Do I really need a chiller with a FOWLR?

[badamsios]

Do I really need a chiller with a FOWLR? How warm is safe? We used to live in Michigan, never even heard of a chiller until we moved here to California. Thing is though, we keep the house the same temp as we did in Michigan. Stays at 75 in the summer and 70 in the winter.

Thanks!

 

[melosu58]

I dont think you need a chiller. What are your tank temps though the day?

 

[badamsios]

Ok, well, a little background then... When we moved here 4 years ago, we setup a reef tank. Using MH lights, we of course needed a chiller. Wife and I getting older, changing life styles, we sold all the reef critters and went with the current FOWLR. No more MH lights, but still T5's, actinic and white.

We had the chiller set at 75 during reef and fish. With the fish only the chiller didn't really seem to have to work too hard/often. Sometime Friday the chiller crapped. At least I'm assuming it crapped because Friday night the temp was 80 degrees.

Lights have been off all weekend, the tanks is staying around 76, the temp in the house is currently 71 and has been for several days. Don't need to run the house heater or the AC this time of year - yet.

In an hour or so when the wife gets up, I'm going to turn off the chiller. I'm actually thinking it's dysfunction may be causing heat.

Short answer? I dunno Bottom line?

How warm is safe?

 

[mr_X]

you can run a tank at 80 with no problems...i've even heard of 82 degree tanks doing ok. these were reefs. i'm sure fish are more forgiving.

 

[badamsios]

Cool, thanks. Anyone strongly disagree? I pulled the plug on the chiller and the temp dropped to 74 overnight. Lights on today and so far it's just under 75. Makes me think my guess was right in that the toasted chiller may have been causing the heat. (I think that may have been a pun)

My ph test device also measures temperatures down to the tenth's, so I think I'm going to watch close and if it hits 79.6 or above, I'll get another chiller. 80 I'm willing to push, 82??? Makes my butt muscles pinch together.

THANKS!

 

[mr_X]

na..think about where these fish are collected.

 

[kingman8610]

This is true, I got my hermits in Corpus Christi, warmer waether=warmer waters. My gf just recently got me a Heater for my b-day and its a 50watt (recommended for 10g) But its so powerful that I keep it on low and it keeps the water at 79-81 degrees. Idk if that is ok or not considering I've heard that the types of Hermits I have, or really, Hermits in general, are generally colder water'ed creatures, so is 79-81 safe? safe for my snails, starfish, LR acan frag???

 

[mr_X]

i've kept many types of hermits in 80+ degree water, long term, with no ill effects.

 

[kingman8610]

And the same for a 10g FOWLR??

 

[mr_X]

10 gallons, 10,000 gallons, fish, inverts, corals, whatever...80+ degrees is no big deal. consistency is what you want to strive for. it's better to have a tank 81 degrees around the clock than 81 in the day and 74 at night.

 

[kingman8610]

Hmmm, not saying your wrong, but wouldn't it be that way in the wild? sun goes up, temp goes up and viceversa?? And why is consistency best? Jc..

 

[mr_X]

no. actually, the sun coming up on one day doesn't really change the water temp much out at the reefs where we collect these creatures. the water temp changes more gradually, with the seasons.

i don't know how to convey an explanation to the second part of your question except to ask:
why do you float the bag in the tank for 30 minutes before adding the fish? why not just toss him right in?

 

[kingman8610]

Lol I have no idea... why?

 

[mr_X]

because you can shock them to death. they don't like the sudden changes.

 

[kingman8610]

So 80 down to 70 in a 24 hr. period will put things into shock then?

 

[mr_X]

it very well could.

 

[kingman8610]

Oh wow ok yeah my heater cuts off at about 80-81 then when it hits like 78,79 it cuts back on

 

[thincat]

Oh wow ok yeah my heater cuts off at about 80-81 then when it hits like 78,79 it cuts back on

What do you have in your 10g?

 

[kingman8610]

What do you mean what do I have? Are you asking what kind of Heater?

 

[thincat]

What kind of life...fish, inverts, corals etc...