 05-15-2008, 03:39 PM

I have a harder time keeping my tank cool in the winter then I do in the summer.

You really want to keep it around 80 if you can. Mine usually gets to 81 during the day with 678w of light running. Like Mike said the key is stability whether you are a little warmer or a little cooler as long as you aren't having major swings from night to day.

I see you said you have 2 fans in the canopy. How large is that canopy? Is it short and the bulbs are close to the surface or is it taller? I think adding another fan might help. I'm guessing that you have a fan on either end of the canopy?,? Maybe put one dead center and have it pull heat up and out of the canopy.

I have 3 in mine. 2 small fans pulling air into the canopy and 1 large one pulling air out. Also the back of my canopy is open so there is lots of air movement.

cmor1701d · 05-15-2008, 04:09 PM

You can always add a chiller if that becomes necessary, but a well place fan works wonders.

austinsdad · 05-15-2008, 10:24 PM

Programable thermostat. Don't let it go above 80.

Saves money too.

05-15-2008, 09:52 AM	#1
ryshark Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Southern California Posts: 465	Reef Tank Summer Time Temp What is the hottest your Reef tank gets in the summer time? I am worried I may have trouble keeping mine under 82-degrees this summer.

05-15-2008, 10:43 AM	#3
CatatonicBug Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Saint Louis, MO Posts: 503 Images: 6	Your house gets above 82? Wow! That would be miserable! I keep my AC at 74 all summer, just for my own comfort. Of course, the midwest humidity is killer above that anyway. __________________ Remember - in Aquaria, nothing good happens fast. Starting a new tank? Click here for instructions. 47g tall FW, 10g planted, 2.5g planted office tank

05-15-2008, 11:38 AM	#5
melosu58 SW 10 yrs and over Community Moderator Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Richmond Va Posts: 12,125 Images: 76	The key to temps is stability. I prefer the temp to be a little lower than 82 but even that would be OK if it stayed there all the time. You could have it a blissful 78 but if it`s bouncing around then you have stress problems with your fish and corals. Do me a favor both of you and let me know what range your temps are in during a 24 hr period. The lowest and the highest. If you are getting only a 1 or 2 degree change then I would say you are OK. A good temp to be at IMO would be from 77 to 82 in a reef tank. __________________ View My Tanks Click here to Visit FantasyReef

05-15-2008, 02:12 PM	#7
melosu58 SW 10 yrs and over Community Moderator Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Richmond Va Posts: 12,125 Images: 76	If it does what you are saying there then IMO you will be OK. Remember the key is stability. __________________ View My Tanks Click here to Visit FantasyReef

05-15-2008, 03:39 PM	#8
Ziggy953 Aquarium Advice Addict Community Moderator Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Sumerduck, Virginia Posts: 3,377 Images: 5	I have a harder time keeping my tank cool in the winter then I do in the summer. You really want to keep it around 80 if you can. Mine usually gets to 81 during the day with 678w of light running. Like Mike said the key is stability whether you are a little warmer or a little cooler as long as you aren't having major swings from night to day. I see you said you have 2 fans in the canopy. How large is that canopy? Is it short and the bulbs are close to the surface or is it taller? I think adding another fan might help. I'm guessing that you have a fan on either end of the canopy?,? Maybe put one dead center and have it pull heat up and out of the canopy. I have 3 in mine. 2 small fans pulling air into the canopy and 1 large one pulling air out. Also the back of my canopy is open so there is lots of air movement. __________________ Happy Reefing! *120 Build in progress 6/18/08* Visit our Article section for answers on a variety of topics. LFS, PWC, PH RO/DI what in the world? Look here! Pods, algae and more!

05-15-2008, 11:21 AM	#4
bodie Aquarium Advice Regular Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Sacramento CA Posts: 78	I also have trouble keeping my reef tank below 82 during the summer. I live in California and it's only May and the high today is 103. I think the highest my tank temp has ever crept up was around 84. I started using a directional fan that I can point directly at the light hood and my tank is located under an A/C vent. This has helped prevent my temp from going above 80.

05-15-2008, 12:21 PM	#6
ryshark Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Southern California Posts: 465	My AC in the house is set to a permanent 76-degrees. My tank heater is at 78-degrees. This morning at 6am I noticed that my tank temperature was at 79.7. I usually get less than a 2-degree temp swing from my lighting, which is 440 watts of VHO and 39watts of T5HO over a 75-gallon tank with 2-fans in the canopy for about 10 hours. One fan blowing air over the tank the other blowing air out of the canopy. I just set up my tank last July and it was not a reef tank at that time. It sounds like I am still ok so far. But summer is still to come, its only May. It gets pretty hot where I live in Southern California.

05-15-2008, 04:09 PM	#9
cmor1701d Aquarium Advice Addict Community Mentor Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Belle Mead, NJ Posts: 3,810 Images: 43	You can always add a chiller if that becomes necessary, but a well place fan works wonders. __________________ Click here to Vote for Aquarium Advice on AquaRank . Vote EVERY day! Click Here for a list of commonly used acronyms and abbreviations. ____ Cmor

05-15-2008, 10:24 PM	#10
austinsdad Aquarium Advice Addict Community Mentor Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Clinton, Maryland Posts: 3,943 Images: 12	Programable thermostat. Don't let it go above 80. Saves money too. __________________ -Ray- "Life may not be the party we hoped for but while we are here we might as well dance!"

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