So this is what you were asking about yesterday Stace, LOL!

You got me, LOL :mrgreen:

Likely not possible to have a healthy closed ecosystem without feeding. To maintain the perfect balance (just enough nutrients to feed the algae, in turn feeding the pods and fish, in turn producing enough nutrients to feed the algae)... just about impossible to imagine. Theoretically possible, as long as none of the fish grew, but much more likely that he's been drawing down stored nutrients from some in-system bank. Also likely that he's spouting BS. In any case, if the fish are thriving after 8 years, there's not much case for cruelty.

I've actually cut back on my feeding a lot. I used to feed daily but now I usually feed every third day. In turn I see my tangs picking at algae more and my sixline pod hunting :)

I would agree except for what he said after telling me that he didn't feed. It went something like this....."Well I like to see how far I can push things, so if one day I see my tangs spine I might feed it for a couple of weeks."

:eek: BTW I was refering to the not feeding at all, I realize it's fine to cut back on feeding, but not to feed at all ever????!!!!! not so sure about that.

hmmm , there is some validity in the temp thing, most surface reefs are in the high 70's to low 80's but... so many of the corals we have in our tanks are actually from deeper reefs where the temps very well could be 75 or lower. the major effect temp has between 75 and 82 is on the metabolism of the corals. most simple life forms will have a metabolism that speeds up as the temp goes up so things will happen faster, growth, death, bleaching ect.. also there was some argument years back I read about them burning them selves out faster but no one could prove this. now I know when you have certain problems with pathogens you treat then raise the temp so they live faster which means they will take in the treatment faster and hence die faster. so there is some validity there.

me, I liked 78 as a temp, but never got concerned if I went up to 84.

Steve

This quote was taken from Chucks website who lives in the phillipines and takes daily measurements of temp, salinity ect

http://home2.pacific.net.ph/~sweetyummy42/reeftour.html

I have always set my heaters to a high of 78.0 F and my chiller to a low of 82.0 F.

It is not that you cannot keep your reef at 75.0 F, I just believe that you put undo stress on the occupants when you keep your temp on the low side. For example if you have Tangs I believe you will experience more symptoms of ICK at the lower temp. I also believe that your corals will grow much slower at lower temp.

However one thing have noticed in this hobby is that no two people are following the exact same practises and yet we all have certain success with what we do.

Tom R

I've never really let mine drop under 76, but it's almost always between 77-80, and everything seems to love it at that temp, even a full day of lights won't go above 80