Cacatuoides Temp Error

[TankWatcher]

Cacatuoides Tank Heater Left off

I made a bad error on Friday night & forgot to turn the tank heater back on after maintenance. I didn't notice this until Sunday lunchtime & the temp was 51.8F. I must have dropped even lower overnight.

The tank is 20G & was housing a pair of Cac's, 2 endlers & in a breeding net, some platy & guppy fry.

Would this have done permanent damage to my poor fish. I felt so bad.

On Sunday afternoon, I added 2 rainbow fish to the tank (after temp got back up) as this tank also serves as QT for new stock. Before I added the rainbow fish, I thought everyone was ok. But last night, I noticed my female cac hiding in the narrow space between the tank glass & the breeding net. She's not done that before, so I can't work out if she is sick from the temperature dropping so low, or if she is not happy to have the very active rainbows in with her.

Could it be from the drop in temp?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[fishgeek]

fish are polikiothermic and as such much of what goes on in them is dependant to some extent on external water temperatures

dropping the temperature may certainly have lowered the immune system and allowed sub clinical disease to become problematic

if just hiding also check water quality issue's
andrew

 

[TankWatcher]

Thanks Andrew

My water tests are all what the should be and weekly water changes are performed, so I don't think it's that. I moved the rainbows out into the main display tank last night, to see if she becomes happier. But I will have to watch her, as the tank heater was off from Friday night till Sunday lunch & it is winter here & we have no heater or air conditioning in the house.

I hope permanent damage wasn't done to the pair.

Thanks for response.

 

[nightowl1350]

It did get pretty cold, but I've left a heater unplugged in an angel and blue ram fry tank over night, themp dropped over 10 degrees and they were all fine. The streams and lakes in the wild are not a constant temp...that is why a temp drop will often trigger spawning in many fish.

Hope they are fine

 

[fishgeek]

the cooling shouldn't permanently damage them, just slows everyrhng down and if latent infection about might give it a chance to show

fingers crossed

 

[TankWatcher]

Thanks all, I think everythking is now fine. I lost maybe 2 non apisto fry that I had in breeding nets - not straight away, but a few days later. One was quite tiny, but one I'd had since April. :frown: Bit sad about that, but hopefully that is tend of any troubles & maybe it was unrelated anyway.

 

[Mike Wise]

I doubt that you will have any more problems from this tank, but just keep a close eye out for Ich/White Spot on the fins of the fish for the next few days.

 

[TankWatcher]

thanks Mike