Fingers Crossed

[mapster]

Well, this heat wave that seems to be reaking havoc on a lot of people tanks, may be taking its toll on mine. I have since fixed the problem and stabalized my temp, but I think my PBT is starting to show some effects. He seems to be spending a lot of time in his sleep hole in the rocks. When he does come out he looks fine (no spots), swims well and is eating as much as ever, but seems to be breathing a little heavy. The tank temp was up to about 86.5, which I dont see as too extreem. If I understand correctly, the warmer the water the slower the gas exchange and the harder it is for the fish (especially active fish like a tang) to breath. Do you think this is what is happening? Like as said before, I have since fixed the temp problem and have adjusted the powerhead to cause even more turbulance to the water surface. Hopefully he make a comeback tomorrow.

[DeepSix]

warmer the water, less oxygen it holds. at 86.5', if you have a large fish load and an abundance of coral, your oxygen is being depeted to them all as well, everything is being effected. from my recent reading, the desired temp range is 72' to 76'. my tank is too hot as well. its running at 83'. i hope i can avoid this with my next setup.

[mapster]

Thanks Deep6, I have a fairly low bioload, so thats a plus I guess. I think the most important thing is stability. Whether the temp is 72 or 84, keeping it from fluctuating more than 2 or 3 degrees is the best bet. Hopefully I will be able to do so with the addition of the a/c. My next set-up will definitely have better temperature control as well.

[CAT]

Aside from the oxygen issue, I find my fish are a lot more spooky when the temp hits about 82. Even my Chromis take off in terror when I approach the tank. I had a hippo that was pretty skittish in low temps, so the higher temps might be affecting you tang even more.