iching body on the gravel is it ick?

[dillonmetsch]

I noticed that my rainbow shark was rubbing his body on the gravel ive heard that could be signs of ick however i also researched it and it says ick kills in 7~10 days and this has been going on longer than that but after a while i noticed other fish in the tank doing it as well but theres no white specs or color change on there scales also ph levels and other water conditions are stable i had it tested yesterday i treated the water with a stresszyme to help slimecoat but theyre still scratching the gravel and my tank is brand new its a 55 gal what could this be?

 

[BettaGal]

Post your exact numbers. How are you testing? Do you have your own test kit? Is it liquid or strips? Take a flashlight and shine it on the fishes' bodies. There are other parasites than ick, and some of them are hard to see without the flashlight. Also rubbing can be a sign of ammonia poisoning.

 

[dillonmetsch]

Ill get my numbers up asap but im using test strips

 

[molliwopp]

Rubbing, scratching and thrashing can also be a sign of gill flukes.

 

[Cornstar]

How is your temperature? Sometimes Ich may not show until later stages.

 

[dillonmetsch]

Temp is at 76

 

[dillonmetsch]

What are gill flukes

 

[molliwopp]

What are gill flukes

Paracites that attach themselves in the gills of fish. Nasty little things if untreated but with the right meds can be cured. 'Try' to work out what your fish may have before treating them though, sometimes it can be quite hard i know.

Have a look on the internet for the symptoms you describe and try to narrow it down. Theres a site i found awhile ago with alot of the common illnesses and paracites fishes get and their symps, but for the life of me i cant find it.

 

[Oceangirl]

How new is your tank? Could be nitrite poisoning too.

 

[dillonmetsch]

i just got it about 3weeks ago what would cause that?

 

[dillonmetsch]

But i don't think its flukes they're having no trouble breathing i don't see any increased respiration or inflamation around the gills I'm going to treat for ick and hope that works for now

 

[Oceangirl]

Did you cycle your tank before adding fish?(see article in my signature) What are your numbers exactly? What are you using to treat ICK? When was your last water change? Water conditioner?