Why the bubbles? Fish at the top of tank more than usual.

[Waterfroggy]

Would someone explain to me the circumstances that one would NEED an air pump and bubble stone in their tank? Or are they always ornamental/optional in a well filtered tank.

I assume it has to do with oxygen but it seems most people who have enough filtration to break the surface water think they're more for decor/human entertainment.

It's on my mind because tonight my 15 ember tetras and 6 chain loaches are hanging out at the top of the tank, which they never do all at once, seems like they need air. I'm a little concerned.

I just tested, Nitrate 0 ppm Nitrite 0 ppm Ammonia 0 ppm did a major WC on Tuesday Temp is 81.9 which is a little high, probably because it's -8 F/feels like -27 F with wind chill outside (we are under wind chill warning) and I'm freezing my frog off so I turned up the heat.

Thanks for any input.

I just found a bubble wand that came with my tank and stuck it in, for no reason I can scientifically explain, just seemed like a reasonable idea temporarily until I figure out what is going on.

[Cliff]

If I remember correctly, higher temps can lower the amount of aval O2 in the water.

Adding a air stone will create more movement at the surface of the water and add more 02, good call doing that

[imma24]

Would someone explain to me the circumstances that one would NEED an air pump and bubble stone in their tank? Or are they always ornamental/optional in a well filtered tank.

I assume it has to do with oxygen but it seems most people who have enough filtration to break the surface water think they're more for decor/human entertainment.

It's on my mind because tonight my 15 ember tetras and 6 chain loaches are hanging out at the top of the tank, which they never do all at once, seems like they need air. I'm a little concerned.

I just tested, Nitrate 0 ppm Nitrite 0 ppm Ammonia 0 ppm did a major WC on Tuesday Temp is 81.9 which is a little high, probably because it's -8 F/feels like -27 F with wind chill outside (we are under wind chill warning) and I'm freezing my frog off so I turned up the heat.

Thanks for any input.

I just found a bubble wand that came with my tank and stuck it in, for no reason I can scientifically explain, just seemed like a reasonable idea temporarily until I figure out what is going on.

Someone else on this forum also had a fish at the surface. She had her temp up to 82, she realized it and lowered the heater - her fish came back down to mid/lower tank area and stopped gasping.

Are you sure your readings are correct because most of the time, a cycled tank will have some kind of nitrates reading.

Regarding an air/bubblestone - they not only add oxygen but some fish enjoy playing in the bubbles.

[Trillianne]

You do not need to turn your fish tank temperature up more when YOU are colder.

Their tank doesn't have drafts, it has this central heater system with water insulation that is more akin to you setting the thermostat in a central heating and air house and it just pretty much stays there.

[Waterfroggy]

Thank you all.

I didn't turn the aquarium heat up, just the house heat which I thought might account for the higher tank temp. =]

When I first started I did a ton of research on temperatures since I have a community tank of several species.

I found by taking the average of the top three "opinions" of temperature ranges on the seemingly best info available through google (including the AC, of course) and found if I average the low range and high range of all the species of my tank I got an average low of 73.1 and a high of 81.9.

So I figured 79 was good. We have a tiny house built in 1912 so I bought a fancy digital thermometer and we hover between 79 and 81 depending on the weather and inside thermostat temp. Except in extremes like today, when I turned the house heat up to unusually norm to thaw out..

Does that seem right? 79 for the crew in my signature?

On the nitrate, I said 0 because it is on the chart certainly not orange (5.0 range), but it is indeed a little darker than the bright yellow, so perhaps it is more correct to say between 0-5.0 ppm?

I'm going to turn the aquarium thermometer down a notch for now...since I first posted the tetras are near the middle and the loaches are back to the usual loaching activities.

Thanks y'all, any more input is appreciated and will be hopefully learned and passed on later to other in the AC in the future as you have done for us.

Thanks again.

[Lady Hobbs]

I have airstones in my tanks simply because my fish like it and are always more active with one. But what filter do you have? If your filter is too small for the tank and not breaking up the surface tension much, perhaps your fish aren't getting enough oxygen.

78 is enough for most fish. (With the exception of goldfish and Discus.)

[kurly]

I'm the one who had that exact same problem. Yesterday my sick fish was at the top of the water gasping and trying to get more oxygen. The tank water temp was a little on the high side and I had a small azoo palm filter in my 2.5 gallon QT . Once I replaced the filter with an AC20 and turned the heat down a little my fish went back to it's original area of the tank which is low to middle and hasn't been on top ever since.

I believe it was a combination of both the heat as well as the inadequate filter which was causing a lack of oxygen in the tank.