Scratching Fish

kiMxD · 03/16/2018, 10:51 AM

Hello folks!

My fish, from time to time, will scratch against rocks or substrate and I don't understand why. Perhaps you have guesses?

Just to make it clear, I do not believe is ich, this has been on and off for about three months. They will scratch for few days then stop for few more days and goes back again.

They've never showed any signs of ich, and I actually treated them a while back for ich (copper and metroplex+focus).

They've never showed any sings of any other diseases.

Never lethargic and always eating well.

This makes me so confused, I am not sure if this could be normal or not, but it happens from time to time without any major change in water parameters.
Any tips?

My tank:
90g reef;
Salinity: 1.025
pH: 8.1
Phosphate: almost none
Alk: 10
Temp: constant 80-80.5
Ammonia: always 0
No2 (nitrite): almost none
No3 (nitrate): almost none

Please, give me your opinions! Thank you!

Uncle99 · 03/16/2018, 08:01 PM

Territory marking?

Joe0813 · 03/16/2018, 08:10 PM

probably ick, even though you did QT with copper the fish tank can still have ick in there unless you put everything through a QT like snails, coral and live rock.

HBtank · 03/17/2018, 06:40 AM

Can depend, I have a few fish that get annoyed particulates/sand if it gets kicked up, and will flash, I personally don’t worry unless it is persistent. But I am talking a few minutes at a time..

Cliving1 · 03/17/2018, 08:24 AM

I would have to say its ich. If you have ever seen ich and the scratch associated, its easily identifiable. I have seen a fish scratch when there was sand disturbed, but that was because of that reason. Can you take pictures of your fish and post them here?

kiMxD · 03/17/2018, 11:02 PM

Thank you all for your replies.
Like I said, I do not believe is ich, my fish never had white spot, their fins and body look perfect, reason why this makes me so confused.

It's not like they're scratching everyday and at all times, this happens sometimes only.

Have you ever experienced such behavior?

Valentini89 · 03/18/2018, 10:15 AM

I have a pair of clowns that will scratch from time to time, pretty much daily. They have been doing it for months now.

LauraGreenImp · 03/18/2018, 10:27 AM

I have had a hippo tang for 7yrs, he loves to do the occasional scratch. He won’t let the cleaner shrimp do their thing, maybe that’s why, but he *definitely* is not sick, period. Not a spot or mark on him, and he’s gone from 2” to 6”+ . Eats like a pig. My ‘reef sensei’ says it’s bc he’s smooth scaled? jme

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

kiMxD · 03/20/2018, 09:48 AM

Thanks guys!

I think it's normal then... I also can guarantee my fish is not sick, they eat like pigs and grew in the last three months as well.

But there is one interesting thing, I returned two fish to my LFS because they were kinda too big to my setup (I personally like smaller fish) and I realized that, after returning them, my other fish kinda stopped scratching? Maybe it was a bit of stress because of space competition?

Uncle99 · 03/20/2018, 11:43 AM

Territorial demonstration.
It's a "this is my spot" flash.
I have a royal gramma that flashes a lawnmower, but the lawnmower don't care and strikes his tail on the bottom to throw substrate at the gramma.
Years this has been going on.

03/16/2018, 10:51 AM	#1
kiMxD Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2018 Posts: 149	Scratching Fish Hello folks! My fish, from time to time, will scratch against rocks or substrate and I don't understand why. Perhaps you have guesses? Just to make it clear, I do not believe is ich, this has been on and off for about three months. They will scratch for few days then stop for few more days and goes back again. They've never showed any signs of ich, and I actually treated them a while back for ich (copper and metroplex+focus). They've never showed any sings of any other diseases. Never lethargic and always eating well. This makes me so confused, I am not sure if this could be normal or not, but it happens from time to time without any major change in water parameters. Any tips? My tank: 90g reef; Salinity: 1.025 pH: 8.1 Phosphate: almost none Alk: 10 Temp: constant 80-80.5 Ammonia: always 0 No2 (nitrite): almost none No3 (nitrate): almost none Please, give me your opinions! Thank you!

03/16/2018, 08:10 PM	#3
Joe0813 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Boston strong Posts: 2,766	probably ick, even though you did QT with copper the fish tank can still have ick in there unless you put everything through a QT like snails, coral and live rock. __________________ Joe and Jenny Current Tank Info: 180 reef

03/17/2018, 06:40 AM	#4
HBtank Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 2,957	Can depend, I have a few fish that get annoyed particulates/sand if it gets kicked up, and will flash, I personally don’t worry unless it is persistent. But I am talking a few minutes at a time.. __________________ 80g Aiptasia dominated reef tank.. with fish and now a bunch of berghia! Current Tank Info: 80g tank, re-starting a reef after a zoanthid nudibranch plauge, followed by months of steady and unstoppable STN/RTN, crashed; stayed FOWLR for a couple years, currently an aiptasia dominated reef tank with fishies and BERGHIA

03/18/2018, 10:15 AM	#7
Valentini89 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Bay county, Fl Posts: 624	I have a pair of clowns that will scratch from time to time, pretty much daily. They have been doing it for months now. __________________ I have 1 1/2 years experience in this hobby. Take my advice with that in mind. Current Tank Info: 26g bowfront QT tank, -- 150g tall = http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2671045

03/18/2018, 10:27 AM	#8
LauraGreenImp Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Nashville Posts: 131	I have had a hippo tang for 7yrs, he loves to do the occasional scratch. He won’t let the cleaner shrimp do their thing, maybe that’s why, but he definitely is not sick, period. Not a spot or mark on him, and he’s gone from 2” to 6”+ . Eats like a pig. My ‘reef sensei’ says it’s bc he’s smooth scaled? jme Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro __________________ No glass box turns into a beautiful reef tank quickly. Current Tank Info: 150gT Mixed Reef - help me trap/remove/destroy my hateful Molly Miller Blennys!

03/16/2018, 08:01 PM	#2
Uncle99 Crab Free Zone Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,906	Territory marking?

03/17/2018, 08:24 AM	#5
Cliving1 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Posts: 1,923	I would have to say its ich. If you have ever seen ich and the scratch associated, its easily identifiable. I have seen a fish scratch when there was sand disturbed, but that was because of that reason. Can you take pictures of your fish and post them here?

03/17/2018, 11:02 PM	#6
kiMxD Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2018 Posts: 149	Thank you all for your replies. Like I said, I do not believe is ich, my fish never had white spot, their fins and body look perfect, reason why this makes me so confused. It's not like they're scratching everyday and at all times, this happens sometimes only. Have you ever experienced such behavior?

03/20/2018, 09:48 AM	#9
kiMxD Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2018 Posts: 149	Thanks guys! I think it's normal then... I also can guarantee my fish is not sick, they eat like pigs and grew in the last three months as well. But there is one interesting thing, I returned two fish to my LFS because they were kinda too big to my setup (I personally like smaller fish) and I realized that, after returning them, my other fish kinda stopped scratching? Maybe it was a bit of stress because of space competition?

03/20/2018, 11:43 AM	#10
Uncle99 Crab Free Zone Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,906	Territorial demonstration. It's a "this is my spot" flash. I have a royal gramma that flashes a lawnmower, but the lawnmower don't care and strikes his tail on the bottom to throw substrate at the gramma. Years this has been going on.