Running a reef tank at 73 degrees (by accident)

[too_tanked]

Wow, can I really be this dumb?

I'm just setting up my new Apex controller and the temp probe is consistently reading around 72-73 degrees. My Pinpoint wireless thermometer is steady around 78-79 degrees and has been for the past year since I set up the tank.

I was about to contact Neptune tech support thinking I had a faulty Apex temp probe when I decided to put my other three Pinpoint temp probes in the tank for comparison. Well, guess what... The three other Pinpoint probes read 72.7, 72.5, and 72.5 while the Apex is at 72.9. The ONE Pinpoint probe that I've been using in the tank since day one is reading 79.9. So it looks like for the past year I've been running this tank at 72-73 degrees thinking it was 78-79.

I didn't think that was really possible. I don't have much livestock, but everything is doing well: 2 ocellaris clowns, hammer, torch, green zoas, hairy mushroom, Acan, & Ricordea.

So two questions:
1) Am I right in thinking that my one pinpoint probe is bad and my tank has actually been running at 73 degrees for the past year?
2) Assuming that's true, what's the best way to fix this - slowly I know, but how slowly? 1 degree per week maybe?

For the life of me I don't know why I never double checked the temp before. Guess I'm lucky I didn't lose anything.

Thanks.

 

[jimrawr]

Woops wrong thread sorry

edit: I think our tanks are more resilient than most people believe.

 

[saltwaterB]

That is really not that low, in fact I run my systems at 75* at home and between 76-78 at the shop. IMO the cooler the better But it is more important for stability rather exacty where you keep it. Your animals have done fine because your water had remained stable. If it becomes and issue of low to high then back to low, and it is too much too quick, that's when our livestock will become stressed.

Last week when my basement flooded my tank was running at 68* for 2 days, I lost a Candy Hog, but the Black Tang, Bellus Angel, and Magnificent Foxface where loving it. I took 4 days to get the tank back to 75-76* and everybody is doing fine. Although some of the Algaes are acting funny, and I had a ton of grape Culerpa go sexual on me, and almost crash the tank today (but that's a whole other story...)

 

[Anthony1238]

and I had a ton of grape Culerpa go sexual on me

did they at least buy you dinner first? haha

but yes I agree with everything B said, I had the same happen to me.

 

[Bobbofin]

The setting on my Fluval heater is as lower as it goes, 76°. When the the lights are on the temp often goes up to 78° but usually stays around 77°.

To get the °degree sign° hold down ALT and type 0176.

 

[too_tanked]

Thanks for the replies. The tank is bottoming out at 72 at night so I think I'll start ratcheting it up over the next few weeks. I also noticed that the Apex controller has a seasonal temperature variation feature and that goes down as low as 75 in the winter. So I guess 72-73 isn't as ridiculous as I first thought.

But my low temps may explain why I've seen very little growth in my corals over the last year. Also explains my struggle to maintain my tank below 81 last summer. Apparently I was actually keeping it below 75. D'oh!

 

[frank180reef]

75 must be hard to do in the summer, even on the cape

 

[too_tanked]

75 must be hard to do in the summer, even on the cape

Central AC and a powerful clip-on fan blowing across the surface. But I had over a gallon a day evap on a 34 gallon tank with the fan on.

 

[stevenp]

That is really not that low, in fact I run my systems at 75* at home and between 76-78 at the shop. IMO the cooler the better But it is more important for stability rather exacty where you keep it.

Do you find that corals do fine/better on the cooler side?

I also run my system on the cooler side because it just seems like it would be less stressful on inhabitants. I have no factual evidence to back this up, and I've always run on the cooler side so I don't have any first hand experience as to any detrimental effects of running towards 80 where most hobbyists seem to be. That said, I sometimes wonder if my corals would have better color/growth if I ran my system a couple degrees warmer.

Just curious to hear your input given your experience .

 

[RayD]

It's actually harder on the corals if the water runs too WARM. I've always run my tanks on the cooler side, 74º-76º. Hey Bob I got the degree symbol for ya! LOL

_________________________________________________

 

[frank180reef]

Interesting thread as we all pay $ to keep ours heated in the winter, I run mine at 78 in the winter

 

[stevenp]

It's actually harder on the corals if the water runs too WARM. I've always run my tanks on the cooler side, 74º-76º. Hey Bob I got the degree symbol for ya! LOL [/img]

Sounds like I'll continue to run ~76º. I have a massive chiller and another massive chiller as backup so temp control in the summer isn't a problem.

And I in turn stole the degree symbol from your post . Anyone know what the degree keyboard shortcut is BTW?

 

[DoctaQ]

my tank was 75 for a few months, then i warmed it up to 78-9, things looked better, but it could also have been the maturity of the tank

 

[Rick C]

Anyone know what the degree keyboard shortcut is BTW?

To get this symbol on a windows PC you hold down the alt key and enter 0176 and you will get

°

On a mac you press Option + shift + 8