# fish scratching on gravel and plants



## jon021 (May 19, 2009)

My fish in my 29 gallon have been scratching against the gravel and plants recently. I've treated them with Jungle Parasite Guard in the past but it doesn't seem to have worked. Can anyone reccommend another medication to help me out. I have shrimp and assassin snails in the tank so something invert safe would be preferred. Thanks.


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## ksimdjembe (Nov 11, 2006)

we need to know more about the tank.
how many fish? how often for water changes? how much and what kinds of foods?
plants? etc
what are the water parameters... ie ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, temperature, etc.

Though, if they are scratching, regardless, a waterchange helps most of the time.


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## jon021 (May 19, 2009)

ksimdjembe said:


> we need to know more about the tank.
> how many fish? how often for water changes? how much and what kinds of foods?
> plants? etc
> what are the water parameters... ie ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, temperature, etc.
> ...


Hey, sorry i completely forgot to include the tank info, here it goes:

The tank is a 29 gallon moderately planted - and has been running for.. 2 months now i believe. 30% water change weekly, the fish are fed once a day with tetra colour flakes and tetra colour bits.

Fish are: 11 cardinals, 5 neon pink zebra danios, 2 honey gourami, 1 sword tail, and 2 guppies - and some cherry shrimp, bumblebee shrimp and assassin snails.

Plants: java fern, java moss, hygro polysperma, water wisteria, stargrass, flame moss, phoenix moss, crypt wendtii, crypt parva, asian ambulia, anubias nana, riccia.

Ammonia is 0, Nitrites are 0, Nitrates are 10 - water temp is kept at 76F.

I use seachem prime as my dechlorinator, tetra florapride as a fert and um.. light is on for 8 hours a day

As i mentioned before, I've used Jungle Parasite Guard to treat the scraping - but it didn't work. I haven't added any new fish since the tank was first set up - no new plants either. If you need any more info, please let me know. Any help would be much appreciated, thanks.


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## jon021 (May 19, 2009)

From what i've been reading, i think external parasites might be my problem. I'm considering medicating the tank - i know i'd have to remove the shrimp and my assassins. I'd prefer not to, but i haven't been able to find any remedies that are safe for inverts. The problem is that it'll difficult to catch the shrimp and snails, the tank has tons of hiding spaces. If anyone can reccommend a treatment for my dilemma, it would be great. I only have my car tomorrow, so if i do have to go out to buy meds, it would have to be then, otherwise it'll have to wait till next week.


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## jon021 (May 19, 2009)

sorry for the multiple posts, but now that i think of it, this behaviour started soon after my dad added some ghost shrimp to the tank a couple weeks ago. I'm starting to wonder whether the ghost shrimp brought some parasites into the tank or something.


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