help! ammonia spike...

[Liam]

Well i would try to bring the temp down as a first step,fill some bags with ice and float the in the tank.Make sure the bags are watertight though to prevent alteration of your salinity.Kill your lights also,this will help drop the temp and set a fan up to blow across the surface of your water.
HTH,Liam.

 

[NateHanson]

Could be oxygen deprivation. The oxygen content of water is very low at high temperatures, so the fish can suffocate. I'd get the water back down to 80 with bags of ice cubes, and run an air pump in the tank if you have one.

Nate

 

[MarkO]

Could be oxygen deprivation. The oxygen content of water is very low at high temperatures, so the fish can suffocate. I'd get the water back down to 80 with bags of ice cubes, and run an air pump in the tank if you have one.

Nate

I second that.
Disolved oxygen does not like to hang around in warm tanks. At 85?, your fish and corals are probably beginning to suffocate like NAte says. Increased aggitation, a foamy protein skimmer, etc, may help in the short term, but definitely try to get your tank cooler.
Also, pick up a thermometer that can record up to 100 or so. Nowadays you can find a digital w/ probe for about $10. You also might want to get one that records the daily high temp.