Fish appear to be rapidly breathing

[Michaelungaro1]

20L
My fish seem to be rapidly breathing even though I have so many plants... the following events are leading up to me finding them rapidly breathing:

1: I come home and try feed my oto cats a large piece of red seaweed.

2: seaweed basically dissolves, creating a huge mess. I take out seaweed.

3: I add some Anubias Frazeri. It was the prepackaged kind from petco.

4: I feed bloodworms to the rest of my fish

5: I sit around for a little bit, maybe 30 to 45 minutes

6: I decide to check on the fish and notice the odd behavior.

PH: 6.8,
Temp: 72 degrees F/ 22 degrees C


(NOTE: all seem to be hanging out by the top, one of my platies has clamped fins)

Fish:
4 Platies
3 oto cats
4 Pristella tetras
2 minnows
1 pleco

 

[myo]

Do you have a source of air in the tank?

 

[goatnad]

Its probably due to lack of oxygen. That is a lot of fish for a 5 gallon tank. I would also suspect water quality issues.

 

[King Fisher]

Add several airstones or an HOB. Test your ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. I would immediately do a 50% water change.

I'd also remove that pleco. No pleco should be in a 5 gallon tank.

 

[Michaelungaro1]

Its probably due to lack of oxygen. That is a lot of fish for a 5 gallon tank. I would also suspect water quality issues.

It’s a 20 gallon long... sorry for the confusion[emoji51]

 

[Michaelungaro1]

Its probably due to lack of oxygen. That is a lot of fish for a 5 gallon tank. I would also suspect water quality

Sorry about he confusion I mean “20L” as 20 long. It’s a 20 gallon.

 

[Michaelungaro1]

Add several airstones or an HOB. Test your ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. I would immediately do a 50% water change.

I'd also remove that pleco. No pleco should be in a 5 gallon tank.

Sorry about the he confusion; it’s a 20 gallon long

 

[goatnad]

ahhh ok. sorry about that. i never can tell when someone is talking liters or long.

 

[King Fisher]

Lol. Ok. Did you get the fish to stop gasping at the surface?

 

[Michaelungaro1]

Lol. Ok. Did you get the fish to stop gasping at the surface?

Yeah the only thing that I’ve noticed wrong is one of my platies with clamped fins
I see white poop which I think means internal parasites... he’s eating and swimming fine.

 

[Michaelungaro1]

lol. Ok. Did you get the fish to stop gasping at the surface?