polarbear Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 My 29 gallon biocube has been sitting at 82 degrees (give or take a new depending on the temperature of the room) for the past 9 months. I havent had any problems with anything as of now but was wondering what is the idea temperature for a saltwater tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Daniel Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 You'll get a ton of different responses to this question, but I used to run my tank between 79-81 when I had MHs. Now that I have T5s, I've been running my temps between 77.5-79.5. Growth has been a little better since I've been running the lower temps. Nothing drastic, but still somewhat noticeable. In all likelihood, this is more likely due to my incorrect use of MHs before and with my correct use of T5s now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoneroller Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Generally speaking, 78 for reef tanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zarathustra2 Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 As long as you are around 78-82 you are OK. Consistency is more important that pure temperature. Try to have less than a 2 degree swing between day and night. Going above 84 you will start to have problems. Note that your species selection changes this a lot. If you have sea horses for instance you should shoot for the lower region. Only shallow, tropical species you can do it higher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polarbear Posted October 11, 2009 Author Share Posted October 11, 2009 how do i control this when I start using the MH lighting. i know I need fans for when the light is on but how to i at a certian temperature? Do I find a temperature that works good during the day then adjust the heater to stay at that same temperature during the night? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexKilpatrick Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 The easiest (but expensive) way to control temperature swings is with a chiller and a heater. You set the heater to turn on if your temp is below 77 (for example) and the chiller to come on if it gets above 78. Without a chiller, you can do the same thing with your fans. Have them come on when the temperature gets hot and turn off when it gets low. Or you could combine fans with a chiller. If you don't have a controller, then you can just have your fans come on with the MH, then run for a while afterwards (depending on the temp of the room). Then you add in a heater just in case it gets cold in the evening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polarbear Posted October 11, 2009 Author Share Posted October 11, 2009 ill have to go with the fans that come on with the MH lights since I dont want to invest in a chiller just for the 29 gallon biocube. ill save the chiller for when i upgrade to a bigger tank after i move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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