Clownfish Flukes

MurphyTheClownfish · Sep 22, 2021

Hey everyone, I need a bit of help

I have been monitoring my clown pair recently in fear of them losing their pairing, however after closer inspection it appears the female has a case of gill flukes. She won't eat hardly anything, and is beginning to lose color. She's been rubbing against the rocks and being completely motionless at night and sleeping vertically with her face in the sand.

I'm quite concerned, I had been watching this for a few days to see if it would get better and to see if I could figure out the issue. Now that I know what it is, I fear that I might be too late, but thats why I'm here.

How would I cure these flukes? I've read about fresh dipping, I just feel quite stressed about risking the fishes life. If you have any tips please let me know. Also, are they transferable? Could my male clown potentially have the start of them as well?

Any help here js welcome. Thanks in advance

MurphyTheClownfish · Sep 22, 2021

Not sure if it's as clear as it is here, the camera might not show it well, but visual confirmation that its definitely flukes.

Isopod80 · Sep 22, 2021

An easy treatment is to place them in a quarantine tank in hyposalinity (acclimate them slowly) for a little over a month before raising the salinity to normal. Keep the main tank fishless for 2 months then place them back.

MurphyTheClownfish · Sep 22, 2021

Isopod80 said:
An easy treatment is to place them in a quarantine tank in hyposalinity (acclimate them slowly) for a little over a month before raising the salinity to normal. Keep the main tank fishless for 2 months then place them back.

I would definitely just QT them however I dont have an extra tank I can set up rn and I don't have one up and running

Isopod80 · Sep 22, 2021

@Jay Hemdal Jay may be able to recommend something that will work for you.

Isopod80 · Sep 22, 2021

MurphyTheClownfish said:
I would definitely just QT them however I dont have an extra tank I can set up rn and I don't have one up and running

A simple 10 gallon with some pvc tubes would suffice.

Isopod80 · Sep 22, 2021

MurphyTheClownfish said:
Not sure if it's as clear as it is here, the camera might not show it well, but visual confirmation that its definitely flukes.

The video isn't loading.

Bccarty151 · Sep 22, 2021

May try a cleaner shrimp (skunk shrimp)

Isopod80 · Sep 22, 2021

Bccarty151 said:
May try a cleaner shrimp (skunk shrimp)

The shrimp alone won't solve the problem.

Jay Hemdal · Sep 23, 2021

MurphyTheClownfish said:
Not sure if it's as clear as it is here, the camera might not show it well, but visual confirmation that its definitely flukes.

I can’t confirm gill flukes, but the clown certainly has a gill disease. Three most common causes of this are; velvet, gill flukes and acute bacterial infection. There are also other gill issues; viral, dietary and environmental.
Six possibilities, all with different treatments.
Gill flukes are contagious, but can be treated in your tank using Prazipro. Follow label directions for two treatments a week apart, aerate the tank well and run your skimmer with the cup off.
Jay

MurphyTheClownfish · Sep 23, 2021

Jay Hemdal said:
I can’t confirm gill flukes, but the clown certainly has a gill disease. Three most common causes of this are; velvet, gill flukes and acute bacterial infection. There are also other gill issues; viral, dietary and environmental.
Six possibilities, all with different treatments.
Gill flukes are contagious, but can be treated in your tank using Prazipro. Follow label directions for two treatments a week apart, aerate the tank well and run your skimmer with the cup off.
Jay

Alright, thanks for the help. Just an update I did a freshwater dip last night and she seems better already, but still something there. Some small white things that looked almost like thin fingernails came out of her gills, don't know if they're all gone so we'll see at the end of the day when I get home. I'll pick up some prazipro on my way back and do that starting asap. Thanka for all the help everyone

Tater Reefer · Oct 4, 2021

Jay Hemdal said:
I can’t confirm gill flukes, but the clown certainly has a gill disease. Three most common causes of this are; velvet, gill flukes and acute bacterial infection. There are also other gill issues; viral, dietary and environmental.
Six possibilities, all with different treatments.
Gill flukes are contagious, but can be treated in your tank using Prazipro. Follow label directions for two treatments a week apart, aerate the tank well and run your skimmer with the cup off.
Jay

Can you add to this please? I just dosed my 40 breeder with Prazi Pro and turned off my skimmer. Is the “collection” of foam the issue that makes the Prazi ineffective vs the micro bubbles action itself?

Jay Hemdal · Oct 4, 2021

Can you add to this please? I just dosed my 40 breeder with Prazi Pro and turned off my skimmer. Is the “collection” of foam the issue that makes the Prazi ineffective vs the micro bubbles action itself

It is the removal of the foam that causes issues. Praziquantel is not really soluble in seawater - it disperses as a fine suspension. If that suspension is captured by the skimmer cup, it is no longer free to contact the flukes out in the tank.
Jay

Tater Reefer · Oct 4, 2021

Jay Hemdal said:
Can you add to this please? I just dosed my 40 breeder with Prazi Pro and turned off my skimmer. Is the “collection” of foam the issue that makes the Prazi ineffective vs the micro bubbles action itself

It is the removal of the foam that causes issues. Praziquantel is not really soluble in seawater - it disperses as a fine suspension. If that suspension is captured by the skimmer cup, it is no longer free to contact the flukes out in the tank.
Jay

Thank you for this, makes perfect sense. I'll start my skimmer up without collection asap.