Betta going through thermal shock

Question
Ron, We had drastic weather change today which effected the temperature in my room and caused the water in my betta's bowl to drop to 60 degrees. I was so worried about him because he was lethargic and wouldn't eat, but I wasn't sure how to fix it. I bought heater, changed his water then added him back to the bowl(keeping the temperature the same during the switch). I'm not sure if the heater worked too fast because after the temperature started to rise he seemed to freak out and floated to the top on his side. Is there anything I can do for him to help him out of shock? Also his long fins went down in size. Does that mean something else? Blerg... Thank you for any advice!

Answer
Hi Erin,
  Rapid temperature changes can be quite challenging on fishes, particularly fishes like bettas. At this point, I don't think you should do anything more. It is up to him and the less you fiddle with him at this point the better.  For future reference, if a fish gets cold, you need to warm it up VERY slowly, as in over a day or more. In many ways, it is the change in temperature which is more harmful than the absolute temperature value.
 Let's hope he is a strong little fighter.  He may have some fin damage, but that generally grows back rather quickly.   

-- Ron C.
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
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