Hello
Over the past week; I have noticed a few of my cichlids occasionally flashing (rubbing their sides against rocks / the substrate), even though they show no visible signs of parasites or illness no clamped fins, spots, or rapid breathing. Water parameters are stable and in the ideal range: ammonia/nitrites at 0, nitrates under 20 ppm, pH around 7.6. They're eating well and displaying normal social behavior; so I’m puzzled about what could be causing this.
I recently did a minor re-scape of the tank and added some driftwood (boiled and soaked beforehand), which makes me wonder could this be a delayed reaction to changes in the tank’s chemistry?Or maybe even low-level stress from shifting territories? I've read that micro-irritants like fine sediment or leaching tannins can cause mild flashing without leading to full-blown illness. I'm hesitant to treat the tank blindly without understanding the root cause. Checked https://www.capitalcichlids.org/forums/forums/general-fish-talk.32/Snowflake Course guide related to this and found it quite informative.
Has anyone here seen similar behavior in an otherwise healthy group? I’d really appreciate thoughts before I jump into meds or salt baths. Also, is there a good way to monitor for very early stages of external parasites that don’t present visually? Thanks in advance for any advice—trying to stay proactive but cautious.
Thank you!
Over the past week; I have noticed a few of my cichlids occasionally flashing (rubbing their sides against rocks / the substrate), even though they show no visible signs of parasites or illness no clamped fins, spots, or rapid breathing. Water parameters are stable and in the ideal range: ammonia/nitrites at 0, nitrates under 20 ppm, pH around 7.6. They're eating well and displaying normal social behavior; so I’m puzzled about what could be causing this.
I recently did a minor re-scape of the tank and added some driftwood (boiled and soaked beforehand), which makes me wonder could this be a delayed reaction to changes in the tank’s chemistry?
Or maybe even low-level stress from shifting territories? I've read that micro-irritants like fine sediment or leaching tannins can cause mild flashing without leading to full-blown illness. I'm hesitant to treat the tank blindly without understanding the root cause. Checked https://www.capitalcichlids.org/forums/forums/general-fish-talk.32/Snowflake Course guide related to this and found it quite informative.Has anyone here seen similar behavior in an otherwise healthy group? I’d really appreciate thoughts before I jump into meds or salt baths. Also, is there a good way to monitor for very early stages of external parasites that don’t present visually? Thanks in advance for any advice—trying to stay proactive but cautious.
Thank you!
