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View Full Version : Temp shock - kicking myself



wardcorp
04-04-2009, 4:32 AM
Hello,

I have been really stupid and in an effort to help one of my Angels I have inadvertently made the problem much worse. This fish is about 2 years old, about 7in top to bottom and until recently was very healthy. Just recently he's been getting hassled by a group of severums and was starting to get slightly ragged fins, was missing a bit of one of his pelvic fins and one of the 'streamers' on is tail fin. Also been breathing a bit heavily.

So, in a moment of decisiveness I thought I would 'sort it out' and move him to another tank (100litre, fully cycled & up and running for three years, well planted and already has a healthy angel in there along with tetras and corys) where he's less likely to get hassled. So I bagged him, floated for about 20 mins and then let him go. He immediately sank down to the bottom, and hid behind a log. Just settling in I though, but this was a few days a go now, and he's still resting on the bottom at a funny angle, sometimes even lying flat. Ive seen him swim around a bit but I think his swim bladder is damaged because as soon as he stops he sinks down the bottom, nose first.

The reason I'm kicking myself is that although water chemistry is the same, the second tank is 3 degrees C colder. He was in 28C (82.5F) and the new tank is 25C (77F). I didn't really give him time to get used to the new temp so I think I've caused temp shock.

Could the change in temperature have caused the swim bladder problems I'm describing?

Is it fatal? Don't want to lose this fish if poss, he is a beauty.

Can anyone help?

pinkertd
04-04-2009, 7:27 AM
I don't know what else is in the tank besides tetras and cories, can you slowly raise the temp up a bit? 77F is a bit cool for tetras and cories as well. I would lean more towards him having an injury or taking a slam from the severums as the reason he's swimming strangely. 20 minutes floating should have brought the bagged water temp down a few degrees so as not to create such a temp shock. See if an angel expert can help you more than I can.

wardcorp
04-04-2009, 2:38 PM
Yep, I'm trying that now. Temp is now 26.5C and going to put it up to 27-28, so we'll see if that helps at all.