Help!!!

[jwsmartin]

The AC in our house went out last Thursday. We weren't able to get someone out until Monday, and they had to order a part so it won't be fixed til tomorrow.

The temp in our house has gotten up to 87 degrees, and I wasn't even thinking about the tank! OMG, it got up to 94 degrees when the light was on. I already feel terrible, but I need help. I have already lost a cleaner shrimp and a bleeny, and possible a coral (it looks terrible). I have two clowns, a clam, two damsels, and a red tip bubble anemone.

I finally just added ice paks to cool it down. It's at 85 degrees as we speak. Should I expect to lose more? Should I take them out of the tank? I don't want to lose the clowns!!!!

HELP!!!!

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

If the tank is closed top, get the tops off. Once you have an open top, get fans and blow across the top of the tank. Even with hot room temps, evaporative cooling will lower the tank temps more than you'd think (assuming your room humidity isn't 100%!).

Be careful with the ice packs - too rapid of a temp decrease can be just as bad as the high temp itself. Many folks runs their tanks at 84 degrees with no ill effects.

At this point, I'd probably just leave everything in the tank. What's done is done, and moving them into a different environment would probably be the straw that broke the camel's back with regard to stress.

 

[jwsmartin]

Top is off, ice paks out, temp is at 83 degrees. Everything looks ok... but I'm really worried about the clowns! They look fine, are eating fine, swimming around in anemone, having fun! Thanks for the advice!

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

If the clowns are acting normal, all is probably normal. Fish are pretty resilient - corals are more finicky. What you might watch for is a delayed reaction with the fish... maybe in a week or two, if there is a disease/parasite in the tank they may fall prey to it. They're no different than us humans really... I always end up with a cold when I'm the most stressed out.

But I think whatever stress has happened, has happened. Try not to worry about it and just do the best you can do!

 

[melosu58]

If the tank is closed top, get the tops off. Once you have an open top, get fans and blow across the top of the tank. Even with hot room temps, evaporative cooling will lower the tank temps more than you'd think