The Puffer Forum

Water specs:
pH ~7.8
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Temp 80F and slowly falling
Salinity ~1.020

Specs:
40g
GSP (4.5in)
Archer (2.5in)

Fed:
Blood worms, brine shrimp, crawfish (rarely), snails, raw shrimp, mussels, crab

Temperature read 98F when I came home last night.

Aquarium has been up for about a year, fully cycled, very clean. Had GSP for ~2.5 years, no problems.

I'm in desperate need of help. I live in Chicago and the temperature peeked here at 102-105F the past two days, when I left for work (out of town) it was raining so I had most of my windows shut (I do not have central air, only window AC units.) I come home last night (apartment was HOT) to find Kirby (my GSP) gasping for air and being pushed around by the current, I read the temp and it was ~98F. His tank mate (Archer) was fine but Kirby was bloated, quite black and has trouble breathing. I quickly ran and did a 1/5 tank water change with some cooler water to help bring down the temp in the tank. I didn't want to bring it down too fast so I did it very carefully for two hours till it was down to ~89F. He lived through the night.

As of right now, he's a bit more active (but sits at the bottom most of the time,) still black and still has trouble breathing.Temp is ~80F. His belly is still bloated, more so his back end. His anus seems to be dilated. After I put some blood worms in there to see if he could eat today, he saw the food and started gasping very hard and violently turning as if he wanted to eat but couldn't because of the damage that occurred during the high heat (just an assumption.) While gasping his belly (back end) wouldn't contract in but his front seemed to be fine.

I also had my F8 (grew up with Kirb) separated in another tank (I just recently purchased just for him) and he ended up perishing because of the heat. He was bloated as well.

Needless to say, I'm really sad and upset and myself. I mean really f*@$ing upset. I've slept on the couch next to the tank to make sure Kirb was OK. I've had him for ~2.5 years and planned on keeping him for another 12, at least. Any advice? Anything I can do? Did I permanently damage him? I'm about to bring him to a vet to see if there is anything I can do, money is not object in this scenario.

I already lost one companion, I'll be damned if I lose two. Worst part is, I feel like a failed owner. Kirb and Toast (F8) depended on me and I f@#*ed up.

There's no window AC unit in his room?

There is, but it obviously wasn't on and I didn't check the local forecast for 100F + temperatures. Usually the tank sits at 78-82 with the windows open (as I'm on the top floor and it doesn't get that hot up here because of the lake breeze, but with all the windows closed it did.)

Lesson learned, I hope.

The hell kind of hospital forum is this? Look at this way:

You (the patient) come to me (the doctor) with a severe 3rd degree burn and all I say is, "Why did you not turn off the oven?"

Great advice! The great advice being absolutely no help in the situation. I know what I did wrong - any idiot would and I admit I'm a huge idiot in the case.

This is exactly the kind of thing I was hoping I wasn't going to get on here and things I saw on here when I was a regular. I've been a big fan of this site and saw some critical comment to people who sometimes didn't deserve it (there are a lot who did). Rename this part of the forum 'submission to ridicule.'

I'm taking him to the LFS then the vet. I learned my lesson in both instances, but you can go sit on it because I had no malicious intention to do this to my friends.

I wouldn't be so upset if you gave me ANY sort of helpful advice. Maybe like 'he might get better just keep XXX' or 'he's in pain, euthanize him.' ANYTHING but what you just said.

Don't ever become a doctor.

Quit moving him around, you're stressing him out. Nothing your LFS or vet can do for your fish. I live in Chgo too & I am very well aware we have been in a scortching heat wave for over a week, with temps over 100 for 4-5 days straight. Why in the world would you turn off the air conditioning AT ALL in the room with your fish in it???

I am sorry your fish is ill. Do your best to get the temp back down to 80. Try adding ice in the tank. There's not a whole lot you can do for him but wait.

No matter how bad or guilty you may feel taking him to the LFS or vet will be of no help. Time and peace is what is needed for the fish to hopefully heal and be healthy again. I would turn the light in the tank off and avoid any movement around the outside of the tank for a while. Some extra aeration surely wouldn't hurt because the heat probably depleted a lot of oxygen in the water and may take some time to replenish...This may definitely explain the heavy breathing.

Good luck.

I have one of those little cheap clip on fans that I point across the surface of the water (just enough to make it ripple). On smaller tanks I don't clip it directly to the tank but use a end book stand. For the larger tanks I don't worry about it too much but one of those upright fans with the extendable head are pretty handy.

Don't forget to keep the tank lights off (major heat source) and of possible remove the hood.

Other methods:
Frozen bottles of water
computer fans installed in the hood
more water changes with cooler water
use a custom built chiller

Those are just some simple ideas that are guaranteed to work.

I was gonna suggest the fan but most of us keep closed lids.

Keep some frozen water bottles on hand for severe heat waves, you can float them in the tank to help keep it cool. What was said about extra aeration could also help, good luck hope he makes it.

We are Mid-Atlantic, but have been under the same heat wave plus having a multi-day power outage from the associated storms. A small generator kept all the tanks water moving and well oxygenated. Fish problems = zero.

I agree with keeping the fish undisturbed for recovery. A hard lesson, but patience and care are what is needed now. Pr-planning for power interruption is unfortunately a necessity in technologic societies - figure out what will work for you in future situations which are likely to occur.