Habitual air sucking

[tarannosaurus 24]

Hello everyone. I have a calico telescope named Bubba that likes to suck on air all day. He has been doing this for at least a year. Sometimes he gets floaty and I have to hand-feed him peas. Sometimes his poop has bubbles in it. Is he bored? Is he looking for food?

It seems at least one other member has a fish like this too.

http://www.kokosgoldfish.invisionzone.com/forum/index.php?/topic/111612-jazz-the-habitual-air-drinker/

I tried to fill the tank all the way to the lid so there is literally no air to suck, but he discovered that my apartment is not level and found a spot where he can still do it.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

[Daniel E. 10,021]

I'd lightly tap him on the head when he does it. In time it should help.

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[SynthHermit 70]

Has the fish ever been treated with Prazi? My Glitch was gulping/air drinking, but since going through a round of Prazi she's stopped.

[HomerJay 4,668]

I have one that accidently got sucked through the siphon tube during a water change, and ever since then spends all day attacking one of the air tubes in the tank. Paybacks I guess

[Jeana727 952]

I am that other member.....with a habitual Air Drinker!! Jazz does this quite often. I have tried everything I can think of to try to get him to stop.....but he is a total ADDICT!!! I sometimes stick a fish net into the tank at "his spot" that he "drinks" and it seems to stop him....while it's there.

If I get up while he's "drinking" he'll dive to the bottom...because I used to gently tap him. I hoped it would "train" him not to do this......Nah no luck!

I also use a laser pointer. I flash it at him when he's "drinking" & it will stop him for a minute.

So far my "training" methods have not gotten thru his knot head!!!!!!!

[tarannosaurus 24]

Unfortunately Bubba loves to be handled. He goes straight for me whenever I am near the tank. He even nibbles on me when I'm cleaning. I've tried smacking the lid right where he's sucking and he's not phased at all. I'm sure he would love the attention of a little tap on the head lol.

I have used prazi. I completed the last round about a month or so ago.

[bubbles22 483]

My fish gulp really loudly when they want food. It sounds almost like a splash. The tap on the head conditioning sounds interesting *-* I may just give that a try. I wouldn't mind touching their cute squishy wens anyway

I used to handfeed my fish at the surface so that's probably what made them start gulping up there. If your fish is looking for food, maybe you can get him used to looking for food away from the surface by feeding him all the way at the bottom of the tank? I started just plopping their food in the tank and I noticed the gulping has decreased. They still do it as a way to beg for food though. Sigh.

[Mernany 3,708]

Everyone except my RG fish pipes.... its only after they eat then they are fine. Cupid does it constantly though and gets floaty. I'm currently trying to figure out the food that does it...

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[GoldenSpoiledRotten 6,786]

I have a compulsive piper as well. She has even trained every single tank mate I have ever kept with her to do so. It seems like an enjoyable activity for her, and unfortunately even with Alex's help I have not been able to curb this habit. It used to get so loud at night it would wake me up. It has dulled a bit with time and regular 'veggie days' to clear her system, but still happens. I chalk it up to her being both very compact (thus needing to regulate her swim bladder post-meal) and my giving her attention when she does it.

I hope you find a good solution.

[Mernany 3,708]

I have a compulsive piper as well. She has even trained every single tank mate I have ever kept with her to do so. It seems like an enjoyable activity for her, and unfortunately even with Alex's help I have not been able to curb this habit. It used to get so loud at night it would wake me up. It has dulled a bit with time and regular 'veggie days' to clear her system, but still happens. I chalk it up to her being both very compact (thus needing to regulate her swim bladder post-meal) and my giving her attention when she does it.

?

I hope you find a good solution.

Exactly! Basil started it all for me but now he does it the least! >_> only the new guy doesn't do it but he comes to check them out when they all go up. I'm sure he'll learn soon enough......

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[kevb123 3]

i think it's because theyre short sighted and looking for food. my one did it as it was used to being fed floaty food or hand feeding.

i put soilent green on a knife and swish it through the water so there is no bits floating on surface and all other food i drop from under the surface.

stopped doing it now and no more floating.

