# Plz help! Whole tank swimming up top



## nrwisch (Feb 11, 2011)

So i have a 75 gallon with 2x magnum 350's, stealth heater and a uv sterilizer.
I did a water change a few days ago. Maybe 20 gallons. Only a 1/4 of the tank if that. I did a gravel vacumn and added prime. All the fish have been fine and they ate good. Well noticing last night till today, ALL my fish are up top. They seem to be breathing heavy.
I have 2 venestus, a yellow lab, plecostumus, a green terror, convict, jelly bean convict, sunburst peacock, 2 ruby red peacocks, an OB peacock, ahli, auratus, johanni, blood parrot, 2 kenyi and a red zebra. I have never had any problems till now. Any ideas? Tank is about 77 degrees. I have an airdrome.


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

So the fish were fine for a few days after the water change, correct? That would exclude there being some sort of toxin in your tap water.

Test the water for ammonia, nitrite and then regardless of the results to a partial water change of 25-40% using the Prime. Watch to see if the fish seem better directly after the water change. 
Also: check your filter media--make sure there's no build up of waste--if there is rinse the media out in a bucket of tank water. Make sure the filters are working: there should be a good strong flow coming out of the filter return.

Have you or anyone done any kind of cleaning or painting near the tank? There may be some sort of toxin, other than ammonia or nitrite, in your tank water and it would be good to find out what it is. Anyone besides you feed the fish? (perfume, gas and other toxins on our fingers can easily transfer to the fish's food.)

The fact that ALL your fish are at the top breathing heavily means it's unlikely aggression from one of the fish, HOWEVER, you've got quite a mix in there and aggression problems at some point are pretty much a certainty... 

Let me know how it goes after the water change and any additional info will also be helpful

Robin


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## nrwisch (Feb 11, 2011)

Well thank you for your reply. I ended up going to my local fish store and taking one of the dual bio wheel filters off the 125gal cichlid tank. I put it on mine along with my equipment but with only carbon and biowheels from the good tank. No filters. I think i maybe cleaned my grav too well and it was causing spikes. I just added some more beneficial bacteria and all my fish are swimming around again happy and fine.


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

If you just siphoned the gravel really well it wouldn't cause any ammonia spikes. If you actually removed the gravel and washed it with tap water you'd still have the beneficial bacteria in the rest of the tank and it still wouldn't cause a spike. 
If however your gravel is deep, deeper than three inches, and/or your have a lot of decorations sitting on the bottom and you hadn't siphoned the gravel for several weeks or more, then its possible that you had a build up of an-aerobic bacteria that was released and this can outright kill fish. But usually fish react to this right away, not several days later--so that doesn't exactly fit either.

I would continue to keep a very close eye on the fish as it really isn't clear what caused the problem.

Glad they seem to be better now. 

Robin


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## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

I'd be willing to guess it was a nitrite spike and you only noticed it a few days later although it was a direct result of your last water change. I've had this happen a few times after a water change. I now use only water aged for 24 hours (along with Prime) to be on the safe side. I also always keep on hand a few bottles of Dr. Tim's for emergencies.

did you measure your nitrite?


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

hollyfish, 
why do you think the water change caused a nitrite spike?


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