Okay so my common pleco is very hefty, occasional he will go to the surface and release an air bubble or either get air idk.. anyways is this normal? He doesn't do it often. Being the paranoid person I am I bought a powerhead today to help oxygenate the water. It's a 55 gallon tank running off a 75 gallon filter that also produces air bubbles and a 50 gallon powerhead. I think I'm just freaking out, I've read common plecos do this occasionally. I just want my fish to be happy and healthy and not have to go out of their way to breathe. The other fish in the tank are not breathing heavy and act happy, so, I'm hoping to hear positive answers! Thanks so much!
Pleco coming to the surface?
- Thread starter Brooke Owens
- Start date
I used to have a common that did the same thing. He was perfectly healthy and grew like a weed. Had him for years with no problems and he did that fairly frequently, so I think you're good. Someone else might know more, but in my experience it wasn't symptomatic of any problems.
In nature Plecos come from areas that during the dry season, often dry up, or at least partially dry up. Some can travel across dry land overnight to locate fresh water sources.
They can live in damp, anoxic mud for extended periods. To do this, they have developed the ability to store bubbles of ambient air to use where there is little to no air in the water during those situations. That bubble is regularly replaced (even in an aquarium situation).
This strategy is not uncommon, and used by lungfish, anabantids, and other fish during seasonal changes the world over.
Where I live in Panama, during the dry season, certain killifish will hide in wet areas in the bark of trees, or spawn in them and wet reeds, where the eggs hatch during the next rainy season.
They can live in damp, anoxic mud for extended periods. To do this, they have developed the ability to store bubbles of ambient air to use where there is little to no air in the water during those situations. That bubble is regularly replaced (even in an aquarium situation).
This strategy is not uncommon, and used by lungfish, anabantids, and other fish during seasonal changes the world over.
Where I live in Panama, during the dry season, certain killifish will hide in wet areas in the bark of trees, or spawn in them and wet reeds, where the eggs hatch during the next rainy season.