View Full Version : Thermometer Causing Fish Shock.
During my water changes...my thermometer is reading the tap water inaccurately. When I have been filling up the tank...the thermometer then shows variating temps. Usually lower than what it said the tap was once in the tank. Inaccuracies by a degree just isn't an option since most of my fish slowly go in to shock. I have had to pump up my All Glass Aquarium Heater(which is usually set 5 degrees lower than my thermometer reads) and luckily have saved the fish by doing so. I need suggestions or my fish will certainly die. I have a Coralife Digital Thermometer that I keep inside the tank. It's even more of an issue due to almost daily 50% Water Changes to lower my Ammonia Levels. One of my fish is already showing signs of Ich and Cloudy Eyes.
Ghost_knife
10-25-2006, 1:41 AM
I would say its the Var temps that are causing problems. if possible do smaller w/c's during the day instead of a huge influx of Colder/warm water/
echoofformless
10-25-2006, 3:39 AM
If you really want to avoid temp shock you might want to employ my super gradual method - this is where you build or buy something which is far higher than the tank's water surface that will serve as a stand for the bucket.
And instead of just dumping the water or what not, you put the bucket up on the stand, sink a tube in it, start a siphon, and just let it very slowly fill the tank.
I use small airline tubing on smaller tanks, and the larger diamater stuff on the larger ones.
Yes it takes a while - but it completely avoids any number of shock possibilities to the fish. Think of it as the water change equivalent of drip acclimation.
rohnds
10-25-2006, 3:47 AM
I don't mean to hijack this thread.
Can a variation in temperature of 1 degree really put a fish into shock? I am sure that during the course of 24hr period, the tank tremperature varies more than 1 degree that even temperature controllers wouldn't no tbe able to controll.
Just a thinking out loud ....
Rohn
reptileguy2727
10-25-2006, 8:14 AM
its a sudden changes of temp that can be stressful for many of the more senstive fish. why are you changing the water like that for ammonia? is the tank not cycled? if not you shouldnt have fish in there that are that sensitive to temp changes. the electronic digital thermometers from ESU/Coralife are accurate to within one degree, but they may bounce around a bit at first when suddenly put in water of a different temp. in general it is best to go by feel, if you cant really feel a dif in temp than it is close enough for most fish. that how is do all my tanks including the discus.
wataugachicken
10-25-2006, 8:38 AM
get a new thermometer and go slower. or just make the water from the tap a few degrees warmer so that it will match up with the tank water. your fish are in pretty bad condition if just a couple degrees of difference can screw them up. most people just go with the hand in the tank/hand in the tap method of temp matching with no harm to the fish. in some cases water changes with water of a cooler or warmer temp is recommended, so it's not the end of the world.
CaptnDan
10-25-2006, 8:39 AM
It's even more of an issue due to almost daily 50% Water Changes to lower my Ammonia Levels.
If you really meant to say ammonia, the temp change isn't the biggest problem going on there... The tank needs to be cycled before you can fill it with fish, for the fish's sake.
And the tank is seriously overstocked as well.
reptileguy2727
10-25-2006, 9:50 AM
depending on filtration and water changes that tank isnt really overstocked (although it will be when the irridescent shark and pleco outgrow it).
Squawkbert
10-25-2006, 10:15 AM
If your heater is working correctly, moving it up will NOT cause it to heat the water faster (besides, forgetting to move it back down will cook your fish).
Aquarium heaters, much like most house heaters, are either On or Off. They stay On or Off until the thermostat, in response to rising or falling temperatures switches them On or Off.
I don't mean to be condescending here, but I am constantly amazed at the number of people who don't recognize that car engines don't work the same way as HVAC systems do (eg, you are far from alone). [/pet peeve]
Anyway, if your right and left index fingers can tell a difference between your tank & bucket temps either adjust the bucket temp or pour very slowly (or siphon into tank w/ airline tubing).
The issue has been the Ammonia, but it isn't going down. So I have been instructed by the masses to do 50% water changes per day. I'm not sure what is causing the enormous spike that has not gone away. The tank has been cycled and I don't know what is going on.
As far as having some type of platform above the tank...it's a corner tank and I don't have the room to put a pedestal somewhere so I can have the siphon option. But thanks for the suggestion. The tank isn't overstocked the way it is. I agree it will be with the Shark and Pleco as they grow. But as it stands...Ich will probably wipe out half my tank anyway and the Shark is looking like he is in bad shape.
As far as not having fish in there that are succeptable to going in to shock with water changes...that would cover most fish. All but my Angels in my tank within' the period of time I was awake were affected by the water temp and the Angels are the most sensitive fish.
As far as cooking my fish. That is about what I am aiming for considering I now have an Ich outbreak. I am trying to get my temp up there so maybe, just maybe I can save a few fish.
I am noticing my newest Angel and the Shark have Ich and the Shark has cloudy eyes. I don't know what the hell happened to my tank so fast...but it hasn't been good.
reptileguy2727
10-25-2006, 7:32 PM
whether the tank was cycled at one point or not, it is no longer mature and needs to re-cycle. get rid of fish you cant keep permanently. no, the temp is not what is causing the fish to be so bad. if those fish are having the problems described there is something else causing problems (possibly it was thrown off and hasnt balanced itself back yet and definitely wont if the ammonia keeps shooting up and then dropping with water changes). somethign is really messed up in there and obviously keeping it fully stocked with daily water changes isnt fixing it. get everything you can out of there and let the tank rebalance, then slowly restock. in general there are very few fish (and none of yours really should be one of them) that will stress that much from a temp difference of one or two degrees during a water change. have you checked the tap water's parameters? angels nowadays are actually pretty hardy so dont assume they are that sensitive. my work used angels to cycle a 20 gallon with no signs of stress (and according to general recommendations i should have been doing all sorts of watrer changes and what not, which i didnt do and had no problems, although that doesnt mean that is what should be done everytime).
echoofformless
10-26-2006, 3:05 AM
I might suggest that in addition to the instructions given so far regarding this ammonia spike, that you also use something like Ammo-Lock or Amquel+ to help detoxify it a little and ease some irritation on your fish.
You're supposed to wait 10-15 mins before turning your heater back on after a waterchange to give the thermometer a chance to read the correct tank temp.
A sudden change of one degree isn't all that bad... even a couple...
one time I filled up my puffer tank with a python (never using it for a 5gal tank again) and the temp got bumped and it was up by 5 degrees almost instantly and my dwarf neon rainbows didn't show any signs of stress.
i doubt a one degree variance is any big deal.
OHYA:
Don't do 50% waterchanges a day... Sounds like Osmatic Shock and not a temp thing.
Do a daily waterchange of 25% and add a double (no more than double) dose of Prime to fend off the ammonia woes.
wataugachicken
10-26-2006, 12:46 PM
no, they can only go into osmotic shock if you suddenly put in RO water instead of regular tap water, or fresh water into a saltwater tank. 50% changes are not harmful in themselves.
I was adding Ammo-Lock and I was told to stop putting that or anything else by more of the masses on the message boards, other than Prime or something that removes Chloramines. I checked last night and my Ammonia level dropped. It dropped to 2.0ppm, and I know that is still high...but much better than 8.0ppm like it was 2 days ago. My Shark also died. I'm waiting to see what else happens. The Angel still has Ich.