# Fish "Yawning" and rubbing sand



## newcichlidmom (Feb 4, 2016)

Hello, 
I just got 3 baby African Cichlids, they are my first. I have had them just 2 days. They are only an inch or so and one is smaller. They are in a fully cycled (had fish in tank before) 20 gallon Long for the time being. The PH is around 7.5 and the ammonia is 0 so are nitrite and nitrate. I know its strange but after my tanks cycle I always have 0 nitrate, it comes from the tap that way. 2 of the babies are "yawning" and one is rubbing his side on the sand. I have dosed the tank with Stability, as I always start new fish in the tank with this. I am wondering if they are showing signs of parasites. I have a bottle of PraziPro on hand but would need to do a large wc in order to use it, Is it too soon to do that, given the fact that they have just moved in? I want to raise healthy fishes but I have never had cichlids so I don't know about their behaviors yet. The fish are showing no ICh or visible signs of illness.


----------



## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

Yawning from time to time is normal. A fish that does this constantly is a cause for concern. Flashing or rubbing on rocks or substrate is also normal to a certain extent. Ph and hardness changes are often causes, so you often see this following water changes when levels sometimes fluctuate.
How long was the tank empty after removing the old fish?
Nitrate is often 0ppm from the tap. How are you measuring nitrate in the tank?
I wouldn't medicate just yet, it's likely that you're just seeing normal behavior.


----------

