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Why Fish Poop Is Floating In Your Aquarium!

There are a huge number of people within the fish keeping community who are brand new to the hobby right now and with the popularity of keeping pet fish constantly increasing, there are always new people getting involved.

This is why we see so many different questions from people about caring for their pet fish as best they can with so many beginners wanting to learn as much as possible as fast as possible and this is great to see.

One question that we have seen people asking is about fish poop floating in their aquarium tanks with this often causing confusion.

We have actually seen a number of heated discussions about fish poop floating on social media recently and this is due to there actually being multiple things that can cause fish poop to float rather than just one.

Because of this, we have decided to publish this article going over our thoughts on the topic as well as share the more common reasons that fish poop may float in your aquarium.

Is Fish Poop Supposed To Float?

The first thing that we want to touch on is the fact that people often seem to think that there is something wrong with their fish or aquarium when they see poop floating.

In reality, this is actually a very normal thing and it really isn’t anything to worry about in most cases as long as you are maintaining good water quality levels in your aquarium.

The only time that you should really start to worry about fish poop floating is if it starts happening on a regular basis or if the fish appear to be in distress for some other reason.

Common Reasons For Fish Poop To Float!

Now that we have covered the fact that seeing fish poop float occasionally is perfectly normal, we want to go over some of the more common reasons that this may happen so that you can try to avoid it if possible.

One thing to remember is that not all of these may apply to your aquarium as there are different setups and different species of fish kept by hobbyists.

This list is simply meant to give you a general idea of potential causes for fish poop to float.

Low Quality Food

One of the most common reasons that fish poop may float is due to the diet that the fish are being fed.

If the diet is not balanced or if the food is not high quality, it can cause a number of different issues including constipation which can lead to floating poop.

This is commonly due to the poop having excess gas in it due to low quality ingredients in the fish food causing the poop of the fish to float.

In some cases, your fish may actually be finding food in its tank while foraging causing the excess gas and its poop to float.

This means algae and detritus in your tank may actually be the problem, not your primary fish food formula.

Constipation

As we briefly touched on above, constipation is actually a very common reason for fish poop to float and this is something that you will want to look out for if you start seeing more floating poop than usual.

There are a number of different things that can cause constipation in fish including a low quality diet, not enough water changes, and even certain medications.

If you think that your fish may be constipated, the best thing to do is to try feeding them a high quality diet and doing more water changes to see if that helps.

Certain Medications

Another potential reason for fish poop to float is due to certain medications that the fish may be taking.

Some medications can cause constipation which we covered above and this can lead to floating poop.

If you are using any medications in your aquarium, it is always a good idea to research them thoroughly before using them to make sure that they will not have any adverse effects on your fish.

A Change In Diet

One final reason that we want to mention for why fish poop may float is due to a change in diet.

If you have recently changed the diet of your fish, it can take a little while for their digestive system to adjust to the new food.

During this time, you may see more floating poop than usual but it should eventually go away once their digestive system has adjusted.

Stress And Anxiety

We also wanted to briefly touch on the fact that stress and anxiety can sometimes cause fish poop to float.

If your fish are stressed or anxious, it can lead to a number of different health issues including constipation which we covered above.

There are a number of different things that can cause stress and anxiety in fish including a change in their environment, too much noise, and even aggression from other fish.

If you think that your fish may be stressed or anxious, the best thing to do is to try to provide them with a calm and peaceful environment.

You can do this by making sure that their tank is set up properly, providing hiding places for them, and avoiding any sudden changes to their environment.

Internal Parasites

Finally, we wanted to mention that internal parasites can sometimes cause fish poop to float.

If your fish have parasites, it can cause a number of different health issues including constipation which we covered above.

There are a number of different ways that fish can get parasites including being exposed to contaminated water, eating infected food, and even coming in contact with other infected fish.

If you think that your fish may have parasites, the best thing to do is to take them to a veterinarian who can diagnose and treat the problem.