royal gramma is scratching

[quinnfish]

My royal gramma has been with us for about a week. We noticed right off that he would go to the bottom and rub his side on the rockbed. We didn't think anything of it, thought he was checking out the new place. We have since noticed that he does this regularly, along with scratching his body against the rocks and plants in the aquarium. I looked this behavior up and seems we most likely have some type of parasite. I don't have a quarantine tank, I don't know what my options are. The fresh water dip sounds really confusing. What do I do?

 

[taillonjohn]

can't advise if we don't know what kinda parasite. Are their any physical signs (white dots on the fish, etc...). What size tank, water parameters, how old is your tank..... the more info you can provide, the more people can help

 

[quinnfish]

nothing visibly wrong with the fish.

30 gallon tank, 2 1/2 months old, fish only.

All my water tests are great. I have two cardinals, one cleaner shrimp and 15 snails. Five of the snails were added within the last two weeks. The only problem I've had with any fish was an aggressive dottyback that tried to eat my cardinal. He went back to the store.

 

[taillonjohn]

wish I could help but I don't know whats wrong. Hope someone else can help. I have a royal gramma for a year now, and I've never seen mine scratch against the rocks like that. Good luck to you

 

[taillonjohn]

maybe try the marine fish aquariums forunm, there is also a fish health forumn here... maybe have more luck there

 

[jap1]

It sounds like the beginning stages of ich. My clown did the same when I first got her almost a year ago. She got it REALLY bad. It's best and easiest just to quarantine the fish. Just go buy yourself a cheap little 10 gallon tank kit. You can get a setup that'll work just fine for around $40 just about anywhere. Bare bottom is best, so you don't even need to buy sand or gravel. I treated mine naturally, using garlic soaked shrimp, and some medications to her food, metrodizanole and focus. It took almost a month, but she made it. If you are going to run copper, which is very effective, you NEED to use the quarantine tank, because once you run copper, it gets into the caulking and plastics of the tank and will forever kill invertebrates and corals. Even if you don't dose copper, having them in a quarantine tank in a back room with the lights out and some pvc pipe and some fake plants to hide in creates an environment with a lot less stress. That will speed up the process. ANOTHER reason for QT is so that the parasite in your main tank can run its cycle without infected fish to host to. Ich can take around a month I believe. I left my clown in QT for 2 months just to be on the safe side. Good luck.