Fish Keeps Flashing

[AeonMapa]

My young electric blue Dempsey is going through bouts of flashing from time to time. About a month ago when I got him he'd flash once a week or so, and just once. Now though he does it every few days and its accompanied by violent shaking. He also hides in his cave more. I did a salt treatment and it seemed to help with the severity of the problem. I also gave him a dose of metronidazole in his food and it stopped for a week. today it started up again though and it seems even worse!! What is happening?0

 

[PrincessKiara]

Flashing? Is he wearing an intermittent transparency cloak? Sorry, couldn't resist. I've always found that term hilarious.
Does he have white sand-like spots on his skin? The salt helping tells me that it might be ich...might wanna try raising the temp a bit.
Hope this helps!
~PK.

 

[Bettabuddy664]

What @PrincesKiara said,
plus, if the salt is helping, it's probably ich. Look for white spots on his side, or signs of weakness.
What are your water parameters?

 

[AeonMapa]

Water parameters are as follows PH 7.5 Nitrates less than 5ppm due to daily 50% wc. He is in a 30 gallon alone. Room temperature here is 30C. No white spots to be seen at all. Fish is very healthy and active otherwise 

 

[WILDER]

Do any fish show these signs.
Darting around the tank, or erratic swimming?
Swimming in a jerky  movement?
Excess slime on gills, fins, or body?
Any tiny red pin prick marks on body, fins?
Do the gills look like there red and inflamed, pale with excess slime, or look like there bleeding.
Do the fish look opaque with excess slime?
Any tiny white spots, or yellow spots.
Do the fish have any signs of a blue film, or grey film on there bodies?
Any signs of a gold dusting, or rusty coloured varnish on fish body?
Any signs of laboured breathing, or gasping at surface of tank?
Have any fish lost weight, or have sunken in bellies?
Been using any chemicals near the tank?
Any pitting on the head region, or lateral line? Example like pencil indents?
 
Sorry for all the questions just trying to understand what's going on.

 

[AeonMapa]

Just a little shaking and flashing from time to time. I have been using a lot of air fresheners cos of the new puppy.I think it may be a water contaminant. Heavy water changes seem to fix it, and it only happens on occasion and the fish isn't slowing down one bit

 

[WILDER]

OK.
Try stop using the air fresher to see if you notice a change. If you do use them cover the tank with a towel.
If there the spray variety.

 

[AeonMapa]

I notice it happens too after eating frozen foods. Any thoughts?

 

[WILDER]

IIs there any debris floating around the tank water. As that can cause flashing?

 

[AeonMapa]

yeah sometimes there a bits of food though I do try and take it all out with daily water changes. update though the fish is still flashing and shaking is getting worse. Also he will sometimes lay on the bottom with erect but also sometimes clamped fins. He swims around jerkily sometimes. Will search the whole tank for food but just over the past few days has been taking to lying in the same corner from time to time. He is still very responsive and eats as much as ever but im worried it could still get worse. Added some salt in the water and the temp is 30C without a heater.
 
No signs of mucus, redness, swelling, holes or any sores

 

[AeonMapa]

So he's hiding a little more often now, and flashing more often as well. I did about a 100% water change (a 50% water change in the morning, 75% change in the afternoon, followed by another 75% change in the evening) and it seemed to get him more lively. There were a lot of fungus covered flakes on the tank bottom but I siphoned it all out. fungus grows on uneaten food really fast in this tank, usually in 24 hours the food is covered in it. I got the sand almost completely clean. I fed him his regular food with extra live earthworms and he still gobbles it all down eagerly. He looked quite sorry this morning but the water changes and big meal got him back to normal. I want to stop this before it gets worse or it might affect his appetite and its probably downhill from there.
 
I also noticed some white coloration on his pectoral fins this morning. I say coloration because it appeared on both fins and only on the pectorals. Also it is along the rays of the fins and not splotchy, raised or spotty.

 

[AeonMapa]

So I notice he tends to flash right after eating, and that stresses him out. When he's hungry he's active and begging for food. Any thoughts?

Heres the fish. I feed hikarinbiogold and ocean nutrition spiraling flakes

 

[WILDER]

Can we take another look at your water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.