Question:And why do they float at all, when live fish can choose their depth?
Answers:
Actually, when a fish first dies it will not float. It will sink to the bottom. The gases that are released by any dead body are what will make the fish float eventually, in the same way a dead human body will float.
The gases will form into the largest available empty space, usually around the stomach. This air pulls the fish up to the surface and since the belly contains most of the air, it sticks up.
If a fish is floating in a tank upside down though, it's been dead for quite some time.
When the die they drown, they fill with water and lose buoyancy.
Gases in their belly bring them to the surface, I belive.
you could check out google! : )
because when they die they are still filled with air
well its jut like people they float becuase they have air in thre body or cuz of there swim bladder
and live fish have control of depth
maybe because they are light when they died......
Sometimes fish will stay on the bottom when dead. I suppose since it is no longer alive, it gets some rigor in it like we do, and that would add weight to the body. My guess, and I'm certainly no marine biologist, but I'm guessing the ones that float have air trapped in thier swim bladder still, and the ones that have sunk to the bottom have the air released. That's my guess on it.
JV
fish float upsode down when they die because they have air sacks right bhind their gills and they are filled with air and they flip and float to the top. sometimes they dont float because they might be too hevy for their air sac to make them float, like oscar fish but a gold fish most likely will float
Live fish float due to old rancid food and or high nitrates (over 40ppm).
Rancid food being #1 reason.
Flakes go bad in a week and are the poorest of quality
Pellets go bad in a month
frozen food goes bad in 3 months.
Nitrates should be maintained under 20 ppm at all times.
Dead fish float because they died of poor tank maintenece.
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