GBR's and Flashing/Spawning

Kivstev

Kivstev

AC Members
Mar 19, 2009
152
0
0
I notice my male GBR is scratching intermittently against a rock in my 55 gallon. I introduced a new red-bellied female 2 days ago.They never seem to leave each others side and their colors are excellent.

I'm wondering if anyone has seen this as a spawning behavior or should I treat the male for parasites. I seem to recall Kribs flashing/scratching a bit before spawning, but am not sure. Thanks.
 
Rams don't flash before spawning. Flashing is indicative of something bothering the fish (parasites like you said) and it is their attempt to remove them. You might want to do a large PWC in your tnak. I'd remove 30-45 gallons of water. If you do this you will most likely see eggs in 3-5 days, if indeed they have paired. It will also help to remove parasites from the tank. I'd also hit the tank with Prazi-Pro after the water change.
 
I'll do that PWC for sure, but I will probably hold off on the meds unless I see the fish scratching again and then will treat. Thanks for the response.

Looking back at my notes I see that right before my Kribs laid eggs for the first time the female was scratching a rock and never did it again. Maybe coincidence.
 
What I did for now is a 60% WC, added 8 TBS of salt to the tank, (it was previously unsalted) and raised the temp to from 80F to 84F. Now I'll wait and see.

There are 7 Boesmani, 6 Cherry Barbs, 3 Dwarf Gourami, the wimpiest Electric Blue Jack Dempsey, and a Tiger Plec in there as well. The Ram was the only fish showing any signs of scratching.
 
I wouldn't have raised the temperature of the tank. Rams are fine at 80 and would probably prefer that over 84.
 
I have not seen the GBR scratch at all since yesterday. I'll keep a close eye on him, but apparently he's ok for now. I'm lowering the temp back to 80.
 
Just to update...

The GBR was put into a hospital tank and I medicated him with Jungle Parasite Clear. He was still doing a little bit of scratching so I thought that was the thing to do. He's been in there almost 48 hours, and I still see him scratch a bit. He acts and looks totally normal otherwise. I guess he'll be in there for a two dose, 4 day treatment. I also put in 3 TBS salt (it's a 10G) and have water temp at 85F.

So far there has been no sign of illness in the main tank.
 
I was going to recommend a salt dip. As a last resort you can do a potassium permanganate dip, which will remove all ectoparasites, but it can be rather harsh. If healthy the fish will not have any problem with the dip. Make sure you use fresh water for the dip because organics in the water will react and render the potassium permanganate ineffective. The water should be a pink color when it is effective and it turns clear as it loses it's power.
 
I haven't seen any more itching from the fish in the last 16 hours or so.

I've had good luck with salt dips in the past. I've even cured a Krib of a virulent case of flexibacter with a 3% dip. I'd be real hesitant to use them with a Ram though. Hopefully the Jungle prazi/metro/acriflavin combo does the trick. Will keep the PP dip in mind, too - as a last resort. Thanks.

bs6749 said:
I was going to recommend a salt dip. As a last resort you can do a potassium permanganate dip, which will remove all ectoparasites, but it can be rather harsh. If healthy the fish will not have any problem with the dip. Make sure you use fresh water for the dip because organics in the water will react and render the potassium permanganate ineffective. The water should be a pink color when it is effective and it turns clear as it loses it's power.
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom