Corydoras Gulping Air A Lot

[Katty]

I know they like to swallow air sometimes, but one of my remaining 2 albino corydoras keep swallowing air gulp after gulp and maybe move only halfway down the tank before going back up for air. These two I've had for at least 2 years now, and recently one of their buddies "wasted away" and died for no apparent reason. The other albino corydora doesn't do the air thing as much as the first one, it acts normal some of the time. There is another, younger (less than a year old) bronze corydora in the tank that does none of this stuff at all. The rest of the fish in the tank (neons, otos, cichlid) are acting normal so I don't think it's a water quality thing.

Here's a video of them doing the thing: Link

I just did a water change in the video so the water is a little murky, but it does this all the time even if I'm not changing the water. It's been going on for a while. Have you seen anything like this before? What might it be?

 

[Harlequins]

What are your readings for ammonia & nitrite? ,unless tested you can't really rule out whether its water quality...
What type of filter do you have?
Its possible it could be lack of oxygen?? i can't see much surface movement in your tank...

I have corys and they do dash up for a gulp,but certainly dont hang around gulping.

 

[fishy55599]

1 do have one that does this same thing, not sure what it is.

 

[Katty]

I just checked, ammonia and nitrite are zero. The filter is a hang on back Hagen Aquaclear with half a plastic bottle half taped in front. There is some current but I have it deflected to the sides with the plastic bottle. Otherwise there's a waterfall in the center of the tank and everyone tries to swim across the middle and gets knocked around... I did turn the filter off while I was cleaning the tank and this cory was doing the thing a LOT more than usual during cleaning, it would sit in one spot and just gulp air and you could see bubbles on the surface all around where it was breathing. No one else was having problems though... Maybe this specific one has a problem getting enough oxygen? Idk. Both the albinos still have bad fin damage from a betta who was in there a long time ago, if that has anything to do with it?

The cories all seem to not be doing it today, at least for now, they're all hanging out around the bottom.

1 do have one that does this same thing, not sure what it is.

Haha, well at least it's not just me

 

[lilfishie]

mine tend to go up more when there eating although its only my Bronze that do it

theres Sterbai and Agassizi in the same tank, Trili and Pygmy in another and they don't do it

 

[KittyKat]

The air gulping is very normal for Corys, that is how they survive in low-oxygen waters in the wild: they are able to swallow air through their mouths and absorb it through the lining in their intestine.

In short: they are breathing.

 

[Katty]

The air gulping is very normal for Corys, that is how they survive in low-oxygen waters in the wild: they are able to swallow air through their mouths and absorb it through the lining in their intestine.

In short: they are breathing.

I know that, but this is way more frequent than they have ever done before. Not a jump up for a gulp of air, but constantly swimming around the top for several minutes while gulping.

 

[Tizer]

50% water change then make sure your pump outlet it rippling the water more, not much else you can do? What temperature is the tank set to?

 

[Katty]

78F. Yeah there really isn't much to do about it I suppose, its just disturbing.

 

[Zachary Kneeland]

Just bought 2 Julii's, and within a few minutes of being released, the started eating. Followed by swimming up grabbing air and darting down. I think it has something to do with eating and digestion. Not sure wether it's a bad thing or natural. I don't mind them doing that if it's healthy.