[tarannosaurus 24]

I think filling the tank all the way to the lids would have worked if my apartment was level. Maybe some of you guys can try that. If you fill it all the way, there won't be any air to suck.

[NeonVodka 275]

Oshi does that, and has done it for almost two years. He's the only one in my tank that does it. I've tried prazi, laser pointers, almost everything short of throwing a cat at the tank to get him to stop. He's not floaty, has no particular time that he does it, just seems addicted to it. Most of the other fish just look at him like he's nuts and swim away.

I'm not sure how to stop it. But good luck, and let me know so I can use it on my addict!

[Jeana727 952]

throwing a cat at the tank to get him to stop.

Hhmmmm, I haven't tried THAT either......unfortunately for me (but lucky for the cat!) I don't have a cat..........otherwise I just might try that!!

[bodoba 2,980]

How often are your water changes? What happens if you do a small water change after the piping incident?

[tarannosaurus 24]

How often are your water changes? What happens if you do a small water change after the piping incident?

I do water changes weekly. I haven't tried doing a water change when he gets floaty. Probably because he's usually floating at night after I get home from work when it's too late to do it. He's always back to normal the next day.

[georgelee92 32]

I have the same problem. My moor loves to eat bubbles.

[tarannosaurus 24]

This is what I come home to every night.

But as I said before, he's always back to normal by morning, even without intervention.

[georgelee92 32]

He probably has a swim bladder disease. Try feeding him skinned peas and not overfeed.

[bodoba 2,980]

Thank you for providing the picture. I'm wondering if a water change when he is upside down will correct that.

[tarannosaurus 24]

He does it every day though. Peas help him get over it faster but he just does it again the next day. Even on days that I do a water change. He's obsessed!

[HomerJay 4,668]

I don't mean to be insensitive, but that is one of the funniest things I have seen in a while. If it were my fish I don't think I would do a thing to change it.

[Georgia 3,820]

I don't mean to be insensitive, but that is one of the funniest things I have seen in a while. If it were my fish I don't think I would do a thing to change it.

I know! His face is just like, "What? What are you lookin' at?"

I too, have a habitual airdrinker, my common, Olive. She's more of a pig of the two, and is always searching the surface of food. She usually expels the bubbles after she gulps, but sometimes she doesn't. Occasionally I see her poop with a bubble in it, but that's pretty much it. The great thing about single tails is you don't have to worry about making them floaty! However, I ALWAYS take precautions, even if they're not fancies. I fast once a week-sometimes more if I overfeed, soak all their food, and feed peas regularly.

Have you tried floating plants? If your fish devour plants, you can try floating silk plants. Sometimes if the fish sees there's something in front of it's face it won't pipe there. But you never know. I think you should also try incorporating peas into his daily diet, and see if that helps.

[tarannosaurus 24]

Haha I know! That face looks like he does it on purpose! It's a lifestyle he's chosen and I don't feel bad for him.

I try to keep spinach in the tank and I do soak his food. Is it okay to feed peas every day? I haven't thought of floating plants before.

[4prettyfish 2,702]

I'm not sure about feeding peas every day or not. I rarely feed my fish peas now. I did once a week, then once every two weeks, now it's been several weeks since I've fed my fish peas. As of the moment I have no fish with this problem of floating. I feel bad for your fish in that photo. It doesn't look good. Poor little guy. I hope you are able to figure something out for him.

In my 60g tank I have three fish and two of them I've had for about 15 months the third fish I just purchased last month. One of my older fish he likes to surface the water above and play in it. It drives me nuts. He's either looking for food, playing in the water, or just annoying me. haha My other older fish sometimes goes up to see what he's doing and will hang out with him. I hate it. Luckily my new guy hasn't caught on to this old trend. But I'm guessing he'll do it. UgHHhh I am fortunate that they don't get floaty from this behavior. I did have a floaty fish for just a couple of weeks but it was resolved with changing his pellet food. He has since recovered all that mess and was doing great. I recently rehomed him.