What is the correct temp for Saltwater

[blaster]

Hello all,

This is my first post on this forum. I really enjoyed reading all the articles and made the right choice and join.

I am very new to this hobby and really looks like fun and many new things to learn.

My question is what is the correct temp in a saltwater tank? The temp goes to 68.5 F at night and reaches as high as 77.2 F during the day. Of course this happens with the lights.

My tank is a 140 gal with about 60 ibs of LR 3 802 power heads, Protein Skimmer, one heater of course.

Have a Yellow tang, 2 Spider Shrimp, 5 blue Damsel 7 turbo Snails, 5 hermit crabs and one feather duster. Oh forgot one Hippo tang as well.

Everyone is giving me all kinds of numbers which is the correct temp.

Cheers to all

 

[packfan2204]

i definitely think that your range during the day is way too dramatic. I would make sure ur heater is working and that ur temp stays pretty much the same during the day, cause i think that would put a lot of stress on ur fish. And i don't think there's any one temp u should have, but i would aim for anything between 78 and 82 degrees, and make sure it stays at one temp all day long. I have mine set on 80 degrees.

 

[superswamper]

68.5 is too low IMO. I'd say a safe range of temperature would be between 76 and 79. Some may keep their tanks a little warmer, but I usually keep our tank at 78.

Your temperature is fluctuating a lot. Depending on what kind of heater you have, you may want to upgrade and get a better one. A popular recommendation is to have two smaller heaters instead of one big heater. This should help keep the temperature as constant as possible, and acts as a backup should you lose one of the heaters.

 

[reefrunner69]

i definitely think that your range during the day is way too dramatic. I would make sure ur heater is working and that ur temp stays pretty much the same during the day, cause i think that would put a lot of stress on ur fish. And i don't think there's any one temp u should have, but i would aim for anything between 78 and 82 degrees

Agreed.
Check out >>What are Natural Reef Salinities and Temperatures--Really--and Does It Matter?<< by Ron Shimek.

 

[daveNandi]

Link takes me to an under construction page. Is there a typo or is it me?

 

[reefrunner69]

Is there a typo or is it me?

Neither. Try this one, apparently someone hasn't kept up their domain, LOL.

http://www.rshimek.com/reef/tempsal.htm

 

[blaster]

Great. Thanks a lot guys/Girls. I will get to the problem quickly and adjust it.

 

[reefobsessed]

Welcome... You will fine that these guys ( not me ) really know how to get you though just about anything unscaved...

 

[fishfreek]

One heater and its probably undersized. IS it a 300W unit? If so I would get a second 300W unit. Slowly increase the tank temp to a range of 80-82F. If you have problems with water temp getting above 82F during the day with the lights then increase the surface water movment to try to stimulate evaporation. This will cool the tank. Fans blowing over the surface will do this aswell.

Make sure the tank is out of direct sunlight as that can be a significant factor in tank heating.

 

[pecan2phat]

Okay, call me old school. When I started out in this hobby 25 years ago, it was 78 degrees & a salinity of 1.021 according to Martin Moe.
12 to 15 years later with Julian Sprung, Charles Delbeek, Martin Moe Jr., etc. it was believed that lower temperature & lower salinity was better. So I went from 78-79 degrees in my reef to 75-76 degrees and raised the salinity from 1.021 to 1.025. For the FO tank, I went from 78-79 degrees to 77 degrees & from 1.021 to 1.018 salinity.
Based on R Shimek's articles, it seems like this is the wrong track again. I have relative success with the lower salinity in the FO tank. It just seems like the osmoregulation principle makes sense and the lower temps have not been disadvantages to any of my tanks for a decade. What is everyone elses thoughts regarding the 82-84 degree & 1.024-1.025 salinity theory?

 

[captivereefs]

Always ran at 81 and 1.026. If it's not broke don't fix it!

 

[blaster]

Your right fishfreak I have a 250 Watt. The store had none in stock so we got the 250 Watt heater instead. So far I am increasing the heater very slowly and always monitoring the temp. I will bring it to 79 - 80 mark since most people keep talking about it. As for my salinity I have it at 1.022. I hope that is good.

They should just make one standard and everyone should follow it. It is driving me bananas as to what temp is the best.

 

[echo7]

IMO here's the story. On a natrual reef it sometimes does get into the low 70's right, so why shouldn't our tanks, but maybe not fluctuating constantly like you have. i think stability is more important than temerpature, as long as it is below 83 and above 60. the reason for a higher temp. like 80-82 would be for faster metabolism and therefore growth rate, but faster metabolism requires more food, and with more food, more waste. Fastest growth isn't always the healtiest. Hot water also carries less oxygen than cold and fish with faster metabolism need more oxygen than fish with a slower metabolism.

As for salt- when there was only fish and no inverts it was better to have low salt. inside the body of a fish the fluids actually have less salt than in the water surrounding it. fish urinate salts out to keep this salinity. and if thier body fluids get too fresh they absorb water through thier skin. Therefore fish expend less energy when the salt is a bit below sea water. however invertabrates cannot control the salenity of thier body fluids in thier body, so they need the salenity of natraul sea water.

its really all about your opinions and what you want to keep.

 

[echo7]

above 60

oops!, i meant 70, sorry