Female endler flashing and scratching

[Passionfish]

As the title says, one of my female endlers(pregnant) has started to scratch her sides on rocks and various decor in the tank. She is moving very weirdly and I'm not sure this is when she is about to give birth or something is wrong. This tank is fully cycled and has been running since 2018. Last time I checked(a day ago), the water was 0ppm Ammonia, 0ppm nitrites. I didn't test the nitrates yet, and I will shortly. The entire stocking of the tank is 14 endlers(1:1 ratio m/f), a nerite snail, like a dozen ramshorn snails, and a BN pleco(he's about an inch long and he will be going in a 30 gallon very soon). The substrate is 3/4 sand and 1/4 gravel. It is moderately planted with Water Wisteria, Amazon sword, Some random plant I had in there since forever(I'm too lazy to research what it is), some kind of Staurogyne, and another unidentified plant. It also has Salvinia minima. I vacuum the top of the substrate every couple of days, and I change the water about 15% every 2 days. I could get pictures of the tank if needed. The water temp is 80F. As I am writing this, I noticed 3 other males scratching on various plants and rocks. I am starting to get very worried. Something is happening, HELP!
I forgot to say that I just added SeaChem Stability and they started doing it right after I added it, or at least I just noticed it. I was gone for the past hour and I just came back, and now look at them scratching
IS ANYONE GONNA ANSWER? I did some research and I think it might be flukes but I need some to explain from experience or from what they know plz

 

[Eliza4310]

Hmmm. Can you attach a video/pictures? My female guppies swim a little funny when they're heavily pregnant, a slow, awkward swim, but none of them rub themselves on the rocks.

 

[gms38]

As the title says, one of my female endlers(pregnant) has started to scratch her sides on rocks and various decor in the tank. She is moving very weirdly and I'm not sure this is when she is about to give birth or something is wrong. This tank is fully cycled and has been running since 2018. Last time I checked(a day ago), the water was 0ppm Ammonia, 0ppm nitrites. I didn't test the nitrates yet, and I will shortly. The entire stocking of the tank is 14 endlers(1:1 ratio m/f), a nerite snail, like a dozen ramshorn snails, and a BN pleco(he's about an inch long and he will be going in a 30 gallon very soon). The substrate is 3/4 sand and 1/4 gravel. It is moderately planted with Water Wisteria, Amazon sword, Some random plant I had in there since forever(I'm too lazy to research what it is), some kind of Staurogyne, and another unidentified plant. It also has Salvinia minima. I vacuum the top of the substrate every couple of days, and I change the water about 15% every 2 days. I could get pictures of the tank if needed. The water temp is 80F. As I am writing this, I noticed 3 other males scratching on various plants and rocks. I am starting to get very worried. Something is happening, HELP!
I forgot to say that I just added SeaChem Stability and they started doing it right after I added it, or at least I just noticed it. I was gone for the past hour and I just came back, and now look at them scratching
IS ANYONE GONNA ANSWER? I did some research and I think it might be flukes but I need some to explain from experience or from what they know plz

I was recently reading somewhere that when fish flash and scratch, it could be the water quality. It seems you do regular maintenance so that seems unlikely. Is Seachem Stability for ph? Also maybe turn your heater down just a couple degrees? 80° seems kinda high to me, I like to keep guppies at 75° I do think a 50% water change with no Stability added is a good test to see if they will feel better.
Messing with your PH can be tricky. Are you trying to raise or lower it? And how big is your tank? There are people who know more about PH than me. I typically use coral/shells to lower mine as it is naturally acidic. Remember your water is probably not much different than your LFS.

 

[Passionfish]

I was recently reading somewhere that when fish flash and scratch, it could be the water quality. It seems you do regular maintenance so that seems unlikely. Is Seachem Stability for ph? Also maybe turn your heater down just a couple degrees? 80° seems kinda high to me, I like to keep guppies at 75° I do think a 50% water change with no Stability added is a good test to see if they will feel better.
Messing with your PH can be tricky. Are you trying to raise or lower it? And how big is your tank? There are people who know more about PH than me. I typically use coral/shells to lower mine as it is naturally acidic. Remember your water is probably not much different than your LFS.

SeaChem Stability is for nitrifying bacteria. I've had them at 80F for over 2 years, and they've flourished. I just added stability because I had put a baby BN pleco in there for the time being, so I wanted to give the bacteria a little boost to handle his bio-load. I ordered some Prazipro to treat them, just incase it is flukes. But idk anymore. They are still doing this morning.

 

[gms38]

Hi there again. Well I have learned something! I didn't know there was a product to boost the bacteria like that. Were you able to test your nitrates? I hope your babies don't have flukes.

 

[Passionfish]

Hi there again. Well I have learned something! I didn't know there was a product to boost the bacteria like that. Were you able to test your nitrates? I hope your babies don't have flukes.

I will test nitrates right at this very moment
it is about 20ppm

 

[gms38]

Thats not really too high, especially with all the plants. You can still water change to help them feel even less stress possibly. I was reading about flukes and it does fit the symptoms. But hopefully they will do fine once you get the medicine. Sorry I really didnt help but I did remember that years ago when I first starting I did have a molly do the flash and scratch. I believe at the advice of a friend, I just put her in some aquarium salt with a heater and she recovered. Hope all goes well and sorry I didn't really help any.

 

[Passionfish]

Thats not really too high, especially with all the plants. You can still water change to help them feel even less stress possibly. I was reading about flukes and it does fit the symptoms. But hopefully they will do fine once you get the medicine. Sorry I really didnt help but I did remember that years ago when I first starting I did have a molly do the flash and scratch. I believe at the advice of a friend, I just put her in some aquarium salt with a heater and she recovered. Hope all goes well and sorry I didn't really help any.

You did, I needed someone to help, and you did. Anyway, thanks for the encouragement! You were actually lucky it was a molly and not some other fish because mollies can tolerate saltwater and sometimes live in it. I will treat them and see how it does.