What is a good temp?

So i got my digitial thermometer yesterday evening. It's has so far been reading between 79.7 and 79.5 is this a good temp for a potential reef? I don't know what the temp reads in the day, so i'll find out when i get home. But is this a good temp. I have my heater set at 76 but haven't seen it turn on yet

 

78-80 is a good range. I am in Phoenix where it is a little warmer than most places and I run 79-81 year round on my tanks.
Have you checked the calibration on the thermometer? You should be able to immerse it in a glass of ice with a little water to check the reading or compare it with a good known mercury thermometer at least.

 

okay, i need help i live in NY and mine reads about 83. I dont know what to do?????

 

i looked at my temp today and it was 83, as well. Try finding little clip on fans from wallmart or somewhere, i guess their pretty cheap and will cool your tank a few degreese. I think i'll end up needing some myself as with the light off i found that my tank ranges from 79-83

 

same here, but i dont know why its not consitant. on sat it went to 78 and the lfs said it shoudl stay there, bought a new heater and i have it set at 76 and the temp in the tank reads 83 -84 i even put a frozen bottle of water in my wet dry and no change

 

Teks do put out some heat, as well. 83 is much too high and drastic temp swings like that aren't good for the tank at all. Hopefully the fan works for you, be prepared for additional evaporation - may want to look at an auto top off kit, as salinity swings aren't good, either.

 

i don't even have my tek light on the tank yet, but it was 88 in the house. I think i'll look at some fans from lowes this weekend when we go there to get the stuff to hang the light. I'm pretty good at topping off, i usually have to top off about every other day. I've been going to the LFS for water about once a week and buying 10 gallons worth of water to last all week, which has been doing fine, but now i think i'll need to buy 15-20 gallons worth, good thing freshwater ro/di is cheap. Only $.35 a gallon

 

88 in the house? Wow, turn up the A/C I keep my house around 70-72, and my tank usually stays around 79-81 with the MH lights. 10-11 degree raise with pumps and lights, heater never even turns on.

If you put fans on, you will have much more evaporation. I lose 2 gallons per day on my 75, give or take maybe a few cups. Before my ATO was installed, this was enough to make my salinity fluctuate from 1.025 to 1.026, 1.027 daily and back again as soon as I topped off. I have noticed an improvement in my tank since adding the ATO.

 

yea well we haven't been able to turn on the AC during the day because of the construction, 2 more weeks worth yay! but we have it on in the evening like right now, and tank is still at 83, i'm still working on getting my salanity lowered, i think i'll do a w.c. when i get water this weekend.

Don't ATOs need a sump? or is there a HOB kind?

 

Do you have other thermometers to cross check? My coralife digital thermometer is 13 degrees off.
http://www.3reef.com/forums/coral/almost-all-corals-dead-62884.html