Gazing at your pleco fish swimming upside down can be a real nightmare. What could be causing your pleco fish to defy gravity and swim with a topsy-turvy twist? Is the fish at the risk of dying?
If you notice your pleco swimming or floating upside down, it indicates that the fish has a swim bladder defect that’s tampering with its buoyancy. The problem can also arise from bloating and poor aquarium conditions.
Keep reading as we dive deeper into the causes of pleco fish swimming or floating upside down. We’ll also discuss the remedies to this problem to help restore your pleco’s normal swimming pattern.
1. Swim Bladder Malfunction
Buoyancy is a crucial aspect of a fish’s life; it helps reduce the energy expenditure the fish needs to maintain a particular depth. A fish needs to maintain depth when eating, reproducing, or hiding.
The swim bladder is the organ that maintains buoyancy in fish. This organ is filled with air, and fish releases air from their swim bladder when they want to rise or sink.
A swim bladder works in the following ways to maintain a fish’s buoyancy:
- Inflation: When the swim bladder inflates, it increases in volume, displacing more water. This makes it easier for the fish to rise in water to the desired depth.
- Deflation: When the swim bladder deflates, its volume decreases, displacing less water. This makes it easier for the fish to sink to the desired depth.
When a pleco fish swims upside down, it means the functioning of the swim bladder is impaired. It means that the bladder doesn’t inflate and deflate as expected.
The leading causes of malfunctioning in a fish’s swim bladder include:
- Constipation: This condition is mostly caused by insufficient fibre in the food. A constipated pleco doesn’t release feces as expected, which enlarges the stomach. An enlarged stomach impairs the bladder’s ability to inflate and deflate accordingly.
- Inappropriate intake of air: Fish should naturally breathe through their gills. However, when a fish comes on top of the water to eat, it swallows some air through the mouth with the food. When this happens, the air can accumulate in the stomach, impairing the normal functioning of the swim bladder. This is especially common among Bristlenose plecos.
- Low temperatures: Fish metabolism is temperature-driven. After eating, a fish’s body temperature rises to aid digestion and prevent constipation. However, when a pleco’s aquarium temperature is low, its metabolic rates become low. The consequent is slow digestion that exposes the fish to constipation and, ultimately, swim bladder malfunction.
- Swim bladder infections: Bacteria and fungi can infiltrate a fish’s swim bladder, causing infections. When this happens, the infected pleco will be unable to control its buoyancy since the bladder becomes inflamed and congested with pus.
- Poor aquarium conditions: Failing to provide the optimal aquarium conditions for your pleco exposes them to different problems. Tank issues like congestion, poor pH level, and high ammonia can make the swim bladder to malfunction.
Remedies for Swim Bladder Malfunction in Plecos
You must address all the above concerns to remedy a malfunctioning swim bladder in your pleco. These are the issues that can make the bladder inefficient.
Here is what to do to treat a malfunctioning swim bladder:
- Provide the optimum temperature in the aquarium: Pleco aquariums need a temperature between 23 and 27°C (75 to 80°F) for efficient metabolism and digestion. You can provide this temperature using a heater or changing the aquarium water depending on seasonal changes.
- Feed your pleco with a high-fibre diet: A constipated belly can be a contributing factor to swim bladder malfunction in plecos. Therefore, ensure to feed them with the right pleco food high in fibre.
- Do not overfeed the fish: Overfeeding is the leading cause of constipation in plecos. Therefore, only feed them what they can consume in five minutes to prevent overfeeding. It’s also advisable to feed the fish only 2 to 3 times a day.
- Avoid floating foods: Floating foods means the fish must come to the top to eat. As the fish eats from the top, it swallows more air which fills the stomach, affecting the swim bladder’s functioning. The remedy for this is to feed your pleco with sinking foods. You can blanch foods that float on water.
- Maintain optimum tank conditions: You should ensure your pleco’s tank is clean and well-aerated. Furthermore, the pH should be at the recommended neutral level of 7.0. (Check at the bottom of the article for a guide to maintaining aquarium conditions).
- Consult an aquatic veterinarian: If you think the swim bladder’s problem arises from an infection, the best thing to do is to consult an aquatic veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment.
2. Bloating
Fish dropsy (bloat) results from a buildup of fluids in the fish’s cavity. In most cases, the fluids builds up in the stomach, making the fish to swim abnormally. In most cases, the fish swims upside down.
Luckily, identifying when your pleco is bloated easy. All you need to do is to examine your pleco’s abdomen. A swollen pleco abdomen is a sure sign that it’s bloated.
Bloating in plecos in pleco may be caused by health-related issues like a dysfunctional liver, parasites, or other infections.
Other factors that contribute to bloating in plecos, hence swimming upside down, include:
- Overfeeding: When you overfeed a pleco, its weight increases. You’ll confirm this through a swollen abdomen.
- High nitrate level: When the water quality is poor due to high nitrate levels (nitrates are byproducts of fish waste), it causes bloating in plecos.
- Bad aquarium conditions: Dirty water, poor aeration, and high temperatures may contribute to bloating in plecos. When this happens, you’ll notice that your fish has problems swimming and may even float at the water’s surface.
- Worms: Roundworms are the main contributors to bloating in plecos and other fish. These worms live in the intestines, where they take up space and nutrients, causing bloating. An easy way to identify roundworm infestation is the presence of small white or gold speckles resembling powder on the fish.
