Bizzare scratching

[Sponge Bob Monkey Pants]

Hello, I have a redlip blenny who always rubs on the rocks in the tank, although it is usually one specific algae covered tonga branch he rubs on. He rubs probably 50+ times a day. The two other fish never do it, just the blenny. I've had him for 2 months, and he has done ever since the first day I got him. The only visible parasites I've ever seen on him were a few spots of ich the first day I had him in the tank, mainly because the damsel (now gone) went postal on him and beat him up. As a result, he got ich. The cleaner shrimp will clean the blenny once in a while, but the blenny still scratches a lot.

My questions: Do some fish just like to scratch on rocks? Does it feel good or something?

Do you think he is feeling the individual ich protozoans and trying to dislodge them still? Keep in mind no white spots are visible.

If you do think it is parasites, what is a good cure besides hyposalinity? Does garlic or selcon really raise the immune system high enough to fight off minor parasite infestations?

I am worrying about this way too much and I just need some answers. I've decided to become a member of this message board because I always see good replies given out, and it is very busy. Thanks for all your help!

 

[slimy]

Try the garlic. It certainly won't hurt, and I know a few people here use it regularly even when their fish are perfectly heathy. If he stops scrathing, yuo've got your answer. If he doesn't, you've got a healthy fish.

 

[Sponge Bob Monkey Pants]

Thanks for your help! I am kind of new to diseases so thanks for replying. May I ask, what kind of garlic should I get? Flavourless garlic oil? Isn't called kyolic or something? Oh, one last question. Why does the garlic help, is there something in it that hurts ich or raises the immune system in it?

 

[slimy]

Try garlic extract. Or, failing that, some people will crush up fresh garlic and soak it in water with the fish food. Then remove the garlic. Others even add small amounts of garlic directly to the food.

 

[dobish]

I've used Kyolic with success, I purchased it from GNC.

 

[Sponge Bob Monkey Pants]

Thanks for the reply. I got some odorless garlic gelcaps with powder inside and dissolved the powder in fresh RO water. Then I soaked some spirulina flakes (blenny loves them) inside the dissolved garlic powder water stuff. We'll see how this works.