Floating Bichir

[steevee]

Good day just wondering if it is normal for bichirs to hang around on the top level of the water for a week now. I've been observing my two palmas and they hang around there most of the office time (my tank is in the office so at is the only time i get to observe them) they sometimes dive down but ussualy goes back up, the smallest of the pair seems to have a hard time staying down or going to the bottom. They don't seem bloated. I feed them sinking pellets that the fish store feeds them with, mealworms, beefheart, market prawn and superworms. They've been with me for sometime already and exhibit this behavior only at times before.
Hope you can give some valuable advise I getting worried especially the smallest since it is becoming lethargic side of the eye are becoming misty like cloudy eye (but i do 1/3 water change on my tank every week)

Thanks

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[BradT85]

If they are small i wouldnt really worry about it. I have a delhezi that hangs out in some fake floating plants i have in the tank about 80% of the time. The bigger it gets the more it explores and hangs out on the bottom. I think its just easier for them to get air if they are at the surface already.

 

[always4lora]

My ornate and senegal did this, my ornate is about 6 inch now and still does it time to time.

 

[GarNiac]

young bichirs does this alot, and its normal, but things maybe different with young endli.

 

[Deep Blue Sea]

my albino bichir does this still and he's roughly 9"

 

[moonchild1970]

Mine love to bask, especially after eating. As long as they look good and are eating it is normal.

 

[GarNiac]

actually, when you see them floating, is a good chance to train them to eat floating pellets, but its only when sinking pellets are not available like where I live now. I did this previously and it works just fine. And all my bichirs are on floating pellets now.

 

[steevee]

If they are small i wouldnt really worry about it. I have a delhezi that hangs out in some fake floating plants i have in the tank about 80% of the time. The bigger it gets the more it explores and hangs out on the bottom. I think its just easier for them to get air if they are at the surface already.

My ornate and senegal did this, my ornate is about 6 inch now and still does it time to time.

young bichirs does this alot, and its normal, but things maybe different with young endli.

my albino bichir does this still and he's roughly 9"

Mine love to bask, especially after eating. As long as they look good and are eating it is normal.

actually, when you see them floating, is a good chance to train them to eat floating pellets, but its only when sinking pellets are not available like where I live now. I did this previously and it works just fine. And all my bichirs are on floating pellets now.

Thank you for all the feedbacks, but to date i've moved the smaller palmas to my hospital tank and treating him/her with melafix, its eyes got worse bulging and whitish . I've treated its better of this infection?? hope it will recover quickly. My other palma seemed okay for now as well as a pair of senegals.

 

[AquaticRebel]

It's a natural thing they are dong as juvenile in the wild they will float motionless to avoid being detected and eaten by larger predators it is just an ODD thing an ODDBALL FISH does ! My Sen will sit like this for upwards of 30 minutes before swimming up to the surface for a gulp of air and he's right back to the filter intake tube !

 

[Krismo962]

The thread is from 11 years ago,there's a good chance this fish has already passed away.