Flukes in display tank?

[threebuoys]

You've worked hard to resolve any possible issues. I'm thinking maybe it's just a wrasse with a unique personality at this point and maybe you're overly concerned. If it were mine, I would probably be content for a while unless it became more obvious the wrasse is in distress and is deteriorating in health.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Ok so something really strange is going on right now.

I have decided to do several water changes and redose PraziPro in the main tank. But this time, I increased the dose a little bit in case it wasn’t enough last time. It wasn’t much, but the estimated tank value this time cannot be wrong.

The anthias and all the other fish stopped showing symptoms of an illness but the wrasse is still itching, yawning and occasionally moving it’s head erratically.

When I first dosed the prazi, it was scratching itself on the rocks like crazy and the next day it was still scratching but a little less. Today is the third day, and it is still showing signs of scratching, yawning and unusual head movements. I don’t think that these are just signs of the fish healing after the flukes have jumped off. It really looks like it’s still getting bothered by flukes in its gills and on its body.

What could be the reason behind why the yellow wrasse is the only fish that seems to not be healing?

As a side note, it’s not ich or velvet as I’ve had this fish for more than a month and a half and it hasn’t showed any signs of those two diseases. It’s quite obvious that what it has is flukes from how it reacted after the prazi dose.

What do you guys think?

Can you figure out your actual dose in mg of prazi per gallon or per liter?
I’ve often wondered - prazi doesn’t kill flukes, it just makes them drop off and then they can’t get back on the fish - so does a lower dose of prazi just irritate the flukes, causing them to not fall off, but move around on the fish’s skin, causing itching?
Jay

 

[xyousefb]

You've worked hard to resolve any possible issues. I'm thinking maybe it's just a wrasse with a unique personality at this point and maybe you're overly concerned. If it were mine, I would probably be content for a while unless it became more obvious the wrasse is in distress and is deteriorating in health.

First of all, thanks for acknowledging that I’ve worked hard in attempting to eradicate the disease, because I really have hahaha. Secondly, I highly doubt it’s a behavioral matter. I can see some slight uneven coloration on its skin too.

 

[xyousefb]

Can you figure out your actual dose in mg of prazi per gallon or per liter?
I’ve often wondered - prazi doesn’t kill flukes, it just makes them drop off and then they can’t get back on the fish - so does a lower dose of prazi just irritate the flukes, causing them to not fall off, but move around on the fish’s skin, causing itching?
Jay

Do you mean to physically test for it using a test kit? If so, I’m unaware of test kits that are readily available for us reefers to measure praziquantel.

When I did my calculations, it turned out that my water volume is 510L so I dosed 34mL. In the second round, I thought the water in the pipes could add a few more liters to the total water volume so I just assumed the tank volume is 550L, and dosed 37mL of PraziPro.

Honestly my working theory right now is that the flukes might fall off of the yellow wrasse, but somehow manage to get back on it since the wrasse sleeps in the sand. I don’t know how accurate this is, but it makes some sense to me if the prazi does in fact keep the flukes alive.

I think a lower dosage can be less effective in irritating the flukes. I have reached this conclusion after seeing an obvious increase in the wrasse’s scratching after increasing the dose.

 

[threebuoys]

First of all, thanks for acknowledging that I’ve worked hard in attempting to eradicate the disease, because I really have hahaha. Secondly, I highly doubt it’s a behavioral matter. I can see some slight uneven coloration on its skin too.

FYI, I have a yellow wrasse and a melanurus wrasse, both about one and a half years. The yellow wrasse has uneven coloration that is most noticeable when only blue light is on. Both wrasse went thru the full QT protocol including prazi when I got them. Both are highly active swimmers, but I haven't noticed any excessive flashing or the "piping" jay mentioned in an earlier post. The melanurus likes to spit sand all over the tank, so from time to time he gets some sand caught in his mouth and he'll shake his head vigorously to get it out. I have to blow the sand off corals almost daily.

I hope you are able to get to the bottom of your problem.