Cherry Barb flashing

[ET1]

Hello all,
One of my cherry barbs has begun scratching on the bottom quite frequently. Her fins are clamped somewhat and I notice that she will suddenly dart around the aquarium, breathing quickly.She also seems to shimmy (?) or shake her head from time to time. I can't see ich or any others spots or discoloration. My parameters are as follows. ammonia 0, nitrites 0, temp 76 (which has recently dropped from 78 due to the cooler nights) pH 7.4. I don't know my nitrates reading. I have catfish in the tank so I don't use salt. Any thoughts are appreciated. ET

 

[FisheyLisa]

When was your last water change? Perhaps its irritated from something if it's been a while. Or perhaps you just can't see the ich yet.

what are your nitrates?

 

[ET1]

I don't have a nitrate test kit. I do weekly water changes of 30 - 40 % with aged and declorinated/cloramined water.

 

[Ghost_knife]

note that this could also be a start of a fungal infection

 

[boofish2]

Usually flashing is an indication of some kind of parasitic infestation. If this behavior is spreading throughout your fish population, you might want to treat the whole tank with an anti-parasite medication before things get out of hand.
Ich as well as other parasites can be very prevelent amongst your fish and yet not be visible. In fact it's usually in the latter stages of the parasites life cycle that they become much more aparent to the eye. It is fortunate that you are keen on your fishes behavior because detecting problems early on are key to treating them more sucessfully. I just recently treated for ich with the temp/salt tech (I find this most effective) and there was no problem with my cories. Are there anyother symptoms your fish are exhibiting aside from flashing? Rapid gill movement, white stringy poop, reddened gills.....?

 

[ET1]

No red gills or stringy poop as of today. She darts around once in a while like something is suddenly irritating. I turned on my UV sterilizer today to see if that helps. I don't use it all the time. The other fish are normal so far. I guess I will just have to keep a careful eye on things. I make it a habit every day to observe them for a while to make sure everything is cool, not to mention the entertainment factor, and the relaxation!