!!HELP!! gasping fish

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misterpenguin4

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Nov 26, 2012
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Yesterday I did a pretty large water change in my 36 gallon cichlid tank. I took around 15 gallons which was like 60%. I did the changes in home depot buckets and used water conditioner (some brand from walmart) but in the last bucket i didnt have much conditioner left so I just put the last few drops that were left in the bottle thinking it would be fine. So i woke up this morning, turned on the light and the tank was a little foggy and the fish were gasping like crazy and coming up to the top of the tank sucking up air. My first thought was the chlorine so i went over to petsmart and got some seachem prime and added 2 cap fulls. Then i did another 15 gallon water change and added a little extra seachem prime and didnt fill the tank all the way so the filter splashes to get oxygen into the water. All the fish seam to be better except for the yellow lab is in a cave gasping harder than ever (fish are: Moori dolphin, yellow lab, compressiceps, and pictus catfish). Im not sure what else to do. I did water tests:
Ammonia- 0-0.25 ppm
PH- 8.2+ (off the scale)
Nitrate- 0
Nitrite- 0
So I think the chlorine might have made another mini cycle. I have one of the fish in a fry basket because he has become quite a bully and he is losing color, I think because he isnt dominant anymore but the other fish are colorful. Not sure what is going on any advice would be great, thanks!!!
 

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Your params look fine. You make it sound like the others are bullying the lab? This might be why. How long has your tank been set up? Was this the first cleaning? Maybe he got scared from the cleaning and just hasn't completely calmed down yet, then if the other fish are bullying him, hes more stressed?
 
The tank has been set up since August but these fish have only been in the tank for around 2 weeks. This is not the first cleaning. The moori dolphin was bullying all the other fish. Nobody else really bullys.
 
Well if your ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates are still in check, im not sure what to tell you besides a nervous fish. If he is just scared or nervous, it should get better eventually or youll have to keep him separated. There are tank dividers for this.

But I don't have any other ideas besides this. Someone else that might have different information or ideas will chime in eventually im sure.
 
What do you mean by gasping?
When I first read the title I thought either low oxygen levels or ammonia poisoning (or both)
 
Its a little better take a look: oops meant to post video :facepalm:
 

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