Don’t you think aquatic animals are the luckiest because they can’t drown? I mean, you could be a fish right now swimming through the ocean without worrying about drowning. But can fish never really drown? Here’s what I read.
Can Fish Drown or Suffocate?
A fish can never technically drown due to its water content. However, it’s safe to say that fish can suffocate on both land and water due to a lack of oxygen. Like humans, fish need oxygen to survive. To get oxygen in the water, fish must swim to breathe air from its gills. They work as lungs for fish and provide oxygen.
Most fish can survive even when their fins are damaged, or they stop swimming. However, this is only possible when they continuously breathe from their mouths to absorb oxygen. Sharks must swim constantly to avoid drowning in water.
How Do Fish Breathe in Water?
Fish use gills to breathe underwater. Since the amount of oxygen in the air is greater than the oxygen from water, fish require more oxygen to survive. They extract oxygen molecules from the water through their gills, which transfer them directly into their system.
Gills are tiny filaments that directly pass oxygen to the bloodstream, like human lungs. The larger the vessels, the more oxygen can be transferred across the body. This helps them take dissolved oxygen from the water and release carbon dioxide back into the water.
Factors That Contribute to Drowning In Fish
Fish can suffocate in water due to multiple factors. The most common concerns include:
Oxygen Deprivation
As mentioned, fish extract oxygen from the water, which helps them breathe. If the water has low oxygen levels, the fish will be unable to get enough oxygen to survive.
However, some species of fish can survive without oxygen for long. For example, the largest freshwater fish, the Arapaima, can take in oxygen from the air through its swim bladder and survive 24 hours without water.
Chemicals
Most aquarium fish are exposed to high amounts of ammonia and nitrate, which can lead to diseases and unnatural drowning. The toxic chemicals also hinder the fish’s ability to swim properly, affecting its gills and internal organs.
Poor Water Quality
Poor water quality can disrupt dissolved oxygen levels, causing fish to suffocate and inhale excessive nutrients, harming their well-being.
High Temperature
Most dead fish are found in summer. Even though fish can extract oxygen from water, they find it difficult to do the same in high temperatures.
Algae
The larger the vegetation, the higher the chances of low oxygen in the water. Algae and other live plants absorb oxygen at night, especially in summer. This means that fish and other aquatic mammals don’t get enough oxygen to survive.
Signs of Fish Suffocation
Thanks to the polluted environment, fish have evolved and become adaptable to many harsh conditions. But there can be some signs to determine fish suffocation, such as:
Fish Gills
In most cases, when fish are not able to extract oxygen from water better, their gills swell or become damaged. This happens due to the increased activity of capillaries in absorbing more oxygen.
However, inflamed gills cannot be considered the sole reason for fish drowning. They can indicate underlying health issues or strong water flow.
Loss of Appetite
A fish might stop showing interest in food when it has difficulty breathing. This can be an indicator that the fish tank doesn’t have enough dissolved oxygen or that the fish is experiencing discomfort that could be due to other reasons.
Motionless Fish
Fish are active throughout the day when they have an adequate oxygen supply. However, if the dissolved oxygen level in your water becomes low, it slows down the fish respiration process.
To save energy, they might slow down their movement to use less oxygen and thus become motionless.
Gasping & Gagging
Fish can also breathe heavily to get more oxygen. If your fish is gasping or breathing too fast, it can be a sign of low oxygen levels that could drown it after overexertion. Many fish also go to the surface to breathe oxygen directly from the air.
How To Save a Drowning Fish
If you see a fish drowning, the first thing to do is use an air pump and clean the surface water to allow the fish to pump water to its gill and absorb more oxygen. The fish will suffocate naturally if the water parameters (temperature and pH) do not match the particular fish species, so make sure to check and maintain them.
Also, if the fish keep dying one after the other in a community tank, separate the healthier fish gently and put them in cold, fresh water.
If things get out of hand, visit an experienced Veterinarian who could better handle the situation.
How To Improve Low Oxygen Levels in An Aquarium
Now you know that fish can drown when there are low oxygen levels. But how to increase that? Here’s what I like to do for my tropical fish:
Add a water filter or pump to regulate water daily.
Perform water changes weekly or once every three days if needed to filter out any clogged impurities from the water.
Add fewer plants and more substrate to reduce oxygen consumption.
Avoid warmer water that can affect oxygen production and maintain a temperature between 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
So, Can Fish Actually Drown?
Fish are aquatic animals. They extract necessary oxygen from water through a process called countercurrent exchange. This oxygen absorption is done through gills and helps get oxygen back into the body.
To ensure the fish get oxygen, maintain suitable temperatures and water conditions to keep it healthy and happy.
