Guppies At Top Of Tank

[mick1408]

I purchased 6 Guppies yesterday, 3 male and 3 female, i have noticed that swim to just under the water surface is this normal?

Mick

 

[guppylover1]

yep my tend to do that too and usually only go down to search for food.

 

[modaz]

guppies are known to be top dwellers but its not the grounded rule, by rights they should be all over the tank, bottom,middle and top do they go to the bootm to search for food?

 

[mick1408]

guppies are known to be top dwellers but its not the grounded rule, by rights they should be all over the tank, bottom,middle and top do they go to the bootm to search for food?

Yes they do go down. They seem to be looking for food on the surface, one in particular seems to be focusing on the small air bubbles from the filter like it is food.

 

[modaz]

ok so where is your filter outlet is it right on the surface of the water?
and do you have any airation bubbles in your tank?

 

[mick1408]

ok so where is your filter outlet is it right on the surface of the water?
and do you have any airation bubbles in your tank?

The filter outlet is about 1cm below the surface and yes there are airation bubbles in the tank.

Mick

 

[modaz]

ok so where is your filter outlet is it right on the surface of the water?
and do you have any airation bubbles in your tank?

The filter outlet is about 1cm below the surface and yes there are airation bubbles in the tank.

Mick

thats why they are up the top then, they tend to play in the current and love bubbles is there anyway for you to put the filter lower into the water to attract them lower in the water. mind you it depends on what filter you have really doesnt it? dont worry im a little tired, try to ignore that i read above the water not below the water................ lower your filter, this will work.....im nuts

 

[mick1408]

ok so where is your filter outlet is it right on the surface of the water?
and do you have any airation bubbles in your tank?

The filter outlet is about 1cm below the surface and yes there are airation bubbles in the tank.

Mick

thats why they are up the top then, they tend to play in the current and love bubbles is there anyway for you to put the filter lower into the water to attract them lower in the water. mind you it depends on what filter you have really doesnt it? dont worry im a little tired, try to ignore that i read above the water not below the water................ lower your filter, this will work.....im nuts

Thanks for that, watching them they do seem to be playing. There isn't any way that I can move the filter any lower as it's a big thing in the corner and won't go any lower. It's a shame that I have to bend down to see them at the top of the tank though.

Mick.

 

[modaz]

shame you cant lower the water level to see them a bit better

hey look helters here, get ready for some good advice..............hi mate how you doing

 

[kpintheshed]

mine don't tend to do that most of the time is that theres not enough oxygen. i would lower wait and see if there start going down, mine use to go down to the surface, looking for food then straight back up.

they could be gasping for air.if there gills start going pink it means it has gill disease because lack of air.

i would put the surface down so there lots of air bubles and see if they are better not put the water back in.

 

[theotheragentm]

kpintheshed touched on something important. Since oxygen dissolves from the surface, if there is a lack of oxygen, fish will go to the surface as there is more oxygen there. That is not necessariliy the case with your fish as Guppies can hang out near the surface sometimes, but if you don't have a filter that is breaking the water's surface or a bubbler, you should get one.

 

[mick1408]

kpintheshed touched on something important. Since oxygen dissolves from the surface, if there is a lack of oxygen, fish will go to the surface as there is more oxygen there. That is not necessariliy the case with your fish as Guppies can hang out near the surface sometimes, but if you don't have a filter that is breaking the water's surface or a bubbler, you should get one.

The filter is breaking the waters surface. There are lots of bubble at the surface. The Guppies don't seem to be gasping at the surface, more that they just prefer it there. The other fish in the tank (5 Harlequins, 5 Pentazona Barbs and 1 White Cloud Minnow) seem to be playing in the slipstream.

Mick.

 

[theotheragentm]

How large is the tank? The Guppies may be forced to the top due to overcrowding. While it may look like there may be more space, the fish may want to keep distance from other groups of fish.

 

[kpintheshed]

most of the time people think it will cure the gasping straight away but if theres too much fish then theres still not going to be enough air

kpintheshed touched on something important. Since oxygen dissolves from the surface, if there is a lack of oxygen, fish will go to the surface as there is more oxygen there. That is not necessariliy the case with your fish as Guppies can hang out near the surface sometimes, but if you don't have a filter that is breaking the water's surface or a bubbler, you should get one.

The filter is breaking the waters surface. There are lots of bubble at the surface. The Guppies don't seem to be gasping at the surface, more that they just prefer it there. The other fish in the tank (5 Harlequins, 5 Pentazona Barbs and 1 White Cloud Minnow) seem to be playing in the slipstream.

Mick.

most of the time people think it will cure the gasping straight away but if theres too much fish then theres still not going to be enough air.how are they doing now?

 

[theotheragentm]

Correct. Water only holds so much oxygen, period. It's dependent on the temperature and a few other things, but normally if your tank isn't overcrowded, there should be plenty of oxygen. Even in most overcrowded tanks, there is plenty of oxygen as long as there is a means for it to dissolve across the surface of the water. Just look at any Chinese restaurant that packs in the fish to be eaten.