Fish Hanging At Top Of The Tank - No Other Symptoms

[Nikii]

Anyone a good fish vet??

Male Zebra Danio hanging around the top of the tank almost all of the time (he generally hangs out at the bottom of the tank whizzing about with the other Danios) so I know something is wrong. Ive tried real hard to see any symptoms but nothing!! not gasping, not bloated etc. I 'think' he may still be eating, certainly dived up for food but cant say if definitely eating or how much (there a quick darting fish).

It looks when he is swimming slower, the back of him wants to rise upwards and his face go down, this is only slight. When he is darting around swimming you cant notice it.

Anyone help? Come across this before with a fish? Advise what it might be wrong with him? What to treat with medication?

Many thanks

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

A healthy Zebra Danio should be in the upper water a lot of the time, I'm not so sure there is anything wrong.

 

[Nikii]

Thanks for your reply.

My Danios have always swam together generally at the bottom whizzing about, and the obvious darting around the tank. Had them all for 2 years now, so never no prob's, healthy, happy fish. So seeming this one Danio is staying on his own, hanging at the top of the tank and now today getting aggresive towards all my other fish (whom they have all lived happly together).

Mmmmm so my gut instinct is telling me something is wrong. I will keep my eye on him, it is really hard when there is no other symptoms but thanks again for your reply.

 

[snazy]

Fish hanging around at the top or isolating themselves in corners means they are not happy and it is not a normal behaviour regardless.
I've had guppies for many years which are normally top layer fish and the only time they were hanging at the top for most of the time was before a sickness break out or some other problem. In my tanks guppies never even slept at the surface although I've come across a lot of comments around saying guppies sleep at the surface. If the tank has enough plants and other decorations then that's where they'll go for a snooze.
So to summerize, if I see fish hanging at the surface I start worrying. If that's more than two days then there is a problem.
But it is hard to say without any signs and a microscope what to do.
So just keep an eye. It may have got stressed from something and then recover eventually. I wouldn't hurry to move it to another tank as this can cause even more stress but just keep an eye on him and the others to make sure they don't start the same behaviour. If no external signs and the fish still looks stressed then whatch if it's eating and pooping normally.
Hopefully it is nothing and he will get out of it.

 

[Mowbz]

Is it gulping at the top at all? And can you provide any water stats?

 

[Nikii]

Fish hanging around at the top or isolating themselves in corners means they are not happy and it is not a normal behaviour regardless.
I've had guppies for many years which are normally top layer fish and the only time they were hanging at the top for most of the time was before a sickness break out or some other problem. In my tanks guppies never even slept at the surface although I've come across a lot of comments around saying guppies sleep at the surface. If the tank has enough plants and other decorations then that's where they'll go for a snooze.
So to summerize, if I see fish hanging at the surface I start worrying. If that's more than two days then there is a problem.
But it is hard to say without any signs and a microscope what to do.
So just keep an eye. It may have got stressed from something and then recover eventually. I wouldn't hurry to move it to another tank as this can cause even more stress but just keep an eye on him and the others to make sure they don't start the same behaviour. If no external signs and the fish still looks stressed then whatch if it's eating and pooping normally.
Hopefully it is nothing and he will get out of it.

Thanks for the info - interesting where your guppies hang out, so my danios are'nt quite strange then where they like to swim .

No change in him tonight, still hanging around the top, swimming, eating as far as i can see, to be honest dont see them poo, must do it discreetly.

Will do as you advise, keep monitoring him. You sort of feel frustrated because you know somethings wrong, but what??? I just want to help him.



MOWBZ - no he is not gasping at the top.

Water stats fine Sunday when changed water - 0 Ammonia 0 Nitrite 20-40 Nitrate (same as my tap water).

Im going to check them again tomorrow.


I will keep in touch, thanks again

 

[snazy]

Here a few pictures to prove my statement that guppies don't sleep at the surface.

This picture is from during the day today when I had nothing better to do:

And another one from during the day:

And this one is from a few minutes ago. The lights have been off for a few hours so I have used the camera flash.

This one is from the other half of the surface of the tank taken seconds apart from the above picture:

As you can see there isn't even one guppy asleep at the surface of the tank