Fish heat stroke!!!

[adamsfishes]

Sorry about your loss.

What is your typical temp? I keep my CA tank at 75.

If it was 85 after cooling down, it could have been at least 90. If the high temperature is the only variable that changed, then it's reasonable to conclude that the temperature was a factor. There could be other factors at work that weakened the fish, but the temperature appears to have been the tipping point. I generally don't believe in coincidences.

 

[Yuki Rihwa]

SA cichlid would be fine at temp 85F.
Even my saltwater fish here in summer time temp would reach 86F mid day and none my fishes die and most of the time saltwater species very sensitive to high temperature.

 

[MRE]

It's hard to say. A South American fish should be able to tolerate warm temps but it's always possible that the drastic change in temperature was a shock to his system enough for some dormant parasite to take over.

 

[CarpCharacin]

Yes, the fish probably would have been fine with a much warmer temp if it had changed slowly, but a fast and dramatic change is temp shocked the fish.

 

[ShanerBock888]

exactly. As with most water parameters, fish can adjust and survive as long as there's consistency. Drastic swings in any parameter can be lethal, and this was a pretty drastic swing

 

[DN328]

If I was in your situation and not certain, I'd do a basic water parameters check to rule that out. Not knowing your fish aside, my tank hits 91F - but I think they are capable to survive.

 

[duanes]

At higher temps, oxygen depletion can be a problem, and if direct sunlight was hitting the tank during the afternoon, and /or if water quality had also degraded due to lack of water changes, heat combined with those other factors is a possibility.
I would imagine in Austin there would be no need to have the heaters plugged in May thru Oct, most Central American cichlids will do fine in the mid 70sF. Temps above 82'F tend to be breeding grounds for bacteria.

 

[adamsfishes]

It's hard to say. A South American fish should be able to tolerate warm temps but it's always possible that the drastic change in temperature was a shock to his system enough for some dormant parasite to take over.

FYI he did say it was Central American, not South.

 

[The Dave]

I agree with the person above. It's the temp. Swing not the high temp. But it may not be heat at all, heat can affect p.h. too.
Did you and your lady fight recently, does she hate your fish.

 

[weston]

From what I've read American cichlids should be okay in temperatures like that. I keep the temperature at 79-82 in all of my tanks and have had no problems. You should adjust the heaters they max at around 80 degrees.
All I've got is a video of when I first brought him home, I've had this guy for probably 5-6 months now and it's been doing great he would eat every day and it seemed healthy he even had some of his supper torn up fins regenerate that I wasn't sure would heal

Any pics of the fish? How big was it? How long did you have it? Was it eating?