Thoughts on Wild Temp vs Home Temp

[scoopsthedog]

Don't know if this is the correct place for this so if not sorry. Just came back from Kauai (beautiful) and have traveled to several other tropical Reef spots. Talked with locals and they all say that the ocean Temp swings pretty wide during the year with highs in the high 70s maybe even 80 and lows in the very low 70s maybe high 60s. Same with other (non equatorial spots). Any thoughts on why natural reefs can handle but it seems to have a big negative effect in the home? Are we dealing with more sensitive corals? Thanks.

 

[Tyreef2016]

following. might be because the ocean is such large body of water compared to our tanks. in the ocean it's not gunna rise 5 degrees in a few seconds, but very well could happen in our tanks during a water change if not careful. Just my 2 cents.

Not Trying to thread jack. I also noticed yesterday during a Light thread that everyone seems to have different temperatures in their tanks. i always thought 78-80 was good, I'm seeing lower and lower now.

 

[ksc]

Don't know if this is the correct place for this so if not sorry. Just came back from Kauai (beautiful) and have traveled to several other tropical Reef spots. Talked with locals and they all say that the ocean Temp swings pretty wide during the year with highs in the high 70s maybe even 80 and lows in the very low 70s maybe high 60s. Same with other (non equatorial spots). Any thoughts on why natural reefs can handle but it seems to have a big negative effect in the home? Are we dealing with more sensitive corals? Thanks.

I've never seen a big negative effect of small temperature swings in my tank, and past tanks. I actually think it's healthier for the livestock to have small temperature swings. Many tanks will swing from say 77-85 throughout the year. My tank will sometimes swing 2-3 degrees in a single day.

Many times I've had frags shipped and come in below 70 and simply raise the temp to 80 in 20 minutes. Then expose them to 65 degree air when dipping and put them back into 80* water.A lot of reefers waste time and money trying to keep their temperature stable, when it's most likely detrimental to their livestock.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I belive its about stability and chemistry. first we have put animals into captivity and that does change metabolism and health. then we put them in a box of water that with temperature changes chemistry shifts.
I agree with KSC, my tank does swing and Ive not noticed any odd stuff.

https://www.google.com/webhp?source...&ie=UTF-8#q=salinity changes with temperature

 

[scoopsthedog]

Thanks for the reply. I do notice that many reefers are sticklers for Temp control (which in itself is not a bad thing) and of course sustained low or high water temps can be detrimental but even stable seas on the equator swing about 4 degrees during hot and "cold" months.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

following. might be because the ocean is such large body of water compared to our tanks. in the ocean it's not gunna rise 5 degrees in a few seconds, but very well could happen in our tanks during a water change if not careful. Just my 2 cents.

Not Trying to thread jack. I also noticed yesterday during a Light thread that everyone seems to have different temperatures in their tanks. i always thought 78-80 was good, I'm seeing lower and lower now.

every one has an opinion.
and some animals actually do better in lower temps as they are actually from there. not sure full the science there.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Thanks for the reply. I do notice that many reefers are sticklers for Temp control (which in itself is not a bad thing) and of course sustained low or high water temps can be detrimental but even stable seas on the equator swing about 4 degrees during hot and "cold" months.

some folks want the ph to be8.3 all day every day. and never have alk fall.

 

[Elementalj]

some folks want the ph to be8.3 all day every day. and never have alk fall.

I'd say that would be a dream scenario [emoji122]

 

[Tyreef2016]

every one has an opinion.
and some animals actually do better in lower temps as they are actually from there. not sure full the science there.

totally! and does make sense with different animals. everyone has great points in this post. correct me (Anyone) if I'm wrong but isn't the current bleaching due to increase in temp on some reefs?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

totally! and does make sense with different animals. everyone has great points in this post. correct me (Anyone) if I'm wrong but isn't the current bleaching due to increase in temp on some reefs?

they dont know. yea heat is a big thing but they are testing chemistry too(pollution) and that takes time as the data is soo new.

 

[Tyreef2016]

they dont know. yea heat is a big thing but they are testing chemistry too(pollution) and that takes time as the data is soo new.

Thanks. just remembered reading that article about it.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Thanks. just remembered reading that article about it.

yup, i try to keep up on it but it kinda gets me down

 

[Tyreef2016]

also i've never really had trouble with a drop in temp. only when a heater malfunctioned and spiked heat way up. By the time I brought the temp back down some things made it some didn't.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Good discussion!

 

[SantaMonica]

Probably a great application for a controller, to follow temp cycles from reefs.

 

[scoopsthedog]

Probably a great application for a controller, to follow temp cycles from reefs.

Agreed. Did some additional reading I think the biggest issue is keeping animals from different regions. Equatorial temps will swing less than say Hawaii.

 

[skim]

Well its kind of funny. Last week I had the same thought and this was my result.

I was sitting and pondering last night / early morning on the topic of Temp. and Salinity, and then had an idea. Why not ask someone who lives in the Tropics ( Fiji ) and Reefing is his Career. I went to Walt Smith site and sent a question asking if he ever takes readings of the water where they collect the corals and at the Corals Depth, so not surface. Well to my shock 1 hr. later I get message back saying hello and that they take have and do take readings. Temp wise he said it depends on season and has temp's as low as 74 and as high as 92. He also said that he has noticed that temps below 82 seem to be the best on the reef where they do the Harvesting, 82 and above can see signs of stress starting. I was surprised as to the Salinity or should say S.G because that is what he used, he said about 1.024 and sometimes will see 1.025 so I am assuming 1.023 - 1.024 is the average and 1.025 being the highest he has seen. He also told me that for the Fish holding tanks he keeps them at 1.019 to help keep O2 levels up and help keep the Ick away.
So there you go straight from the Horses mouth, I guess you could say.

 

[Salty1962]

Many of the frags we get have already been conditioned to higher temps, with very slight swings, in our tanks. Even some wild colonies had been kept long enough to become settled in at the higher temps. The biggest element to success is stability of what ever we do.

 

[Eric83]

I had the same thoughts when starting, why so much emphasis is put into exacting temperature control. As a diver I know I have felt cooler currents over me and then go back to normal when diving in and around various reefs.

I just assumed that since almost every other parameter in a tank is swinging more than the ocean would, why not stabilize one of the easier to control parameters to lessen the inevitable stress being put on the corals.

 

[SantaMonica]

"Stability" could also be a repeatable flux of temps from cooler to warmer each day.