Bad habit--air gulping

[Goldfish guy 34]

Recently my fish have taken to "air gulping" for fun. I think they do It if they are Hungry too (which is always lol). My Sakura started doing it and the others quickly learned. Anyone know how to stop this bad habit?

*also should add that It makes them "burp"

[Georgia 3,820]

As long as they expel most of the air they gulp and don't become buoyant, they should be fine. Many members here have the same problem. Some have tried gently "tapping" the fish's head to make it stop, however this may not ultimately solve the problem. If the fish has a certain "spot" where it likes to air-drink you can place a floating plant there. If they still do it even with your best efforts, there's not much else you can do. My common gulps air all the time, and the only thing I see from it is an occasional bubble in her poop.

[GoldenSpoiledRotten 6,786]

There are many theories as to why goldfish gulp:

• Feeding from the surface
• Begging for food from the surface
• Habitual air sucking
• Swim bladder regulation in floaty fish

Confirmed reasons for Gulping

• Lack of oxygen
• a symptom of poor water quality

Unfortunately, we don't know how many of these are really the cause of gulping, with the exception of the last two. If we can rule out those last two bits, I can't really tell you why they do it.

I haven't been able to fix it yet in my goldfish, so I am just letting it go. I have tried dietary changes, poking the fish on the head, verbal commands, and even adding a net to the tank. Nothing has worked. Every fish I have had has gulped, and every fish has learned to gulp from those around them, either in my aquarium or when they were at their previous homes.

Since we still don't know what gulping is for outside of the final two reasons, I am unsure if there is a reason to stop it.

[Goldfish guy 34]

I don't think it's lack of air because there is 2 sponge filters making A TON of surface disturbance. Probably not water quality either...I do a 95% WC daily.

Params:

Ammonia: 0

Nitrite: 0

Nitrate: 5

[GoldenSpoiledRotten 6,786]

What are you feeding? Are these fish in a tank or pond?

Also, have you seen any other odd behavior? If any other odd behavior is present, then a D&D thread might be a good idea.

Edited September 18, 2013 by ChelseaM

[Goldfish guy 34]

What are you feeding? Are these fish in a tank or pond?

Also, have you seen any other odd behavior? If any other odd behavior is present, then a D&D thread might be a good idea.

Saki hikari purple, NLS,brine shrimp,bloodworms, and repashy solient green. Nope, no odd behavior...Just air gulping

EDIT: the fish are in a tank

Edited September 18, 2013 by Goldfish guy

[GoldenSpoiledRotten 6,786]

Sounds like you have a case of 'gulpers'. I wish I could be of more help.

[tarannosaurus 24]

My telescope sucks air all day and then becomes floaty on a daily basis. Does your tank have a lid? I found that if I fill the aquarium all the way to the lid, there is literally no air to suck. Maybe you can try that. My apartment isn't level so my guy found a spot where he can still do it.

[GoldenSpoiledRotten 6,786]

My telescope sucks air all day and then becomes floaty on a daily basis. Does your tank have a lid? I found that if I fill the aquarium all the way to the lid, there is literally no air to suck. Maybe you can try that. My apartment isn't level so my guy found a spot where he can still do it.

This could pose a problem. With no air at the top of the tank, there is not much room for gas exchange. Are there spaces near the filters where air can escape?

Edited September 18, 2013 by ChelseaM

[tarannosaurus 24]

Yeah, but he can't get near those because of the currents. Is that okay?

[GoldenSpoiledRotten 6,786]

I believe letting a little bit of space between the water and lid will take advantage of your aquarium's surface area. This provides room for gas exchange, which is essential for oxygenation of the water.

-Using Tapatalk.

[goldiegeek 523]

It could be lack of oxygen. If you keep a lid on your tank the carbon dioxide becomes trapped and gas exchange can't happen. I had this problem when I first started and quickly removed all lids from my aquariums. Another thing that helped was having a pump (low circulation) at the bottom of the tank to redistribute the carbon dioxide to the top of the tank for exchange. If you notice your guys hanging out at the mid to top levels in the tank it could be a sign that oxygen is low or there is carbon dioxide that can't escape.

[GoldenSpoiledRotten 6,786]

For Tara, maybe.

-Using Tapatalk.

[tarannosaurus 24]

I usually keep spinach in the tank. The other fish usually hang around the bottom of the tank. The open space at the top by the filter is about 24 inches long and two inches wide. And because my apartment isn't level, a lot of the tank's surface water can't even touch the lid.

I think he does it out of boredom. It's something I've been dealing with for a few months now. Someone suggested I try floating plants, so I'm thinking about doing that next.

[GoldenSpoiledRotten 6,786]

Let me know how that works out. It sounds like you're in the same boat as the rest of us.

[Goldfish guy 34]

No lid

[georgelee92 32]

Are you feeding them floating food or sinking food?

I feel like a lot of the times they gulp air to "beg" for food. If you give them sinking food, they'll eventually start looking for food on the bottom of the aquarium.

Because I'm not rich like a lot of Koko members and can't afford high class Hikari sinking pellets. I'm jk, Koko members are great. I use floating flakes and put them in a cup with aquarium water. Stir it with a spoon then dump it in. So they've developed a habit of looking for sinking food, instead of begging for food at the top all the time.

Just some suggestions, I hope it helps!

Good Luck.