platy flash

[denali1234]

One of my platies occasionally flashes against decorations or gravel. Water tests fine (ammonia, nitrites O, nitrates are never more than 10 ). She looks very healthy otherwise, no signs of gill problems or ich, no swimming difficulties. None of the other tankmates are showing any signs of anything. The tankmates are 2 more platies, 3 long finned blue danios, and three dwarf cories. I understand that some fish do just flash occasionally for no reason???
Should I initiate a salt treatment, or wait and see if any other symptoms appear. If none do should I ignore it??
Hate to think I have a fish swimming around with a nasty itch..

 

[Blinky]

Every once in a while I'll see one of my fish flash, just once, but they're fine. I imagine fish get itchy just like people sometimes
Just keep a close eye on the tank for signs of ich, and if you see none, I wouldn't worry.

 

[Ramirezi]

ok stupid question...what is flashing?
i got this image of a platy with a trenchcoat on.... :idea:

 

[Kasakato]

It kind of moves in a strange way. Like its scraching it self. Kind of hard to tell. Maybe someone else can think of a better way.

 

[Lobo.]

if you see a fish dashing up against a rock or against the gravel, turning against the rock(s) and rubbing up against it (all of this takes a fraction of a second)- then it is flashing, it is a way for the fish to get rid of parisites and other stuff, its like the equivelent of scratching an itch (or itching a scratch)

 

[mr.amateur45]

platies do that. until they do it evey minute, then u got urself a problem.

 

[Kasakato]

Mine do it when I turn the light on or off. Its normal, nothing to worry about.

 

[denali1234]

Rats

I may have overreacted. I saw another platy flash, and initiated the salt/heat treatment. I didn't know that platies did that occasionally. I guess I will keep up the treatment for at least a week, since it is going now anyhow. Hope I did not stress my fish for nothing. They all seem to be fine so far, you would not know I did anything at all. Still no signs of ich.
No sense going the full two weeks of treatment though?? Suggestions??

 

[Holly9937]

I don't think I would keep up the treatment unless they are doing it regularly, or are not acting right

 

[daveedka]

I personally would keep up the treatment, but I don't know if that is really good advice or not. Every time I've ever excused flashing even occasional Flashing, I have eventually found a cause or lost a fish. I have not and do not keep platy's though so I know little of their normal behavior. MY guppies flashed occasionally for almost a year, I medicated with Praziquantel for gill flukes (I knew ich was dead) and haven't seen a flash since. Either way you have started treatment, and IMO you might as well finsish out the full two weeks and not have to worry about ICH ever. If you stop treatment you will always have the question in the back of your mind. Peace of mind is a valuable thing IME.
Dave