Help pls is it normal for a fish to breath up?

Question

my fish sometimes breathe above the water surface is it normal? i got a air pump on..... pls help

Answer 1

Either your water doesn't have enough air in it or your fish is hungry.

Answer 2

What sort of fish do you have?  Labyrinth fish ie bettas and gouramis can breath atmospheric oxygen if their water doesn't have enough oxygen or it is polluted.  This behaviour could be inherent in their evolution and in your case may not necessarily be because your water is underoxygenated or polluted.  My gouramis do this all the time, I have two air curtains and my tank is understocked.

Fish may also breathe at the top of the tank if your ammonia and/or nitrite levels are too high.  So it would be a good idea to check these.

Hope that helps :))  Good luck!

Answer 3

It's completely normal. I don't know why they do it but my fish do it every couple minutes or so and they've been alive and active for several years and not one has died. (I have a pacu, 2 gouramis, and 3 bala sharks)

Absolutely 100% nothing to worry about, especially since you have an air pump.