I agree that trying to keep a tank pegged within 1-2 degrees year round doesnt make much sense. However, i couldnt disagree more about simulating natural reef temps in the home aquarium. I also think it’s probably the worse advice you could give to someone new in the hobby. One of the easiest things to do is to try and draw direct conclusions about our hobby based on data collected in our animal’s natural habitats. The difference in scale is just too great, not to mention how much more dynamic the ocean is compared to our little piece.
Our tank temperature is going to flucuate enough on its own. I run two heaters on a controller in the winter and a fan on my MH timer in the summer and my temps still swing between 76-83, but certainly not on a daily basis.
My advice to anyone new to the hobby is to try and keep the temperature of your tank in an optimum range. Temperature, like all your other parameters, have a range of values that are acceptable, not just the defined NSW averages. The important thing is to keep things stable and consistent.
Mmmm saltwater in the lungs…I’ve got a story about what saltwater does to your lungs. Its a dive story, not a aquarium story, but it’s a few beer story…
To start my siphons I always submerge my tube all the way in the tank scaring the crap out of the fish with this giant tube being shoved in, then plug an end with my finger and pull it out and put it in my drain bucket. Once you remove your finger your siphon starts.
Hey I call false advertisement, what if I don’t have a spare pump/PH lying around, then its more than $5 auto siphon bucket!
However, i couldnt disagree more about simulating natural reef temps in the home aquarium. I also think it's probably the worse advice you could give to someone new in the hobby.
lOl  Im not suggesting to anyone to shoot for a low of 77 and a high of 86 each day. Simply stating that the temp ranges typically recommended are too low and that people shouldn’t worry about temp that shift 4,5 or 6 degrees throughout the day. For example the next time your on Foster and Smith look at the Temp recommendations they give (72 to 78), What is with that? Most of the animals have never seen temps that low and it seriously messes with their metabolism.
It’s a simple concept and has been proven to enhance corals resistance to extremes.
We try to emulate just about every other perameter or environmentle factor based on what is found out one the real reef, why stop with temp?
I agree with some of your points Chris and i certainly dont doubt your sucess. Your one of a handful of local reefers that i truly admire and your clam presentation years ago sparked my interest in clams and is the main reason why i keep them today. Ok, enough a$$ kissing lOl
I feel that someone new to the hobby should strive to keep their tank within a specific range devoid of extreme highs and lows. I personally feel that 78-82 is an ideal range for people new to the hobby to strive for. I dont disagree that small peaks and dips are not harmful, i just think stability is key.
Ive heard opinions similar to yours before on temperature, as a matter of fact i believe Bellamy has stated something very similar in the past. I feel that it has valid points and i would love to see more information on how temperature swings enhance a fish or corals resistance to extremes vs the effect on overall metabolism and longevity in an aquarium setting.
I guees the distinction that i like to make is that an aquarium and the ocean could not be more different. Not every single piece of data collected on the wild reefs can be readily applied to the home aquarium. Thats why i rely more on successfull hobbyists rather than ocean going biologists for a large share of my hobby related information.
A quick counter point i would like to make about temperatures in the home reef aquarium. How many of use have a biotope aquarium? My guess would be 0. Futhermore, how many of use even know the geographical point of orgin of every single species we keep? or, if we do, how many of use know exactly where our specific animal was caught if it originates from mutilple locations? My point is that we keep animals from all over the world and this certainly does not simulate nature at all. I can not even imagine the range of temperature we would have if we had the exact data to conicide with temperature ranges of the water each and everyone of our reef specimens originate. Where it may be true that subsantail swings may not be harmful, or in some cases may even have some benefits, i think the best thing we, as hobbyist, can aim for is a consitent and stable temp. While the occasionial spike in temperature may make this coral or that coral more tolerant, do we really know what it could be doing to the overall longevity of a fish or invert that may have been collected from a cooler climate?
BTW Chris, its really nice to see you on the boards. It would be even nicer to see you at the meetings! I know i wouldnt mind seeing a presentation on what you guys are doing with your clowns these days!
Hey I call false advertisement, what if I don't have a spare pump/PH lying around, then its more than $5 auto siphon bucket
!
lol, thats why i didnt include the pump in the build!
a quick note. this is not ideal for doing large waterchanges or waterchanges on large systems. this is a very gentle way to accurately remove detritus from your tank with minimum disruption to the tank. it is ideal for smaller tanks. it worked flawlessly on my nano, the only thing i think i will change is the union. the diameter is too small and clogs up if the detritus is to large. when i change the design i will make a post.
[quote=“logans_daddy, post:26, topic:891”]
BTW Chris, its really nice to see you on the boards. It would be even nicer to see you at the meetings! I know i wouldnt mind seeing a presentation on what you guys are doing with your clowns these days![/quote]
+1!
You guys with more expierence need to share it I would love to hear the lecture you gave about clams sometime, me and my gf are very interested in them.
The clam presentation was awesome! Up until that point, i had never even considered keeping a clam. I now have two that thrive in my tank but im far from being knowlegable and would love to see you do another clam lecture at one of the meetings!
I wonder if we just instinctively give the “safe” advice for the benefit of new reefers that may not yet have the husbandry skills, or the experience to read their tanks properly. We have been fortunate to get in to and stay in the hobby for a long time. We’ve learned to read specific coral reactions to different elements and can usually tell before testing what is out of whack.
A new reefer may not yet have this knowledge, so for the sake of success until they can learn, we tend to offer the “stable and consistent” speech as opposed to giving them the impression that it is OK to have temp swings from 76-86 in a given day, and then just have them assume they’ve gotten the “safe” advice and a temp at 88 for 5 consecutive days is acceptable and will cause no ill effects on the inhabitants.
I know I personally would give different advise to someone new versus someone that’s been in the hobby for 2 years.
I am going to compile the info in this tread into an article since it contains a lot of great info. I will also add Craig’s and Shawn’s comments as a safe benchmark for new aquariests and variations in species. I will have it up by Thursday. If anyone would like to add more info or ask questions, Chris is the guy to ask.
[quote=“icy1155, post:37, topic:891”]
Al, any chance you can pull some stuff out of the thread about this earlier? I had a couple links in there that went along with what Chris said.[/quote]
You mean before Thursday? If you have links Post them I will review them but planned on reposting Chris’s ideas and info in this thread to make the article an just post the links st the bottom. Not quite sure what you are asking.
I would love to hear the lecture you gave about clams sometime, me and my gf are very interested in them.