# Frontosa grabbing bubbles.



## Throw_this_away (Feb 8, 2004)

I have a new colony of WC tembwe blues (3.5-5.5inches) and everyone seems to be doing just fine. There is zero ammonia in the tank as far as my tests tell me. Anyway, one of my smaller fish seems to have developed a mild case of float. HE is not at the surface or anything, but just swimming slightly head own, and working a just a little bit to stay on a level. The fish is eating, and looks healthy to me. No bullying at all.

Anyway I was nervous at first as a few fish that I ordered came in slightly soiled bags. I was wondering if this was float, given the fish are new to the tank and likely stressed (I jump-started the tank with a large amount of mature bio-media). Anyway, after stressing a bit myself, and watching the fish, I noted that he would release some bubbles... be swimming fine... and then almost immediately go to the surface and gulp more air... and repeat.

I was reading that some young females just do this for unknown reasons, but I was wondering what others think who have more frontosa experience. Either way I am watching for ammonia like a hawk... but again nil to speak of.

Either way, beautiful fish!


----------



## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

You have a beautiful group with some exceptional specimens. That behavior is, somewhat, normal. Almost always a female trying to tumble air bubbles. She will eventually stop. Nothing harmful, you will just have to tolerate it for a while.


----------



## jgilvey (Jun 12, 2008)

No clue on the bubbles, but that's an incredible tank.


----------



## chopsteeks (Jul 23, 2013)

My 2 year old Fronts love to play with air bubbles all the time.

I had a conversation with a gent that is a respected importer/keeper of Fronts. He mentioned during the conversation that female Fronts will do this to keep the males away  . They will hold the air in their mouth to pretend they are holding. Some of his female Fronts do the same thing.

Anyway, it is quite entertaining to watch the Fronts to play with the air bubbles. Mine will surface, grab some air, dive down to the bottom of the tank then she will chase it together with the other females.


----------



## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

chopsteeks said:


> My 2 year old Fronts love to play with air bubbles all the time.
> 
> I had a conversation with a gent that is a respected importer/keeper of Fronts. He mentioned during the conversation that female Fronts will do this to keep the males away  . They will hold the air in their mouth to pretend they are holding. Some of his female Fronts do the same thing.
> 
> Anyway, it is quite entertaining to watch the Fronts to play with the air bubbles. Mine will surface, grab some air, dive down to the bottom of the tank then she will chase it together with the other females.


Never heard that theory before and I am not sure I buy it (imo). A theory I hold to is: stressed females, after loosing a brood of eggs, will tumble air bubbles (or sand) due to a strong maternal desire to tumble something.

None knows for sure.

Russ


----------



## Mr Mbuna (Nov 16, 2007)

I have only ever experienced it with fry of about 1.5" which would seem to go against the idea of keeping away males or being stressed after losing eggs. Mine just seemed to be doing it for fun. (Great tank/Fronts by the way!)


----------



## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

Mr Mbuna said:


> I have only ever experienced it with fry of about 1.5" which would seem to go against the idea of keeping away males or being stressed after losing eggs. Mine just seemed to be doing it for fun. (Great tank/Fronts by the way!)


Interesting. I've had a lot of frontosa fry go through the fish room over the years and never noticed one gulp bubbles? Perhaps there is more than one reason 

Mine were always females that had recently lost a batch of eggs or were recently stripped.

Great thing about forums like this, knowledge grows  Would have never thought fry would do it.

Cheers,
Russ


----------



## Mr Mbuna (Nov 16, 2007)

I have bred many front fry but this was the only batch in which fry held bubbles and even then it was only one or two of them. Never had it happen before or since so a bit of a mystery.


----------



## Throw_this_away (Feb 8, 2004)

I suppose a few months have passed and figured I would update everyone. About a month into ownership, 2 were still doing the bubble thing (one more than the other), but everyone settled and nothing like that to speak of for quite some time now.

Great fish, and I am very happy. I buy into the stress theory.


----------



## anthraxx4200 (Aug 16, 2012)

id say stress for sure too, forgive my ignorance (if im wrong) but dont fronts live really deep within the lake? maybe their just trying to balance out some sort of pressure system within themselves. transfering them from different elevations could cause this (or stress as suggested) just an idea.


----------



## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

anthraxx4200 said:


> id say stress for sure too, forgive my ignorance (if im wrong) but dont fronts live really deep within the lake? maybe their just trying to balance out some sort of pressure system within themselves. transfering them from different elevations could cause this (or stress as suggested) just an idea.


Yes, some deeper than others like Kapampa.

20 years raising fronts: my opinion, from my experiences, it seems to be females that recently swallowed eggs for whatever reason substituting tumbling air bubbles for the eggs they swallowed. Why? That's conjecture


----------

