# Help!!! Temp spiked up to 90 degrees!



## Sweetstrwbrry (Apr 1, 2013)

We had a cold front come through and yesterday morning my boyfriend turned on our fish tank heater (10 gallon - 3 Cory's, 2 shrimp, and 1 snail). Well the slighted turn changes the temperature by quite a bit but I was not there and he turned the knob prety far. He left for work at 8am. 12 hours later he noticed the temperature was "84 degrees" and our peppered cory was being sluggish. He changed a gallon of water, turned the heater off and it came down to "78".

So tonight (36 latest after the initial temp spike) I see that our cory is still sluggish. I also find out that my boyfriend doesn't know how to read a thermometer and the temperature was actually 90 degrees!!! And the lowered was 84!!!! OMG!!!! It is 78 now and all our fish are fine except for this one cory. He is being sluggish at th bottom and it doesn't look like he is eating. He is not moving much at all when he was always scavenging before. Whatccan we do to save this fish!?! He seems to be takin the temp spike hard.. Please I want to save this lil guy we've had him the longest!!!!


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## UncleEasy3000 (Nov 5, 2013)

Sweetstrwbrry said:


> We had a cold front come through and yesterday morning my boyfriend turned on our fish tank heater (10 gallon - 3 Cory's, 2 shrimp, and 1 snail). Well the slighted turn changes the temperature by quite a bit but I was not there and he turned the knob prety far. He left for work at 8am. 12 hours later he noticed the temperature was "84 degrees" and our peppered cory was being sluggish. He changed a gallon of water, turned the heater off and it came down to "78".
> 
> So tonight (36 latest after the initial temp spike) I see that our cory is still sluggish. I also find out that my boyfriend doesn't know how to read a thermometer and the temperature was actually 90 degrees!!! And the lowered was 84!!!! OMG!!!! It is 78 now and all our fish are fine except for this one cory. He is being sluggish at th bottom and it doesn't look like he is eating. He is not moving much at all when he was always scavenging before. Whatccan we do to save this fish!?! He seems to be takin the temp spike hard.. Please I want to save this lil guy we've had him the longest!!!!


I would be more concerned with the rapid changes in temp than the fact it was 90 degrees. I am constantly reminding myself that fish prefer consistency over perfection. Yes 90 is high, but short term, with gradual adjusting is not lethal IME. Rapid changes in temp is more cause for concern IMO. I would just spend a few extra bucks and get a heater that has a shut off/on thermostat function and leave it alone. Also go grab a sticker thermometer for the outside of the glass and paint a white-out line on it for your BF if he is going to be monitoring the temp. Just a suggestion.


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## Sweetstrwbrry (Apr 1, 2013)

That is what I am thinking... It was too drastic. Something like this happened almost a year ago with this same fish (it was like 5 degrees) and he got very lethargic. He recovered though after a few days. Now he is being sluggish, not eating, and I've seen him on his side a few times. His fins are a bit droopy as well. What can I do? Is there a chance he will pull out of it? I don't want to lose him


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## UncleEasy3000 (Nov 5, 2013)

Sweetstrwbrry said:


> That is what I am thinking... It was too drastic. Something like this happened almost a year ago with this same fish (it was like 5 degrees) and he got very lethargic. He recovered though after a few days. Now he is being sluggish, not eating, and I've seen him on his side a few times. His fins are a bit droopy as well. What can I do? Is there a chance he will pull out of it? I don't want to lose him


I'm sure there is someone on here that has better advice to give than I do. 

What I would do in this scenario is what I said to prevent this from happening again in addition to lack of action in this case.. keeps the lights off,maybe even cover the tank with a sheet to limit light and stress, limit anything that would alter the fish's environment further for at least a day or two. Don't over feed him, don't add any unusual amounts of chemical, don't mess with the fish anymore, don't tap the glass and try to revive him etc.. 

like I said I am probably not the best one to advise given that a lot of what I've done over the years has been trail and error and not educationally based. But like I said consistency is most important. Your fish is stressed out and the best way to help him right now is to leave him alone.. I think a lot of us, myself included like to play god with our tanks, the fact is, is that mother nature can do things we cant, and in times like these sometimes the best thing to do is fall back and let nature do its thing, it can often find a way to balance itself without our hand, which usually just adds stress to the fish.


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## UncleEasy3000 (Nov 5, 2013)

How is he doing??


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## Sweetstrwbrry (Apr 1, 2013)

My poor Pepper died  woke up this morning and he was white as a ghost :'( my boyfriend knows to never make this mistake again. He was my favorite Fishie!

So strange how nothing else in the tank was affected (including other Cory's) but he couldn't handle it


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## UncleEasy3000 (Nov 5, 2013)

Sweetstrwbrry said:


> My poor Pepper died  woke up this morning and he was white as a ghost :'( my boyfriend knows to never make this mistake again. He was my favorite Fishie!
> 
> So strange how nothing else in the tank was affected (including other Cory's) but he couldn't handle it


Awe man that is hard, I'm sorry for your loss. :-(


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