Constant Flicking

[joshrm115]

One of my fish has been flicking allot in mid swim on rocks he is still eating and doesn't have ick at least I don't think water temp remains stable other stats r good what could this be why all the flicking I kno its not a mating shiver or a dominate thing so I have no ideas

 

[AvidD]

The "flicking" you mention is commonly referred to as flashing & fish do it when they are experiencing skin irritation usually as a result of a skin condition or parasites attacking their skin (Ich is one such parasite). It can take awhile before you start seeing the tell tale signs of Ich (white spots on fins & scales) & by then it has progressed quite a bit. If I were you, I'd keep observing my fish & if they keep flashing on rocks & decor, I'd treat them for Ich with salt just as a precaution. 1 tsp of salt per gallon of water & bumping the water temp up to 82° - 85° F for 2 - 3 weeks should do it. Start with just 1 tsp of salt per gallon & see how the fish react to it, if you don't see any adverse effects then go ahead and up the dose to 2 tsp per gallon. Make sure to remember to add whatever salt you remove during water changes back to the tank (i.e. 10 gallon water change = add 10 - 20 tsp of salt back in). This should put the flashing to rest.

Also, if you have live plants in the tank you might want to remove them & treat them with a mild bleach solution rather than salt, the salt might cause some of your more sensitive specimens to "melt".

Good luck

 

[elisew]

My fish did the same after the first couple of days in my tank but it stopped after another day or 2, so after speaking to the guy I bought them from we just put it down to the fact that my water was completely different to the water they`d come from and it was causing a small amount of irritation.

As has been said, do keep an eye on them just in case you begin to see whitespot in the tank. IF you choose to treat it by raising the temperature (slowly) do make sure you create more agitation on the surface of the water because high temps will cause oxygen in the water to deplete. I personally have never used salt to treat my tank on the odd occasion the fish have had whitespot, I have used 'Waterlife' Protozin Whitespot and fungus treatment and the whitespot has cleared up really well, half dose the tank if there are 'unarmoured' bottom dwellers in the tank though such as certain plecs.

IF you choose to use salt you can use epsom salts, this salt can be used for all sorts of injuries and other problems and it`s added at the ratio of 48 teaspoons to 100 gallons. Dissolve it in hot water, leave to cool then add to tank.

The flashing could also be shows of dominace between some of your fish too but if you give it a couple of days you should have some idea for definite i.e signs of whitespot or not

 

[AvidD]

Yeah I'm personally not a fan of using after market meds for treating Ich just because some of them can be pretty harsh & IME do more harm than good. In addition I keep a lot of tetras & stuff like Malachite Green, QuICK Cure, etc, are too harsh on them & call to be used at half strength on them.

I just use plain old table salt but that's just because I always have it handy for other purposes besides treating Ick (i.e. sodium chloride disinfecting solutions etc) & my fish haven't experienced any ill effects from it. You can use Epsom salt instead of table salt like elisew suggested. It will cost a bit more but it's worth the peace of mind if you think your fish will have adverse reactions to salt treatment.

elisew also made a couple of good amendments to my suggestion. 1.) If you're raising the water temp make sure to increase surface agitation with a powerhead, airstone etc. to compensate for O2 depletion and 2.) Don't just add the salt into the tank, dissolve it in water first & then add. I just remove a few gallons from the tank I'm treating (usually 5 because I use 5 gallon buckets). I then take a bucket, fill it with water, add dechlor & salt & aerate it for a few hours. Then add the bucket to the tank about 1/2 a gallon at a time spread out over the course of a few hours (2 - 3).

 

[joshrm115]

Awsome advice every one thank u all I will do just that

 

[bullit]

What are your water parametres?

 

[kiriyama]

Was going to ask about water parameters, I notice the odd Tropheus doing it just as a water change is due, usually fine afterwards though. I add a teaspoon of good old aquarium salt in when I'm doing a water change. Another thing to look into is the substrate used ? If it's coral gravel or coral sand it can dissolve and cause some discomfort in the gills.
Cheers, Sean

 

[joshrm115]

Ph is 7.9 ammona 0 nitrate 0 water temp 80 and there is rock in the tank

 

[elisew]

Ph is 7.9 ammona 0 nitrate 0 water temp 80 and there is rock in the tank

It`s very rare to see 0 nitrate and you`ve no reading for nitrite?? What test are you using and is it in date?

 

[joshrm115]

Oups my bad nitrate is reading about a 8 and nitrite is 0 they r still flicking so I added some conditioner and some kordon disease treatment so I hope this will be it