What do you do when your fish starts going to the top of the tank??

Question

we have 3 cichlids, a convict, a blue acara and a clown ram. our blue acara is going to the top of the tank near the filter. is this normal, or is something maybe wrong with him?

Answer 1

mayb the big fish are picking on him,get him a buddie.

or a nice hiding place, but i suggest another buddie. Try claning your tank or empty 1/4 of it and replace with clean water.

good luck <3

Answer 2

the fish near the filter may be intimidated by the others so he may be being picked on by the bigger fish. try adding some more decorations to give him a hiding place.

Answer 3

listen iv had teh same problem #1 its mostlikly swim bladder when the fish eats too much and keeps floating to the top and cant control it or it could just be lack of oxygen get an airpump if you dont have one and feed your fish peas with shell off if swim bladder

Answer 4

Could be looking for food, or looking for shelter.  Convicts are more aggressive than the others, so it probably needs a hiding place.  You should have at least a 20 gallon tank for these fish, with hiding places, simple flower pots would be fine, or buy a fake cave.

Answer 5

It is mjarking territory, they like small spaces as a territory in a large tank. I have a cichlid that loves to do that to, but he is still very active and eats A LOT! lol!

Answer 6

could be an amonia problum, do a 25% water change, also chiclids like higher PH so check your ph. Should be 7.5 to 8. Add some chiclid salt also to help with breathing.

Answer 7

Usually if fish that are not normally at the surface start to "hang around the surface" it is usually a sign of ammonia, nitrites spiking or the lack of dissolved oxygen in the tank.

Test your water to be sure the ammonia isn't spiking.

Also, drop the water level in the tank by 1 inch.  If you find they go back to swimming normal, you need a larger filter or an additional powerhead.

Answer 8

http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/ci...

http://cichlid.infocrux.com/Blue-Acara.h...

If your fish has difficulty in swimming, or swims upside-down, or floats, and is unable to surface, it is suffering from Flipover. Consult your vet. Larger fish may have to undergo surgery. Swim Bladder Disease may also have similar symptoms, but is caused by over-eating. Cut down on its food for 3 or 4 days, and give it a laxative like fresh spinach.

(AS FOUND IN FOLLOWING LINK)

http://cichlid.infocrux.com/Cichlid-Dise...

Also this is a link to a tropical fish forum that had some info on the blue acara.. maybe this would be a good place to meet people who share the love and intrest of these creatures

http://www.badmanstropicalfish.com/forum...

Answer 9

FLUUUUUUUUUUUUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHH...