# Cichlids "glancing" on the bottom



## JoshMKB24 (Mar 10, 2018)

Did a search and found some good info. The most common was "ich" and the other was it being just typical behavior.

I looked closely at the fish and none of them have any scratches or white dots or anything visible. I know not everything is visible to me, but upon human non expert visual inspection no one seems sick. Water is clear now(thanks DJRansome!) Water temp is 79.2 & all other water levels look good.

I thought it was just the males asserting themselves as they are all pretty young, but then I noticed the females doing it as well. I'm guessing its more just "normal behavior" because there are a few bare spots in the tank with no rocks and just sand, but they only do it right in the front of the tank. I don't want to throw a bunch of chemicals in there if I don't have to, but I also want the little guys to be happy & healthy! Is there anything else I can look for, for better clarity on if its them just being fish doing fish things, or something more serious. Thanks!


----------



## Ichthys (Apr 21, 2016)

One thing it isn't is normal behaviour. Its either a parasite such as ich, water (ammonia, nitrite or some other toxin), or, quite commonly, internal worms.


----------



## Old Newbie (Feb 18, 2017)

Is this in an established tank? What are your test results for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate? Have you added any new fish that were not quarantined recently? What are you using to remove chlorine/Chloramine? When fish are "flashing" or "glancing" it is usually because they are irritated in some way.


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

My fish flash when they are feeling frisky and showing off. But it is an occasional thing...if it is constant then it could indicate a problem. Females can feel frisky and show off too.

Chemicals are often the CAUSE of this...don't add anything unless you diagnose an illness.

What are your test results for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?


----------



## JoshMKB24 (Mar 10, 2018)

DJRansome said:


> My fish flash when they are feeling frisky and showing off. But it is an occasional thing...if it is constant then it could indicate a problem. Females can feel frisky and show off too.
> 
> Chemicals are often the CAUSE of this...don't add anything unless you diagnose an illness.
> 
> What are your test results for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?


Its not constant I don't think. I don't watch them all the time, but even when I am watching them its not constant. It seems to me to be the female Lemon Jakes and the 2 male Mbenji peacocks.

Not really an established tank, I set it up a little over a month ago. Nitrate/nitrite levels are both around 0. I checked ammonia 2 weeks ago, but can't remember it off the top of my head and will check when I get home. I don't remember it being high though.

I use the API Quick Start when I 1st started the tank and then added a little bit when I did a small water change as I sucked up a lot of the poop off the bottom.


----------



## Old Newbie (Feb 18, 2017)

Hopefully you are de-chlorinating your water when doing water changes; chlorine burns the fish and will cause them to flash. Hopefully they are just feeling frisky.


----------



## JoshMKB24 (Mar 10, 2018)

Old Newbie said:


> Hopefully you are de-chlorinating your water when doing water changes; chlorine burns the fish and will cause them to flash. Hopefully they are just feeling frisky.


Definitely


----------



## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Definitely check for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate when you test. The fact you have zero nitrate may mean the tank isn't cycled yet.


----------



## JoshMKB24 (Mar 10, 2018)

Ammonia between 0-.25


----------



## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Do you not have test kits for nitrite and nitrate?


----------



## fish_gazer (Nov 9, 2017)

My fish do that from time to time but I dismissed it as them just flexin' as they "strolled" by since nothing else was amiss. Now I'm all like I have to go buy all the chemicals, and USE them (not really).


----------



## JoshMKB24 (Mar 10, 2018)

Deeda said:


> Do you not have test kits for nitrite and nitrate?


Yeah, Nitrate between 0-20 and nitrite between 0-.5

Chlorine was at 0.

Alkalinity was at 180



fish_gazer said:


> My fish do that from time to time but I dismissed it as them just flexin' as they "strolled" by since nothing else was amiss. Now I'm all like I have to go buy all the chemicals, and USE them (not really).


Haha I am hoping that is what it is! Just them strolling by and showing that peacock swag :dancing:


----------



## JoshMKB24 (Mar 10, 2018)

So I'm fairly confident I don't have ich. I spent like an hour staring into the tank. It was long enough the fish all came out to the front of the tank and stared at me too hah. None of them had white specks on their fins or around their gills. One of the male Mbenji peacocks looked like he possibly had some lighter spots on his face..........but from what I understand ich is very white little specks. This looked more like just a lighter shaded dot. Other than that, there was nothing visible to me that would indicate ich.

Also, I want to say that if I made it sound like they do this all the time that is not the case. Lets say I watch them 3 hours/day while I'm working/eating. I will see them do it maybe 3 times. Just one of them will swim by and then a quick dip into the sandy surface. I would probably be a very overprotective parent if I had kids


----------



## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Which test kit brand and type are you using?

The presence of minimal amounts of ammonia and nitrite may be causing the 'flashing' or glancing of the fish. This is a relatively new tank set up so I suggest a 50% water change to get those levels down, don't forget to use dechlorinator.


----------



## JoshMKB24 (Mar 10, 2018)

Deeda said:


> Which test kit brand and type are you using?
> 
> The presence of minimal amounts of ammonia and nitrite may be causing the 'flashing' or glancing of the fish. This is a relatively new tank set up so I suggest a 50% water change to get those levels down, don't forget to use dechlorinator.


API Freshwater Master kit

I was sort of thinking that there would always be minimal amounts of ammonia and nitrites just because there are living things in the water. Like the fish are going to poop, so wouldn't there always be at least a little?

However if you think a 50% water change would help. I could probably do it this weekend.


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

The nitrites and ammonia should be absolute zero unless your dechlor creates a reading of 0.25.

Nitrates are the only thing that is expected.


----------



## JoshMKB24 (Mar 10, 2018)

DJRansome said:


> The nitrites and ammonia should be absolute zero unless your dechlor creates a reading of 0.25.
> 
> Nitrates are the only thing that is expected.


I guess I could take it in to get tested at like Petsmart. I was just reading what it said on the side of the container of the color of the liquids after you mixed it.

Here is a picture of the only fish that looks like anything is wrong with him. I thought it was ich, but every pic of ich I've seen has been tiny very white specs. This seems more blotchy.

I've never had cichlids that grew up before my eyes, all the others I've owned or seen have been adults already. Is that just him changing color or does he have the itis??? Hah. No other fish have those weird spots and he isn't actually 1 of the ones glancing. I can also say tonight I sat in front of the tank for the last like 3.5 hrs and not 1 of them glanced on the bottom


----------



## JoshMKB24 (Mar 10, 2018)

So Carlos's head is clearing up. He had those weird marks for like a week, but they are definitely disappearing. Makes me think that he either ran into a rock(I did my best to put in rocks without any sharp corners/edges they could injure themselves) or he got attacked by a tankmate hah.

I spent last night viewing the tank and did notice 2 of the female Lemon Jakes glancing a bit, but no one else and it was just like 2x. I also changed part of the water as I did some spot maintenance and sucked up some debris. I replaced about 10 gallons.


----------

