Is 80* an okay temp?

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fergieturk

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Mar 24, 2003
Messages
106
Location
New Lenox, IL
Hi all,
I just set up my new tank, and my operating temperature without lights on is 80.8 F with 6 hours of lights it goes up to 81.7 F. Is this a good temperature for everything (corals, fish, inverts, etc.)?
Here's the set up:
165 gallons
wet/dry filter (40 gallons) with RIO 3100 pump
Top Fathom TF 200 protein skimmer
40 watt UV sterilizer - Emperor Aquatics 400
4 - 65 watt PC lights ( 2 10,000 K daylight & 2 6,500 K Actinic)
300 watt heater - it doesn't run
100 lbs. live sand
100 lbs. live rock (i'm planning on about 60 more lbs)

Really don't want to buy a chiller. Any thoughts/advice?
 
you might want to bump your heater up just a little to keep the tank at a constant 82 degrees. i have heard of people keeping there tanks as warm as 84 or 85 so you should be fine. just try to keep the temp from swinging too much because this can cause stress and maybe turn into a disease.
 
I run my tanks at 82F usually anyway so I second the bumping the heater to a level to maintain a temp of 82F.

Dont worry you dont have to buy a chiller. There are several cheap ways to cool a tank if you do experence heat problems. I would not be worried unless your temps start getting to a point that they are in the high 80's.

Since you have a wet/dry you can easily put a small fan over the wet dry to enhance evaporation. Evaporation is a natural cooling process. You will have to add more freshwater more often but its much cheaper than a chiller.

ALso if you have anything covering the tank like a glass cover remove that. This will also enhance your cooling via evaporation.
 
I didn't realize a 1*F temperature fluctutation was a big deal to the animals (there's nothing in there yet, but good to know). I just hope when the lights are on longer that the temperature doesn't get any higher, but I will definately try the economical cooling tips. Thanks![/quote]
 
Well a 1*F change is not that big of a deal. I hope we/I did not come across like it was absolutly critical to maintan a prercise temp. What you want to avoid is larger swings of 4*F or greater. With the summer months comming a day time temp of 82F could go up to 85F or even higher depending on the ambient room temp and the position of the sun and the window.
 
Hi all, new member here just finished cycling a 155ga tank. I have a question for fergieturk. I just purchase a Top Fathom 200a used form ebay and don't know how to set it up. I think it sets up near the sump with the pump inside and the return PVC hanging over the sump to return the water. Here is my confusion. I see a white valve that is connected perpendicular to the input water flow PVC via clear tubing ---what is this for? Second at the bottom of the collection cup is a hose is this to move the waste to a larger collection unit?
 
I have read that some people have had better luck with the temperature being as low as 78, Currently on my 180 I keep the temp at around 80. I do have to run a chiller because even with fans my tank would get as high as 86 during the day and go down to 81 at night. I was using 5 fans and they could only get the tank down to 85 during the day with my MH lights on. I do not have any fans on my 120 and it gets to 83 during the day but it only has VHOs on it.
 
I've always noticed the lower the temp the more less active my fish tend to be.

I wouldn't be concerned as long as you keep it above 80 and below 86.. constant tho with as little flux as possible.

my .02cents
 
Here's my two cents for what it's worth.
Our 29 temp is always between 80.8 (during night/evening hours) and 82.2 during the day & everyone/everything in our tank seems to be happy.

I agree with FF in that one degree flux isn't a bad thing and that you need to guard against larger fluctuations.
 
king200 said:
I have a question for fergieturk. I just purchase a Top Fathom 200a used form ebay and don't know how to set it up.
King,
I'm a bad person to ask this. My bf and the guy from the LFS set everything up - so I have no idea. Try posting this question as a separate topic. Sorry!
 
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