Scratching

[Michalkun]

I have about 13 guppies and I noticed that ocassionally they like
scratching themselves on the gravel. There is no evidence of Ick or any
other disease. Is this normal for them to just scrach against the gravel?
They don't do it often.

-M

[Graham Ramsay]

"Michalkun" wrote
> I have about 13 guppies and I noticed that ocassionally they like
> scratching themselves on the gravel. There is no evidence of Ick or any
> other disease. Is this normal for them to just scrach against the gravel?
> They don't do it often.


Watch them like a hawk.
Do they also swim up & down the glass as if they
were rubbing their head on it?
IME this is not a good sign, especially with Guppies.
Three things you may consider.

1. Tap water.
Do you have very soft water and is there a big
difference between your tank pH and the water
from your tap? Do they scratch more after a water change?
Sometimes tap water can have metals that irritate fish.

2. Is tank fully cycled?
If you're confident it is then fine. Otherwise you
need to check for nitrites.

3. Flukes.
The worst possible news. Check Google.
Disturb the gravel with your fingers (a fair bit)
and watch them for half an hour. If it gets noticeably
worse then you may have a problem.

Some folk will undoubtedly say that it's okay for
fish to scratch now and again. They're probably correct,
especially it seems with larger fish and some cichlids.
But, speaking only from personal experience, it's
always a bad sign of things to come. Let us know how
you get on.

Kind regards.

--
Graham Ramsay
You might be a Bright:
www.the-brights.net

[Jim Brown]

As long as your water parameters are in an acceptable range for guppies, the
guppies were healthy at the time of purchase, you have had them for a month
or two, and there are no other signs, your guppies should be fine. We all
get itches that need to be scratched. As always, do watch them for any
deterioration in their health such as increased scratching and/or shimmying.

Jim

Michalkun > wrote in message
.251...
> I have about 13 guppies and I noticed that ocassionally they like
> scratching themselves on the gravel. There is no evidence of Ick or any
> other disease. Is this normal for them to just scrach against the gravel?
> They don't do it often.
>
> -M