cories doing half flips

redlessi

I just noticed a couple of my cories doing what looks like flips. They look like they are trying to rub/scratch their sides or something, almost like half flips. It looks like they are trying to turn over. ???

I did a partial water change yesterday and all my parameters are fine. Is this normal?

Byron

Sounds like "flashing" which is scraping a spot against the substrate, sometimes other objects like wood, rock or plant leaves. Sometimes this is to dislodge food that can get stuck in the gills (especially worms, live or frozen). But more often it indicates a parasite attempting to attach itself to the fish. Healthy fish are able to fight these off (they are more frequent than we sometimes realize because we never see outbreaks). But sometimes a fish is weakened and the parasite takes hold. Keep a lookout for any signs of spots. I am one who is not fond of quickly dumping medication into a tank but prefer to wait and see if something serious really develops; usually it doesn't. As I said, parasites like ich frequently occur and stress-free fish fight them off. Maintaining good water quality by not overstocking, not overfeeding, weekly partial water changes, suitable water parameters for the fish, and ensuring the fish in the tank are compatible goes a long way in keeping the fish healthy and free of stress.

redlessi

Thanks much for the info, I will definitely keep an eye on them this week.