# Other Aquarium Forums > Freshwater Fauna >  Why do my fishes like to play in the air pump bubbles?

## hanna

Alloz there~!

Just wondering why does my fishes like to play in the bubbles produced by the air pump/filter? They will purposely swim into it's stream of bubbles & let it carry them up & sometimes they will jump out of the tank. I've seen them do that for long periods on a stretch~!

Anyone can't enlighten on this behaviour?  :Shocked:

----------


## Quixotic

What fishes are those?

Some fishes like a bit of water movement, e.g. rasboras like to swim against the flow of the filter (current). Playful ones like some loaches may play with the flow and do "The Loachy Dance", especially when newly introduced to the tank, or during certain times of the day (like feeding time etc).

Consider a tank cover if they are jumping out of the tank.

----------


## hanna

My 2 two-spot barbs & 2 albino corys are the ones keep playing in the bubbles/current. Especially the 2 corys~! Only in feeding times, they stop it to eat  :Laughing:  The behaviour doesn't apply to the harlequin rasboras.

I have a makeshift cover to prevent jumpers...  :Grin: 

Hmmm...  :Cool:

----------


## luncheonMeat

i suspect cory does that all the time. It's like gasping a breath of fresh air all the time. My cory does that all the time. I don have air bubble in the tank but they still do that. Thats was my guess!

Then i found this in Wikipedia.

_In the aquarium_
_The Corydoras genus is well known among aquarists for its many ornamental species.[8] They are well suited to_ _tropical__ freshwater community aquariums, as they get along well with other species and are not at all aggressive. Corys are shy fish and it is recommended to keep them in groups of at least 4-6, but more is better. Corys are mostly bottom feeders, so they should be offered sinking pellets as well as supplements of live and frozen foods. If flake foods are used, care should be taken to prevent all the food from being eaten by faster moving fish at the higher levels of the tank._
_Most corys prefer soft, acidic water. They can, however, tolerate a wide range of water conditions, including temperatures that are cooler than tropical. They do not do well in fish tanks with high_ _nitrate__ levels. This ion leads to the infection of the_ _barbels__, which will shorten and become useless. The barbels may also be affected by constant contact with a sharp_ _substrate__. They are more likely to thrive if there is an open area of substrate on the bottom of the tank where they can obtain submerged food._
_These fish are easy to keep, being peaceful, small, hardy, active, and entertaining. Occasionally they will dart to the surface, sticking their snout above the water for an instant to take a "breath" of air. This behavior is perfectly normal and is not an indication that anything is wrong with the fish. If done in excess, this behavior may indicate poor water conditions._

_Heres the link:_
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corydoras

----------


## Quixotic

Nice observation luncheonMeat, that behaviour is actually mentioned in one of the stickies in the Catfish subforum, http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...ad.php?t=32653. 

However, it's not the same behaviour. From hanna's description, it is mentioned that the fishes are doing it in the aerated area and over a long period.

Firstly, the action of going up to the surface to gulp for air will occur anywhere within the tank, not just confined to the area where the air bubbles are. So it doesn't fit the described behaviour of only doing it in the aerated area.

Secondly, the action of going up to the surface to gulp for air occurs in sudden movements, swim up once, gulp for air, swim down again and that's it. There will be a long period before the action may be repeated. So this again does not fit the described behaviour of doing it continuously over a long period.

So, nah... they like some water movement, and are just having fun with the air bubbles.  :Wink:

----------


## hanna

> From hanna's description, it is mentioned that the fishes are doing it in the aerated area and over a long period.
> ...
> So, nah... they like some water movement, and are just having fun with the air bubbles.


 
For a moment, I was about to subscribe to luncheonMeat's answer but you got it right about my corys... they are just swimming/playing at aerated area and over a long period. I am only concerned about the long duration... won't they die of exhaustion? But they greedily eat when it's feeding time!  :Grin:  but they are not doing the "cleaning" job I bought them for~!!  :Shocked: 

My Oto on the hand is doing a good job  :Razz:  My harlequins are not interested in the "bubbles". keke...

Oh luncheonMeat, thanks for the info though!  :Grin:

----------


## illumbomb

Maybe the fishes are working out to lose some weight?  :Shocked:

----------


## StanChung

I always thought the fishes mistaken the bubbles as food and they try to gulp them thinking it is.

I do agree loaches and cories in general love swimming against the current.

----------


## Badwolf2103

I have some American cichlids that do the same thing. They swim back and forth through the bubbles like its a toy. The temperature in the tank is good and the ph is good. So Im assuming they are just playing.

----------

