Help with Temperature

[SigEpLucas]

I'm looking for some advice on the temperature in my 10 gallon tank. My equipment consists of two 25watt heaters, 1 maxi jet 400, an Aquaclear 50, and 165watt LED fixture. The temperature in the room ranges from 71-75. At night the temperature is very stable at 78 degrees however by 3:00pm (lights run from 8-5) the water gets up to about 80-81. Any tips or tricks or things I can do to keep the heat more stable at 78?

This is the only parameter that fluctuates at all in my tank and I want to start adding sps so I want to make sure this is figured out.

Thanks in advance!

 

[bjohanson1234]

I would bump up the temp to 80. That way, during the day, the lights will keep the tank warm, but at night you won't have the temp dropping like that. Stability is more important. 80 isn't too bad of a temp to keep it at.

You can also get a small clip on fan to blow across the top. The evaporation will keep the temp cooler.

 

[MitchReef]

I agree with all that bjohanson said....but you need to be careful about evaporation...if you don't have ATO evap can cause significant swings in your salinity....bad news for corals....

 

[SigEpLucas]

Thanks for the advice, evap is not a problem I have an ATO. I used to keep the water at 80 but it was spiking up to 83 so that's why I dropped it to 78. I thought 78-81 was better than 80-83. I also had a heater that broke around the same time I lowered it so ill try to up the heaters and see what happens. I wouldn't think the LEDs would heat the water up that much but I have no idea what else could be causing it.

 

[bjohanson1234]

Do you have an open top? Or is the tank covered? If it is covered, then open any sort of vent you can. get some air across the water.

 

[noy]

you may want to run a small fan directed over the surface of the water. i find it makes the world of difference in the summer by promoting air movement where the light hits the water. This especially true if you have a lid or objects over the tank - without some movement of air you get a bit of a greenhouse effect.

 

[Salty7663]

I had the same issue in the beginning, as I also have a little 10 gallon. I did the fan thing as 'noy' suggested and that does work but only at like high speed. If you try that, keep an eye on the temp because it can drop it too far.

In the day, I just take the top off the tank in the day and I get a stable 77*. At night, I put the top back on because it can drop quite a bit. It is a FOWLR, so I could not add advice for coral, but I would say temp swings are no good at all. Corals need stability!

Good luck