Taking care of aquarium fish brings a lot of enjoyable moments, but it can be discomforting if your fish suddenly exhibits unusual behaviors. Particularly, when fish swim vertically, this phenomenon can lead to serious issues. What is the phenomenon of fish swimming vertically? What are the causes and how to treat it? Let’s delve into our article below.
Why is my fish swimming vertically?
Vertical swimming is when fish swim upwards instead of horizontally or vertically, as is natural. This swimming pattern in aquarium fish signals health issues or certain habits.
Causes of vertical swimming
Vertical swimming is a fairly common phenomenon in the aquarium fish community. Below are some frequent causes leading to this condition that you may refer to:
Vertical swimming due to pregnancy
If your aquarium contains fish species like Molly fish, guppies, etc., when they swim vertically, it’s likely because they’re pregnant. If the vertical swimming is related to your female fish being pregnant, there’s nothing to worry about. After spawning, they will return to their normal swimming behavior. Vertical swimming in aquarium fish is a natural and common expression when they are preparing to reproduce. Therefore, there’s no need to worry excessively when observing this behavior.
Vertical swimming due to swim bladder disease
Bubble disease is a common ailment in fish, often appearing in species like betta fish or goldfish. The swim bladder is an organ filled with gas inside the fish’s body, helping it float and swim normally.
There are various causes of swim bladder disease in fish, including:
– Infection by bacteria or parasites can cause inflammation and swelling of the swim bladder.
– Overdevelopment of eggs in a female fish’s abdomen can also exert pressure and cause swim bladder disease.
– Overfeeding leads to fat accumulation in the liver, causing liver enlargement and pressure on the swim bladder, affecting its function.
– Consuming low-quality or air-filled food can cause constipation in the fish’s digestive system, exerting pressure on the swim bladder.
To prevent this disease, you need to take some measures such as ensuring the quality of food for the fish, avoiding overfeeding, and controlling the amount of food. Additionally, maintaining a clean water environment is crucial for preventing this disease in aquarium fish.
Fish swimming vertically after water change
This is one of the most noticeable causes if you change a large amount of water, causing a sudden change in the fish’s living environment, leading to water shock and rapid weakening of the fish. Therefore, during the water change process, follow the instructions properly as outlined in our previous article on ” How to change water in fish tank “.
Treatment for vertical swimming
To treat vertical swimming due to swim bladder disease, you can consider the following methods:
– Treat infection or parasites in fish: Use antibiotics or anti-parasitic drugs to eliminate the causes of infection or parasites in the swim bladder.
– Let the fish fast for at least three days and maintain the water temperature at 79°F during this time. This helps reduce pressure on the fish’s swim bladder and helps the fish recover to its normal state.
– Feed boiled peas: After three days of fasting, you should feed the fish boiled, peeled peas. This type of legume provides fiber to the fish and reduces constipation.
In addition to the above treatment methods, you can use simple methods such as:
– Mix a small amount of aquarium salt into the tank to kill parasites, which can help reduce swim bladder bloating.
– Lowering the water level in the aquarium can help fish swim better. At the same time, reducing the water flow can also reduce the pressure on the fish when swimming.
Preventive measures against vertical swimming in fish
– To prevent fish from swimming vertically, you should apply the following methods:
Maintain clean water environment
The water environment is always the main cause of fish health problems. If you don’t change the water in the tank regularly, the water source will be polluted, and bacteria will attack the fish more.
Nutritious food regime
Depending on different fish species, there will be different food quantities, so you need to have a suitable nutritional diet. At the same time, combining green vegetables and dry food to provide enough nutrients for aquarium fish to enhance resistance.
Control water quality
In addition to maintaining a clean water environment, you also need to ensure water parameters such as temperature, pH, ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite levels are within safe levels for fish.
Conclusion
Therefore, fish swimming vertically is not only related to habits but also related to common diseases that we often encounter. Therefore, to avoid confusion, you should observe your aquarium fish to see if there are any unusual actions.