Too Hot? ARGH!

[randoma]

We were all out today and I think the tank overheated - when we got home, the lights had all been off for an hour (MH off for 3 hours) and the temperature in the tank was 83F. Ambient temp in the house was 67. Which says to me that the tank was quite hot.

The last two days I've been turning the MH off in the afternoon, but I forgot to do it before we left and I thought it would be okay since it was cooler today than the last two days (so I didn't go back..)

All of the coral seems fine, except for the bird's nest which this morning was a very uniform brown and this evening shows large amounts of what looks like RTN (in about 30% of the branches!). We also have two small 3/4" pieces that broke off of the large frag in transit which I mounted to a small rock. Both of those are half white now.

Also, our toadstool leather looks... Squished. I t has looked compressed before but never like this. But all the other softies are displaying typical night behavior except for the Devil's Hand which is fully extended.

So... I'm assuming that the bird's nest is probably a goner. If everything else looks okay, and appears okay tomorrow, can I assume no long term damage? All the invertebrates and snails look fine.....

 

[Behrmon]

I personally would not think that 83 would cause much damage? Do you have fans on the tank and or sump?? I've also found that leaving the stand doors open during the day have been helping the heat escape the sump area.

 

[randoma]

It was 83 after the lights had been off for 3 hours, with an ambient (room) temp of 67, which means it had been cooling off for that entire time. Without doing any complicated math, I think it cools off about 1-2 degrees per hour after the lights go off. Which would mean a minimum of 86-89 when the lights were on. I have no way of determining just how hot it was....

There's no sump.... (18 gallon tank) For comparison, the QT tank was at 78 (which is when the heater kicks in).

 

[Yaktop]

sorry to hear that particularly after a long day and ride. your probably right if your tank is only an 18 gallon tank. I use a controller (RK2) that shuts off the lights at 84 and turns on the fans at 82.5. Chiller as well on a seperate circuit set at 83. There's so much to this hobby left at chance sometimes. Redundancy and fail safe planning is so key and trying to think of or learning from our experiences that makes us better reefers over time. so we think

good luck and nice meeting you today.

 

[randoma]

It was a long ride, but Chris and I had a GREAT time. Thanks Yaktop, Maurod! (And everyone else, too!!!) Chris is now saying that she wants a 125 gallon tank (actually, what she said, was "A really big tank!")........

 

[Yaktop]

It was a long ride, but Chris and I had a GREAT time. Thanks Yaktop, Maurod! (And everyone else, too!!!) Chris is now saying that she wants a 125 gallon tank (actually, what she said, was "A really big tank!")........

well you do know someone selling thier 125 soon you know and maybe next time we can kick back and enjoy a few suds and reef stories.

nice to meet you's today....good luck. start thinking about august heat now though.

 

[randoma]

If you can fit it into a 36" wide space, we'll take it!

 

[Yaktop]

If you can fit it into a 36" wide space, we'll take it!

I am very creative. Dont forget I'm knocking down walls to fit mine

 

[JohnK]

C. S. your in trouble now. First cali, now Chris..... I think there is a thread somewhere following Greg Hillers project (add room to house for new tank, have a party so you can have enough people to carry in the new tank, check for scratches.....)

Bummer about the heat. Blast any fan you can find across the water surface to cool the tank down and count your losses in a week or so. Also maybe crank up the skimmer and or add some carbon in case there is any signifigant die off.

 

[MichaelJ]

That's one ugly fish!!

 

[pillowfish]

Sorry to hear that CS...maybe we lucked out by getting home first It seems like it's always the little things we forget that end up costing the most$$$$$ That's what the LFS's don't tell ya! A really big tank.....???? AWESOME! We'll come over to see that!

tabittha

 

[reefsmurf]

Sorry to hear that. I thought the temperature in Boston on Saturday maxed out at 69F though?

 

[randoma]

Well, now that the lights are on, it looks like almost all of the hard coral has damage.

All the softies look okay, happy even. And some of the smaller pieces of SPS that were low in the tank look okay, but everything that was high up has some damage. Here's some sad pictures:

There's a few others with less significant damage. Should I try and break out (refrag) the healthy pieces or just wait?

Callie is going to freak when she gets home! (She and Conrad are spending the weekend at their grandparents.)

(Reefsmurf - outside temps were <70F, that's why I didn't think I needed to go back home to turn the light off when I remembered that I left it on...)

 

[JayM]

you will find the BRS an excellent support group for coral losses. Nearly all of us have been there. Before you end up with RTN, you should consider fragging your damaged SPS to save what you have left. A water change to help dilute the SPS 'loss' chemicals might help to help stave off a chain reaction. Fresh carbon, too.

Also, Callie (even at her tender age) will need to come to grips with the inevitable losses that come with this hobby.....

My 7 year old still cries with every fish loss and associated toilet eulogy.....

Hope it gets better for you.

 

[reefinghabit]

from my experiene 83 degrees is quit acceptable. if you research, most tropical reefs in the wild reach lows of 75 degrees and highs of 86 degrees, now these are seasonal temps. i personally have had my tank up to 86 degrees with no ill effects, this does not mean that yours has not suffered. i saw the pics of the birds nest. it is shedding its tissue , wich to me may be from low alkalinity or yes high heat. sps are very delicate when it comes to ups and downs. i try to maintain 78-79 at home. you may want to consider a sump fan or an ac in the window or at most cost a chiller. good luck with your dilema.

 

[penguinsix]

What was the temp of the tank an hour or a half hour later? I'll tell you what it was 3 hours ago when the lights went off.

 

[randoma]

About 1 hour later is was 81. However, the resolution of the thermometer is only whole numbers, so 83 could be 83.5 and 81 could be 80.6..etc.

Alk was 10 yesterday, 10 today.

 

[penguinsix]

According to newtons law of cooling and some calculus, and with the temps you gave me it appears your tank could have gone as high as 95. but that is with no variables and if it was a perfect world which it is not so I would assume it really didn't get that high, but it could have.

 

[randoma]

Thanks, nano.. Probably too many variables, but it was definitely hot!

Is there any benefit in waiting, or should I break the damaged ones down immediately?

The damaged areas are definitely growing, albeit slowly. Well, probably quickly for coral - I'd say that the areas are (based on pictures taken this morning and pictures taken now) are 1/2 to 1 pore size larger. Also, all of the damaged coral now have air bubbles on them.

All of the non-visibly damaged coral have polyp extension, none of the damaged (5 pieces) have any polyp extension..

However, I don't know enough to know if this is non-recoverable damage? The increase in damaged area may just be marginal tissue. There are no new unattached areas of damage. For example, the Porites, which has a small circular area does not have any new areas, although the damaged area has grown a very small, but measurable amount. In the case of the Porites, the growth is less than a milimeter, but percentage-wise, the damaged area is probably 5-10% larger than it was 6 hours ago... On the other hand, it doesn't look like a lot of pictures of RTN that I've seen when I've googled RTN.....

 

[reefinghabit]

id just do a coral dip with iodine and wait it out