Tiger Barbs Dying

[This Old Spouse]

My Internet is down so pardon typos. In the span of about 30 minutes 3 of my tigers started to shimmy wildly and the next thing I know they're floating on the surface. Did a 50% w/c with no effect. Set up the Q tank ASAP and they're in there now. Two are really bloated and the third looks fine but with same behavior. Fed shelled peas and now waiting. Nothing odd in the air or water so I'm stumped. Help?

 

[TallTree01]

Are water readings are all good? What's the tank size? how old are they?

 

[This Old Spouse]

Wow. I didn't check the readings right away because of the panic. The ammonia is high at 1.2. 0 Nitrites. Still waiting for Nitrate readings but looks like 0.
 
Really?
 
What the heck? Where is all this ammonia coming from???
 
Tank is a 39g set up for a couple of years, and most of the fish are that old with a few being a few months younger.

 

[TallTree01]

I think we've found your problem. Ammonia. Get rid of it.

 

[Joshwainwright]

Wow, that really does sound like a freak occurrence! There will be some strange cause though.
 
Think back to the things you have done/dosed - has anything been different?
 
I hope the spike doesn't last for long and things can get back to normal asap for you! Hopefully you won't end up having to do a painful number of water changes too...

 

[Tuxyu3]

Have you checked for any dead fish or other rotting matter?

 

[This Old Spouse]

Just did a 70% water change ... again. I had just scrubbed down the tank about 20 days ago. Nothing new there. I did take out the anubia and java fern that has BBA and dosed that with peroxide. No dead anything in there. There aren't enough fish to lose track of any. Did a regular water change of about 50% Tuesday. Then another 50% earlier today after I again scrubbed down the plants but with no peroxide this time. That's when I noticed the barbs floating or struggling.
 
Now I see another bloated barb who's struggling, and the smallest one I have seems like it has a sunken chin? WTF is going on??
 
I didn't do anything to the filter or media in any of the above-mentioned cleanings.

 

[Joshwainwright]

I'm baffled! 

 

[This Old Spouse]

Me too. 

 
Just tested again. Ammonia hasn't changed and is still at 1.2. pH is 7.0 as always. 
 
I'm not going to feed tonight which will make the rest of them very unhappy. Can't get my head wrapped around 4 barbs who are bloated and shimmying, floating upside down at the top of the tank and then cruising around for a bit, and the one who's the opposite of bloated and not showing any other symptoms.
 
I'd also like to know why my ammonia levels are high, but didn't go down at all with a big water change. 
 
One 39g tank for sale. Complete with tiger barbs. Ugh.

 

[This Old Spouse]

I'm going to add some salt to the Q tank to see if it will help at all. Good idea or not?

 

[TallTree01]

Lol. I keep waterchanging and not feeding until all ammonia is eliminated.

Good idea

 

[Tuxyu3]

Have you checked for ammonia in water straight from the tap?

 

[This Old Spouse]

0.

 

[This Old Spouse]

Well, of course. Now the filter on the Q tank just quit. Thankfully I found another one in storage, but it's a Whisper 20 so a little too much, but at least it's something.

 

[mark4785]

What substrate are you using? Did you disturb any of it? This is a good cause of an ammonia spike, whether detectable using a testing kit or not.
 
Have you switched to a different food, fed the fish more frequently or changed your water change frequency?