Fish doing The Dance - The Scratch & Rub

[denisec]

I have a tank with 4 small damsels, a tamoto clown, a shrimp, a crab and a few snails. It is just finished cycling - I'm getting all excited about that as I am doing water tests and bam.. there goes one fish by a shell and scratches himself.. so I watch some more .. I saw all but one of the fish do it. I have seen it before in freshwater fish but I don't know what to do with s/w. I have live rock and a tiny piece of brain coral on one of them and several mushrooms. I'd love to keep them and the fish alive. What do you suggest?
Since posting this I have been doing some reading of old messages. I use a traditional over the back filter as a suplimental (sp) filter I was wondering how it would be to put a slice of garlic in the back of it and just change it out on a regular basis? Any thoughts?
[ August 02, 2001: Message edited by: DeniseC ]

 

[beth]

You just finished cycling and you have 4 small damsels, a tamoto clown, a shrimp, a crab and a few snails LR and coral, etc.?? Huh? Well, there is your problem. You really can't cycle or put all these creatures in to a new tank.
You need to setup a hospital tank for your fish, or be prepared to do so in very short order. Can't exactly tell what the problem is but likely ick or, perhaps SW velvet [Oodimium]. I would get the hospital tank raedy [at the very least] and be prepared to move them as soon as one or the other disease I mention breaks out. Yes you can feed with garlic but this isn't likely to cure an all out disease outbreak.
In the meantime [while you are setting up the hospital tank] read up on hyposaliniy, ick and Amyloodinium by using the search feature here on this BB.
Do not medicate your main tank, as this will kill the LR, coral and inverts.

 

[denisec]

thankfully it is not bad yet, just trying to nip it in the bud. I haven't seen any visual signs.. just a bit of rubbing..