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Why is my freshwater tropical fish rubbing his body on the gravel in the tank2007-11-24 23:44:01

*i am not sure of sex

*there are no white/yellow/grey specs on him

*this fish is in a community tank with 20 other fish

*he looks totally normal and acts normal..except for this

* im not sure what it is..chiclid of some kind..( orange with black markings)

~please >READ< the question..lol.and answer it :)

Answers:

he likes doing that? O.o

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Cuz it feels good.

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well i am guessing he is a platty.

Well my silver dollars do that all the time.

Looking for food in the gravel.

Nothing strange about it.

Thx

Bif

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I agree with Bif partially -

searching for food/or trying to rid themselves of bacteria - if it is a male he could be trying to guard eggs.

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Actually that's quite typically behavior if it's a cichlid. But watch it closely if you see any sign of white spots you need to get some ick medicine. Also cichlids like it warm 76-80, just make sure you do 25% water changes about every 2 weeks if you have that many fish in your tank.

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He probably has aquatic herpes or another similar infection of the scales.

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That behavior is usually indicative of parasites, many of which cannot be seen by the eye. Do you keep a little salt in your tank? This will usually keep parasites at bay. (1 tbsp per 10 gallons of water) I have seen fish do this just cause it feels good. ;-)

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they need to scratch there stomach

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Early signs of ich. He is trying to get rid of the parasite. Try adding salt for freshwater fish at one tablespoon for every 5 gallons. It will kill the ich and thicken the fish's slime coat so they can no longer bother them. The salt will not affect the beneficial bacteria in your tank like all other medications will.