What is the maximum safe operating temp for reef tank? I just added 400W MH and my temp has now gone to about 83/84. I have seen other people's tank specifications indicating that their temp went this high regularly. Currently, I only have snails and hermits in the tank so I am not too worried...YET! I dont want to buy a chiller, but may have to. I do not have any fans installed yet, but I have purchased two. I am worried that wont help that much, because the MH are 3 x 400W and the hood is only open partially in the back. Please advise.
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Safe Maximum Tank Temp?????
- Thread starter hurrifan
- Start date
WOW! You DON'T HAVE ANY FANS?!
You're nuts!
Get two or three 110cfm (cubic feet / minute) fans. They will DRAMATICALLY cool your tank! Don't spend big bucks on a chiller that you might not need!
I have peaked my temp to 92F during a heat wave for about 12 hours. The corals shriveled during those hours, but when temps came down they opened up again.
I own a 75g reef with two 400W MH, 1 175MH and 2 40W NO actinic. That's a lot of heat generated.
I use two 100cfm Orion fans. They keep my temp in the summer at 85F and during the cooler months in New Jersey at 80F.
I have lots of SPS, LPS and a couple of softies.
Never had a problem with the way I run my system.
-Nathan
You're nuts!
Get two or three 110cfm (cubic feet / minute) fans. They will DRAMATICALLY cool your tank! Don't spend big bucks on a chiller that you might not need!
I have peaked my temp to 92F during a heat wave for about 12 hours. The corals shriveled during those hours, but when temps came down they opened up again.
I own a 75g reef with two 400W MH, 1 175MH and 2 40W NO actinic. That's a lot of heat generated.
I use two 100cfm Orion fans. They keep my temp in the summer at 85F and during the cooler months in New Jersey at 80F.
I have lots of SPS, LPS and a couple of softies.
Never had a problem with the way I run my system.
-Nathan
I have a 180 Reef w/ 3 x 400 MH with 2 x 140watt VHOs. I wish now that I would have kept my 250s as IMO they didn't get as hot. IMO and IME do not try to keep SPS with high temp, take one that knows, as I lost almost all of my SPS due to high heat. I have 4 x 4" fans in the 10" canopy with a fan blowing in the sump and I still run 82. If I had room I would add a chiller for sure.
Barry
Barry
Being from Florida, and with 400W halides, I certianly recommend a chiller. Once the tank gets up to 90F, you can get in trouble if it stays there a bit. This just happened to me.
I have a 180g w/2-400W halides, 1-250W Halide, and a slew of PC actinics. Now that it is cooling off here, I took my chiller off to clean the heat exchanger. (Coraline was growing in my hoses, and the chips loosened by moving the hoses accumulate in the exchanger.)
I had it off for a day or two. (Since you fill the exchanger with bleach, then vinegar to clean it. I was ensuring all the bleach was neutralized.). The tank hit 90F in the afternoon, regardless of the fans. I lost an acro and a frogspawn.
You'll be very happy you bought a chiller, if you do. Peace of mind.
I have a 180g w/2-400W halides, 1-250W Halide, and a slew of PC actinics. Now that it is cooling off here, I took my chiller off to clean the heat exchanger. (Coraline was growing in my hoses, and the chips loosened by moving the hoses accumulate in the exchanger.)
I had it off for a day or two. (Since you fill the exchanger with bleach, then vinegar to clean it. I was ensuring all the bleach was neutralized.). The tank hit 90F in the afternoon, regardless of the fans. I lost an acro and a frogspawn.
You'll be very happy you bought a chiller, if you do. Peace of mind.
What temperature is safe depends on how the tank was kept. My tank usually peak at 84-85 daily. One time due to malfunction fan, the tank got to 91. most coral did not look healthy, but recover fully in 24 hr. Lots of mu huge population of flatworm died and I have to run carbon for a few daus.
if your peak temperature is about 78 and your tank got to the upper 80, many of your coral will bleached and or died.
A peak temperature of 86 is OK, but at this temperature, the coral need to be feed well to do well. Certain corals, like poccilopora and seratopora(sp) will not do well at higher temperatures. Other, Acropora Montipora and Porites, seem to do OK without porblem at 86 peak, IME.
if your peak temperature is about 78 and your tank got to the upper 80, many of your coral will bleached and or died.
A peak temperature of 86 is OK, but at this temperature, the coral need to be feed well to do well. Certain corals, like poccilopora and seratopora(sp) will not do well at higher temperatures. Other, Acropora Montipora and Porites, seem to do OK without porblem at 86 peak, IME.
Also don't forget that the higher the temperature of the water, the less oxygen it can hold. So anytime you maintain temperatures about 80 - 82, it is vital to have a good supply of oxygen to the water. Especially at the higher temperatures.
Also, do you have a sump? If you have the water flow acrost a diagonal plate of glass/acrylic with some kind of fan blowing acorst it, you will have a LOT of cooling taking place, as well as evaporation. It is a very efficient way to cool you water.
I have 2x250 MH over a 80. Canopy is only open in the back. I only have one fan in the canopy right now, but I have ordered other better ones. Right now I just run a floor fan that blows through the stand and over teh refugium, and hits the wall behind the tank, and then goes up into the caopy. I just leave the front of the canopy open an inch or two. And that keeps my temps down to aroun 80 ish. And in Texas heat, that is doing good.
I should have the other fans on the tank soon, and I will move the small current fan down to cool the refugium. And I will get rid of the house fan as well.
I would try fans before anything else. They can do wonders.
Also, do you have a sump? If you have the water flow acrost a diagonal plate of glass/acrylic with some kind of fan blowing acorst it, you will have a LOT of cooling taking place, as well as evaporation. It is a very efficient way to cool you water.
I have 2x250 MH over a 80. Canopy is only open in the back. I only have one fan in the canopy right now, but I have ordered other better ones. Right now I just run a floor fan that blows through the stand and over teh refugium, and hits the wall behind the tank, and then goes up into the caopy. I just leave the front of the canopy open an inch or two. And that keeps my temps down to aroun 80 ish. And in Texas heat, that is doing good.
I should have the other fans on the tank soon, and I will move the small current fan down to cool the refugium. And I will get rid of the house fan as well.
I would try fans before anything else. They can do wonders.
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