# fish gulping and splashing at the surface of the tank



## Hayley (Mar 4, 2008)

does anyone know why a few of my fish are spending alot of time at the surface of the tank and splashing and breaking the water? Is this normal behaviour?


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

No its not normal behavior.

First thing you want to do is test the water but if you can't do that instantly then I would just go ahead and do a partial water change of about 30%. Make sure you use a good quality declorinator. Then observe whether there's any change in the fish's behavior. Your tank may be experiencing an ammonia or nitrite spike and that is why the fish are at the top. If they seem to improve for a few hours after the water change then you'll know its the water. 
Check your filter(s) also to make sure there's a good strong flow coming out of the return. Look at the media to see if there's a build up of waste and if there is rinse the media off in a bucket of tank water.

You should also have a close look at the fish's skin. Shine a light at them from different angles and see if there's any kind of film or coating. Fish who are suffering with external parasites will sometimes go to the top and try to get in some kind of current in order to wash the parasites off.

Another reason for fish to go to the top is if they are being harrassed by another fish although usually they don't move around alot if this is the case.

Is this a newly set up tank? Are any of the fish new to the tank? How large of a tank, how many fish and what species of fish?

Robin


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## tankCrazy (Aug 9, 2008)

It could also be as simple as the tank's temp, if it is to high this will lower the oxygen level in the water. Also are you useing an airstone or any kind of aeration in the tank?

:fish:


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## Hayley (Mar 4, 2008)

hi, thanks for the reply, i did some water tests and they seemed to be fine. (amonia, nitrate and ph). I think i do have a intermitant parasite problem, that tends to flare up after i do a gravel clean, and this causes them to scratch up against object but thats at the bottom of the tank. however it seems to settle down shortly after.

Having read your reply i think it might be due to overcrowding. I have a 3ft tank with 11 Mbunas that i set up about 18 months ago. they are growing quite rapidly.
It may also have been the water change i did as they seemed to settle down a few hours later. 
I have good aeration and the temp is running at about 23deg Celsius. (73.4 F).


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

> It may also have been the water change i did as they seemed to settle down a few hours later.


You may have chlorine or chloramines in your tap water if the fish are having symptoms directly after water changes that then seem to go away. Or there may be something else in the water that is irritating them.

Also: if you don't do water changes for a few weeks or longer then when you *do* do the water change the new water's parameters may be significantly different then the tank water and this will stress and possibly iritate the fish. 
One possible scenario: PH in the tank will drop over time, so if you haven't done a water change in awhile any new water that you add will have a higher ph. Not only is this sudden change in PH stressful for your fish but if there is any ammonia in the tank then the ammonia will become much more toxic at the higher PH.

What are you using for a declorinator?

Robin


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## Hayley (Mar 4, 2008)

I use a de chlorinator product called 'PRIME" manufactured by Seachem. I put a few drops in before i transfer it into the tank.


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

Not sure exactly what you mean by a 'few drops' but if you're not using enough of the declorinator when you do water changes then your fish may still be stressing from any chlorine or chloramines.

Primes suggests that you dose for the entire volume of the tank, not just for the water you're replacing. Also if your tap water has an especially high level of chlorine/chloramines then you may need to go with a higher dosage of Prime.

From what you describe it sounds like your fish show symptoms right after a water change so I would investigate further concerning everything about the water changes to try and determine what's going on. Test the water just before and just after. Make sure none of your water changing equipment is being used for other uses, (washing the floor, for instance). Are you adding anything to the water besides the Prime? (And that's a great declorinator, btw  )

Robin

73 degrees is low for these fish. . .


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