Remedies for Bloating in Plecos
The remedy for a bloated pleco involves identifying why the fish is bloated and curating an appropriate solution.
You’ll need to deworm the fish if the problem arises from roundworms. Fenbendazole and levamisole are the best dewormers for plecos. If you use fenbendazole, aquatic vets advise adding 1.14 grams for every pound of food you give the fish for 3 days. You can repeat the procedure in 2-3 weeks.
For levamisole, you can use it as a bath and feed treatment.
You’ll have to consult a vet if the bloating results from infections. The vet will diagnose the fish and administer appropriate treatment.
Finally, you should ensure that the water conditions are optimum and that the fish are not congested.
3. Insufficient Food in the Tank
It’s general knowledge that fish can’t survive without food. However, the challenge comes in knowing how much is enough.
When a pleco fish doesn’t get enough food, it will start looking for it anywhere in the aquarium. Among the things the fish will do is swim to the top in search of food. In this situation, the fish will appear to be swimming upside down when it’s actually searching for food at the top of the tank.
Remedies for Insufficient Food in a Pleco’s Tank
To prevent insufficient food in the tank for your pleco, you should consider the following:
- Feeding a balanced diet that provides all the essential nutrients.
- Checking that there is enough food in the tank to accommodate all fish, including other bottom feeders like catfish and algae eaters. Besides algae, you can add driftwood and leafy vegetables like spinach to the tank.
- Feeding small amounts at regular intervals to prevent overfeeding.
- Avoiding feeding when the water is dirty as this may make your fish miss food that sinks to the bottom.
4. Poor Aquarium Conditions
Poor aquarium condition is the final cause of pleco fish swimming upside down.
Pleco fish can only get the energy to swim and thrust normally when living in a conducive environment.
A conducive aquarium for your pleco must have the following conditions:
- Low ammonia
- Neutral pH (between 7 and 8)
- High dissolved oxygen levels
- Aquatic plants like algae
Dirty aquariums will not have most of these conditions, making the fish to swim to the top in search of them. If the water lacks sufficient oxygen, the fish will be weak, whereby it will display an upside-down posture as it swims.
How Do Aquariums Become Dirty and Unsafe for Fish?
The aquarium nitrogen cycle explains how aquariums become dirty and unsafe for fish.
Fish release waste in the form of ammonia (NH₃), a toxic substance to all aquatic organisms. The aquarium filter contains nitrifying bacteria that converts the ammonia released by the fish into Nitrite (NO₂). Nitrite is also poisonous to fish as it binds with hemoglobin in the fish’s blood, reducing its capacity to transport oxygen.
The nitrifying bacteria further converts the nitrite into nitrate (NO₃). Although nitrate is not toxic to fish, long-term exposure can stress them, making them more susceptible to diseases. This is why you’re always expected to keep the tank clean.
The presence of cloudy water in the tank indicates poor aquarium conditions. When the water becomes dirty, it will deprive your fish of oxygen and make them swim upside down.
Remedy for Poor Aquarium Conditions
Here are tips to eradicate poor aquarium conditions and ensure your fish has the right conditions to prevent swimming upside down.
Check the Water Parameters Regularly
Water parameters are essential for the survival of your pleco. These parameters include pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. It’s advisable to check the water parameters once a week or more often if you have many fish in your aquarium.
You should maintain the pH between 7 and 8 and the temperature between 23 and 27°C.
A simple way to check the water’s pH level is by using the API Aquarium Test Kit. The kit contains a glass test tube with a drip tip and color-coded glass solution bottles. Using the kit is easy; you just need to put a sample of water in the bottle, shake it well and read the results accordingly.
Factor in Water Changes
Regular water changes are another way to resolve poor aquarium conditions that may lead to pleco fish swimming upside down.
You should change at least 10% of the water in your tank every week. You can also make larger changes once a month to keep the water clean and safe for your fish.
Before making a water change, ensure you have an efficient filtration system that removes harmful chemicals from the aquarium water.
Moreover, you shouldn’t use tap water as it contains chlorine. Chlorine kills the living cells of a fish. It also damages the sensitive gills and skin.
If you must use tap water, it’s advisable to dechlorinate it by allowing it to stay for 24 hours before using it for water changes. Using a dechlorinator will ensure your fish is not exposed to chlorine.
An API tap water conditioner is an effective dechlorinator for an aquarium. This tool ensures that the water is free of chlorine and safe for your fish.
Install an Aquarium Heater
Temperature control is one of the most critical factors for an optimum aquatic environment. Plecos are tropical fish that need warm water to thrive and survive. Thus, you should install an aquarium heater to maintain the ideal temperature in your aquarium.
You’ll have to heat up your tank manually if you don’t have an aquarium heater. This is costly and stressful for your fish since you may not attain the right temperature for the fish.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Causes Bloat in Plecos?
The main causes of bloat in plecos are overfeeding, poor quality water, and low-quality diet. Bloating in plecos can also arise from infections and parasites. Therefore, it’s always advisable to consult your veterinarian to find the real cause of the problem through diagnosis.
Final Thoughts
A pleco fish swimming upside down indicates that all is not well.
You must check and identify the problem before devising an appropriate solution. Failure to take the necessary action can lead to the death of the fish.
