Cloudy water with fish swimming to the surface to breathe

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bekershpd

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Apr 22, 2017
Messages
55
I have a 70 gal with Bala sharks, tetras, plecos, panda Cory cats, and snails. We had several tetras die after a routine cleaning and noted growth on the side of one tetra consistent with cotton wool disease and some prominence of the lower jaw of several tetras, thought to be bacterial. We treated with Pimafix and Melafix and the had no other deaths. We stopped treatment 4 days ago. Then overnight the water clouded and now the tetras and sharks are hanging at the surface gasping for air. I did a partial water change and the water is testing perfect for pH, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. After the water change the fish (all but one tetra) went back to their normal places in the tank. I returned 5 hours later and they were back at the top of the tank.

Does anyone have any ideas what could be causing the cloudiness and the fish to gasp for air? Thanks for reading!
 
If you don't have "Prime" water conditioner, it would be a good idea to get a bottle. It will nutralize any ammonia rebound for a day or two. It's possible that the medication damaged your BB population. Probably a good idea to do another small WC. You might be dealing with a mini cycle and it might take a couple of weeks to stablize.
 
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