Is it normal...

[Mari]

for my opaline gourami to periodically take air from the surface of the tank?

this is my first gourami and Ive had him for like 4 months now, and he has always done this...it doesn't seem to have any effect in his growth, eating, and daily foraging for food, but it just seems he goes down to the bottom of the tank to forage, and then swims up quickly and gets air which he passes through his gills on his way back down. He's been healthy...doubled his size almost from when I got him...not fat, just normal, and I do have a bubbler and a filter running at all times. He just swims up to the surface, gets air, bubbles and thats that...

is this normal gourami behavior, or is there something wrong?

He's in with tiger barbs and cardinal tetras, in a 20 gal high

[Christine]

Gouramis are labyrinth fish and do therefore breathe surface air

[Mari]

yay! glad to hear it

He loves playing with my new bubbler too... I just got one of those bubblers that hold air and open up and let it out...the fish love it...they swim through the big bubbles and play

thanks for the help!

[Ringo]

and bettas are not the only fish that go up and take in air, cory cats do to.
ever wonder why they just all of a sudden go up to the top? well thats why, cause they have a parial labryth organ too!
(i just found out a few days ago, and i thought that, that was the coolest thing!)

[Mari]

that's cool... I actually like the fact that he goes up for air. He looks awesome in my tank...and is always the first fish to get noticed (of course, he is the biggest lol)

thanks for the info and the help