Why are my cichlids rubbing on everything

[cichlidguy14]

My cichlids are rubbing on everything in the tank I know its noe ich because they don't have white spots but I'm not sure if its velvet or something else. Its really freaking me out any help would be great

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[rockyofhockey]

Hate to say it but it could be just early stages of ich.... Sometimes the white spots don't develop until later

 

[Iamtechno13]

How often are they doing it? It's called flashing and it can be caused by a number of things. If it happens once or twice a day probably nothing to be worried about but if they are doing it fairly regularly, try to figure out what is causing them to do it.

 

[cichlidguy14]

Some of them do it like once a day others go on a rubbing rampage they swim really fast and run on all the stuff I looked at the fish that is doing it the most and it looks just fine to me and they are only rubbing the front half of themselves

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[Iamtechno13]

How long has the tank been up? What kind of cichlids/fish are they? Any changes in water parameters recently?

 

[cichlidguy14]

The tank has been up since the begining of july ,zebras and peacocks and a johanni and I haven't checked the parameters Recently i need to buy a new tester

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[alyxandria]

Mine do this too. So do my boyfriends. Figured it was just a normal thing. Is it?


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[Iamtechno13]

Since the beginning of July, so a little over a month. So the tank is still fairly new may not be 100% cycled leading to shift in certain parameters making them uncomfortable which could lead to flashing. If the pH shifts, that may cause it as well. How long after setting up the tank were the fish introduced, were all the fish put in at the same time, has anything been introduced into the tank recently?

 

[Iamtechno13]

It could be that they're just uncomfortable due to certain water conditions (pH, temp, ammonia, etc...) as well as parasites or other nasty little creatures.

 

[alyxandria]

My ammonia is zero and so are my nitrites it's just my nitrates now that I'm working on getting down. Probably uncomfortable water conditions in my case.


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[cichlidguy14]

I do t think I waited long enough before putting in the fish and I got a new fish the other day she the rubbing wasn't as Intense so what do I do?

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[cichlidguy14]

,* when I stead of she sorry typo

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[Iamtechno13]

Yeah I had a couple tanks in which my fish were doing that from time to time and I was a little nervous thinking I had some parasite or something. Everything turned out to be just fine and every once and awhile I'll see a fish do it but maybe once a week that I see. Once the fish are comfortable in a well established tank they shouldn't really be doing to often to not at all.

 

[cichlidguy14]

Ugh I keep forgetting stuff. No all the fidsh didn't get added at the same time

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[Iamtechno13]

Probably just the tank isn't completely cycled leading to little shifts in water parameters, it's hard to say without a test kit as well as not knowing what the param's were previously. There isn't much you can do but wait for the tank to finish cycling. How often do you change the water and and how much water do you change at once?

 

[Iamtechno13]

I never used to believe in those products that help cycle the tank until recently as I've had great success with Brightwell Aquatcis FlorinBacter and MicroBacter7 to help speed up tanks. I've picked up to many fish at the last auction and alsto a bottle of FlorinBacter and used to help cycle the tank by chance and cylced multiple tanks without any losses and barely any ammonia spike before the tanks were totally cycled. Great stuff

 

[cichlidguy14]

OK so just wait for it to cycle through ad keep checking for spots

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[Iamtechno13]

Yup, once everything is cycled and more stable, everything should be fine. Just make sure you are checking on them regularly and if you do start to see spots or anything develop than go from there but as long as you're doing regular water changes and aren't overfeeding, nitrites or ammonia or anything should get to crazy and you'll be good.

 

[cichlidguy14]

Awesome thank you I'm so glad

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[gilpi]

I don't think fish rubbing and darting into the gravel is "normal" for them, I've only had fish do this when they're relatively new purchase not knowing where they came from and condition. I just did a tank with 14 mixed small african cichlids, tank has been established/cycled for years using two canisters.
Just about all of them are rubbing occasionally on the gravel, I'm also thinking they do this in the beginning stages of ich?
I figure I'd get all the fish I wanted at once, treat them (if need be) and let them grow.
So far I had them for about a week and I'm doing daily small partial water changes with the temperature set at 80-82f feeding them well, this has worked well for me in the past for most common fish diseases including ich without having to use meds.
After a few weeks I reduce the temp back to around 76F.



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