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Hi, Just got new corys and I noticed this behavior again: cheek or face flicking? I just want to be sure.

Here's my info:
1. Water parameters
a) Temperature range. 24C
b) pH. 7.2
c) GH.6.72
d) KH 4.48
e)Ammonia 0, Nitrate 10ish, Nitrite>0.1
f) Water change frequency 25% once or twice weekly

2. Tank set up
a) Size. 33US gal. (124L?)
b) Substrate. 2/3 of the footprint silica sand, planted area in back, Flourite.
c) Filtration. Whisper EX40, airstone, powerhead shooting across the middle lengthwise - 2 quiet spots in heavily planted back corners. Slate.
d) Furnishings. Driftwood (soaked, rinsed ad infinitum hardwood), several larger river rocks (quartz base)
e) Other tank mates. 2 tiny Danios, 6 cherry barb bb's, 1 small P.maccus, 1 2" hybrid syno, 1 male betta, 4 c.paleatus, 4 c.trilineatus, 1 Hillstream Loach, 6 dwarf otos. All relatively new except for Danios and P.maccus.
f) How long has it been set-up? 1 month+ maybe. Cycled with borrowed old filter, 15 gal water from other tank, strainer full of gravel from other tank, added Cycle brand, um, cycling stuff? old plants with algae from other tank. New tank never showed algae bloom or change in water parameters (yet?)

3. Symptoms / Problem description: About once an hour or so, a fish will go up to a rock/wood/plant stem and flicks his cheek or side of face off it. Not violently, more like how one fish nudges another at mating time. It has happened with the betta splendens once that I saw. Danios would do it once in a blue moon, they're almost 3 years old. Otos have done this as well though probably not even once an hour - I've only seen it maybe three times? No spots, red bits, flared gills, breathing funny or swimming funny. Everyone is eating normally.

4. Action taken: None

5. Medications used: None

Normal behavior or what do I look for?

Thanks

Been searching everywhere and the closest thing I've found is 'flashing' associated with ich?? Maybe my tanks keep getting ich started and then it goes away for some reason before it's visible?

I'll try squeaking the temp up a bit and see if it goes away. If that's what it is, I'm kind of stunned that it's appeared and disappeared without ever showing on the fish. I don't want to medicate without knowing for sure. Is there any way to test for ich? I have a 600x microscope if needed. Will that tea tree stuff help? I'll search the forums for ich to see if anyone else has had this type of come and go thing.

If you just received these fish and you do not really see any visible signs it could be they have been slightly damaged in transit (nets,crowded etc.) give them some time to heal up and get into top shape, they have been through a lot.
You say it is only happening once an hour or so, I would not worry unless you see them flashing a little more constantly.

Birger

Thanks Birger,

I'm kind of nerdy so I have looked at them many times with a magnifying glass and there's no marks of any kind. Also the betta is quite dark blue so any white or velvety bits should be easy to spot. Read the other ich posts just to see what it looks like. So far so good. I'll keep watch and keep up the water changing/quality.

Note to self: Stop buying fish and buy a quarantine tank...

Thanks again.

I find my fish doing that occasionally. Well, it looks more like the swim and kinda "bounce" themselves off of the driftwood or another object. They'll do that twice or three times in a row against things then go back to their normal business.

Some do it more than others, but I've had them a long time, so I don't worry.

Maybe it just feels good to them? I dunno.

Hi Atlantis Child,

Thanks, that makes me feel a bit better and I guess it makes sense that if bears to bugs sometimes like a good scratch maybe a fish does too They're still seem healthy and are eating and swimming with their buddies. Skin looks good.

How does yours look with regards to being well fed? Mine have a nice shiny belly and can't quite sit flat on the bottom. Is that normal or do they eat like Raphael cats and just gorge until there's nothing left? I've let them have all kinds of veggie and spirulina goodies but if I put a single shrimp pellet in, they all go for it like they've never eaten before!

It's very cool to watch them eat, the smushed snail or shrimp pellet goes in and out of the mouth while the excess sand gets machine-gunned out the gills. Thank goodness I was advised to change to a softy sand.

What great fish they are

Sorry, been a while since your post, but here goes for my cats...

Mine definitely look well fed and eat well. The 'girls' do have a quite round belly, and the 'boys' have quite a flatter belly, but aren't scrawny. Some eat much more than others. The main culprit being my favorite, a very, very round and good sized Paleatus female that likes nothing better than food. Yes, she'll eat all the food she can find. I don't know how she fits it all in her stomach, but she does.

Yeah, awesome fish. I like smushing my pest snails for them too. Less work than removing them and they love them.

Thanks Atlantic Child,
I feel better knowing that their eating is kind of normal
My huge tubby C.paleatus just had bbs! Still just pin-heads with tails