Something may or may not have gone wrong with this tank and I have no idea what’s going on with it - help

Okay, so, one of my newer tanks was cycled and I added a handful of fish while waiting for the primary inhabitant. It seemed okay, then today I was noticing some serious bubbles on the edges and the bubbler was making MASSIVE bubble build up on the top of the tank.
Then I noticed one of the loaches was laying on its side gasping (others appear fine), and one of the cories also “breathing” quickly (with its mouth).

It’s a ten gallon, the fish inside were just in there temporarily. The rabbit snails that were in there too are also being sluggish, one is very slow to respond.

It’s got a aqua-tech 5-15 (Not the usual brand of filter I get) and a heater and bubbler.

Parameters are:
GH: 180
KH: 120
pH: 7.5
(These are just what comes with my tap water, I don’t fiddle with them)
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 0
I can’t test ammonia because I ran out of the stuff, but last I checked it was also zero. I did do my weekly 20% water change yesterday.

Tank also contains:
2 pieces of driftwood, some rocks, hornwort, Anubias, Amazon frogbit, and some kinda grass like stuff I forget the name of.

It is also my first tank with dirt (capped with sand)

Basically, why is there foam? Why are those two fish gasping and why are the snails acting weird? How can I help?

 

I don't know what's wrong, but I don't think you could go wrong with a 50% water change and see if that helps.

 

If you look up at the top from the side of the tank do you see some film? Sounds like a protein issue to me with the massive foaming. A normal waterchange from the bottom of the tank won't usually immediately relieve this issue.

To get the foam causing film off, the most effective way I have found that most people have access to is to shut down your air pump and filter for about 10 minutes, then take the largest bowl you can fit in the tank and while holding it level slowly sink it into the water. Eventually the surface water/film will start pouring into the bowl. Right before the bowl is full, take it out and dump it. Then repeat. Don't let the bowl completely fill or submerge because it will mix all the stuff back into the water. Do this as many times as necessary to completely clear the film. Now, drain another inch of water, and wipe all the exposed glass, decorations, filter with some paper towels. Refill the tank and turn everything back on.

After you get the film off its worth looking into what caused it. It could be from fish waste breaking down, too much food, plants melting and breaking down, dead fish etc. If it's from a large melt off with plants, and you keep plants that melt often, this will continue to happen without a snail army helping out, or you trimming the melts by hand and removing them. Also double check your filtration, it's not always the case, but sometimes ammonia spikes can lurk behind foamy water. I've never had that happen (verified through personal testing to find my causes) but read about it in a few places. Some that read your thread may believe the 0 nitrates indicates an issue with your cycle, without that ammonia test kit to prove otherwise it very well may be. In defense of that, I do keep plants in my cycled tanks and constantly get triple 0, but I would still definitely test all the parameters including ammonia to diagnose a problem like this.

Good luck with your foam, it's not a big deal typically as long as you can put the time in to find the cause.

 

Not enough oxygen because of the film/foam

 

The loach died (also forgot to specify KuhlI loach)

I don't know what's wrong, but I don't think you could go wrong with a 50% water change and see if that helps.

I did, well see how it goes.

If you look up at the top from the side of the tank do you see some film? Sounds like a protein issue to me with the massive foaming. A normal waterchange from the bottom of the tank won't usually immediately relieve this issue.

To get the foam causing film off, the most effective way I have found that most people have access to is to shut down your air pump and filter for about 10 minutes, then take the largest bowl you can fit in the tank and while holding it level slowly sink it into the water. Eventually the surface water/film will start pouring into the bowl. Right before the bowl is full, take it out and dump it. Then repeat. Don't let the bowl completely fill or submerge because it will mix all the stuff back into the water. Do this as many times as necessary to completely clear the film. Now, drain another inch of water, and wipe all the exposed glass, decorations, filter with some paper towels. Refill the tank and turn everything back on.

After you get the film off its worth looking into what caused it. It could be from fish waste breaking down, too much food, plants melting and breaking down, dead fish etc. If it's from a large melt off with plants, and you keep plants that melt often, this will continue to happen without a snail army helping out, or you trimming the melts by hand and removing them. Also double check your filtration, it's not always the case, but sometimes ammonia spikes can lurk behind foamy water. I've never had that happen (verified through personal testing to find my causes) but read about it in a few places. Some that read your thread may believe the 0 nitrates indicates an issue with your cycle, without that ammonia test kit to prove otherwise it very well may be. In defense of that, I do keep plants in my cycled tanks and constantly get triple 0, but I would still definitely test all the parameters including ammonia to diagnose a problem like this.

Good luck with your foam, it's not a big deal typically as long as you can put the time in to find the cause.

Perhaps using the word “foam” was misleading. It’s more bubbles than foam



I already disturbed it doing the water change but this is kinda what it looks like, but before there was more. It’s definitely bubbles, but they stick around and don’t pop. And there is no film, the top of the water is clear, it’s just that there’s these bubbles

Not enough oxygen because of the film/foam

Shouldn’t the bubbler help with that? Also as I mentioned there’s no film and just the two fish are/were struggling

 

The loach died (also forgot to specify KuhlI loach)


I did, well see how it goes.


Perhaps using the word “foam” was misleading. It’s more bubbles than foam

View attachment 646838
I already disturbed it doing the water change but this is kinda what it looks like, but before there was more. It’s definitely bubbles, but they stick around and don’t pop. And there is no film, the top of the water is clear, it’s just that there’s these bubbles


Shouldn’t the bubbler help with that? Also as I mentioned there’s no film and just the two fish are/were struggling

The bubbles make the water surface move so it can absorb oxygen.