Fish Breathing for air?

[HollieDahhrlinn]

Hey,
I was wondering;
People say fish dont come up for air??
My fish come up for air at the top if the tank like every now and again,
Is this normal? Some internet pages say it isnt :S

 

[mfdrookie516]

it depends on the fish. some fish actually do breathe air and i think that paradise fish of yours does.. others dont... if theyre all breathing for air, you may have some issues in your tank that need addressed

 

[cabezon]

it depends. Gourami do come up for air, as do bettas as they are labyrinth fish. if other fish are hanging around at the surface, it may mean that you do not have enough surface movement. Could you describe the tank and the fish you are asking about, and give water parameters as ammonia and chlorine can cause this as well (and kill the fish)

 

[i3k]

if you're talking about your platys, they're not actually breathing air...i know some of my platys like to swim at the top right below the surface and once in a while they will release a bubble or two. Now if the fish actually sits at the surface for a while with it's head pointing up to the surface, then it's gasping for air.

 

[HollieDahhrlinn]

Hello,
Thanks for the replies and gosh how fast they came!!
It is in fact my DG who does this -not all the time just pops up every now and again and swims around for a while.
My Danio's dont and sorry but i3K my platy's are 'long gone' 2 had to be sent to the pond in the sky due to a problem that occured at the LFS that was beyond my control and 1 died after giving birth,

Thanks Anyway.
My tank is okay - only the DG is popping up for air - i wasnt concerned just i was reading up after reading something on AA, just thought i would ask.
Thanks Again

 

[Blueiz]

That is normal for the DG

 

[daijoubu]

My DGs both do and the little dwarf corys shoot to the surface and back every once in a while.

 

[HollieDahhrlinn]

dajioubo - dwarf cory cats? or corys?
I was thinking of getting some cory cats for my tank, white ones.
Any tips?

 

[dkpate]

Normal. Like said before, DG's are also labrynth breathers so they will come to the surface like bettas.
Although, I have noticed my blue DG in the smaller tank with less bubbles (the other one is in with the BGK who loves to have a bubbly tank so there are 4 bubble makers in that tank) comes up more often than my red one.

 

[daijoubu]

dajioubo - dwarf cory cats? or corys?
I was thinking of getting some cory cats for my tank, white ones.
Any tips?

Sorry, Pygmy Cory Cats. Really cute little guys. They seem really happy so far in my tank, as long as I can sneak food past the Gouramis!

I'm still learning how to care for them all, so no real tips from me...

 

[HollieDahhrlinn]

Sorry, Pygmy Cory Cats. Really cute little guys. They seem really happy so far in my tank, as long as I can sneak food past the Gouramis!

I'm still learning how to care for them all, so no real tips from me...

Thanks for the reply.
Can you get pygmy cory cats in white like albino ones?
Or are they just that like brownish/black colour??

I've heard that the cory cats are around 3 inches which isnt that big but you couldnt really fit more than 2 in a 5gallon.

 

[daijoubu]

My Pygmy cory cats are silver with a black stripe like these:
Pygmy Cory - Microcosm Aquarium Explorer

These guys don't get more than 1.5".

 

[HollieDahhrlinn]

My Pygmy cory cats are silver with a black stripe like these:
Pygmy Cory - Microcosm Aquarium Explorer

These guys don't get more than 1.5".

It says no smaller than a 10gallon - my tank is only 5gallon ?
Would they be alright to do think ?

 

[dkpate]

Skunk catfish, Corydoras arcuatus Profile, with care, maintenance requirements and breeding information for your tropical fish

I love these little guys too! They only get about 2 inches.

http://www.tropicalfishandaquariums.com/Catfish/Corydoras.asp

 

[HollieDahhrlinn]

Skunk catfish, Corydoras arcuatus Profile, with care, maintenance requirements and breeding information for your tropical fish

I love these little guys too! They only get about 2 inches.

Corydoras Catfish aquarium tropical fish pictures from Tropical Fish and Aquariums

Hey,
These arent pygmy's - so would normal cory's do okay in a 5gallon?
Maybe 2?

 

[HollieDahhrlinn]

In my 5gallon i have as you know 2 danios and 1 paradise.
Could i add do you think;
Maybe 2 cory cats normal albino ones,
and maybe 1 or 2 glass shrimp?
Or is this too much?

 

[daijoubu]

In my 5gallon i have as you know 2 danios and 1 paradise.
Could i add do you think;
Maybe 2 cory cats normal albino ones,
and maybe 1 or 2 glass shrimp?
Or is this too much?

I'm not sure how small a tank you could comfortably house cory cats in. Shrimp on the other hand are easier. Just keep it covered because if they're not happy, they'll make a run for it. With some cover the glass shrimp would be happy. Red cherry shrimp or Amano shrimp would be happy too.

 

[Blueiz]

No, it wouldnt be a good idea to add anything else to your tank.

 

[quaqa88]

Just as the comments above say, there are some fish that do naturally go to the surface for air such as Cories, Bettas, Gouramis, and some goldfish. So you should do some research as to whether or not you have a fish that naturally does this. But if your fish is not known to do this, then it could be a serious suffocation problem that should be solved right away. The water in your aquarium needs to have enough dissolved oxygen in it for your fish to live, or else your fish will begin to suffocate, and it will go to the surface in an attempt to breath. Fortunately this can easily be solved with an air pump and air stone, or with a water pump at the surface of the tank. These will promote water agitation, especially at the surface, at will dissolve oxygen into the water.

 

[Lynae]

Is your tank in a circular shape hollie?