Understanding Why Your African Cichlids Are Scratching
African cichlids are popularly kept as aquarium fish due to their vibrant colors, interesting behavior and ease of care. However, one behavior that might surprise aquarists is when their African cichlids start to scratch themselves against rocks, gravel, or other objects in the tank. While this behavior is quite common for African cichlids, it’s important to understand what’s causing it so that you can take steps to help your fish.
What Causes African Cichlids To Scratch?
The most common reason why African cichlids scratch is because they have some kind of parasite or skin irritation. Parasites such as ich, flukes, and anchor worms can cause African cichlids to scratch themselves in an effort to get rid of them. Skin irritations can be caused by poor water quality, or by aggressive tankmates that cause physical damage.
How To Prevent African Cichlids From Scratching
The best way to prevent African cichlids from scratching is to maintain good tank hygiene and water quality. Regular water changes, proper filtration, and avoiding overfeeding are all essential for keeping your African cichlids healthy and free of parasites. Additionally, it’s important to make sure that your tankmates are compatible with your African cichlids and that they are not harassing or attacking each other.
Treating African Cichlids That Are Scratching
If you find that your African cichlids are scratching, the first step is to do a thorough inspection to look for any signs of parasites or skin irritation. If you do find any parasites, you’ll need to treat the tank with an appropriate medication. For skin irritations, you can try adding water conditioners or medications to the tank to help reduce the irritation. Additionally, you can add aquarium salt to the tank to help reduce the itching.
Conclusion
While it is normal for African cichlids to occasionally scratch against objects in the tank, it’s important to understand why they are doing it so that you can take steps to help them. Most of the time, African cichlids are scratching due to parasites or skin irritations, which can be treated with medications or water conditioners. By understanding why your African cichlids are scratching, you can take steps to help them stay healthy and free of parasites.