Gill flukes confirmation question

Pbh-reef · Dec 14, 2018

Will a fresh water dip confirm the presence of gill flukes? Is will a dip cause gill
Flukes to fall off and become white?

The flukes thread by humblefish says that FW dips can be effective for skin but not gill flukes - I just want to understand if the effectiveness in question is about treatment (and not about confirming their presence).

I have reason to suspect a wrasse I have in copper QT now may have flukes (in addition to intestinal parasites) because he has lost his appetite and I’ve seen him twitch his head once or twice while swimming in the food cloud but not eating.

Idoc · Dec 14, 2018

I thought you could use a FW dip to find gill flukes as well?

Are you planning to run 2 doses of PraziPro 6 days apart following copper treatment? That will resolve if there are gill or skin flukes. Some prefer to run API General Cure instead since it has praziquantel plus metronidazole and therefore covers Brooklynella as well.

If you are suspecting internal parasites, you can treat the fish's food with Metro or General Cure mixed with Focus which binds the meds to the food so the fish can ingest the meds.

GoldeneyeRet · Dec 14, 2018

Yes, a fw dip should be able to confirm gill flukes.

Pbh-reef · Dec 14, 2018

Thanks everyone!

I am running copper and feeding food medicated with GC now. The wrasse does have stringy and white poop. I plan to run GC in the water after copper but the little wrasse has stopped eating and I figured if gill flukes are present then a dip will
Let me know and provide the possum wrasse with some relief

HotRocks · Dec 14, 2018

Flukes will come off even if attached to gills.

What copper are you using and what test kit? It sounds like it may be a copper issue possibly.

Pbh-reef · Dec 14, 2018

I’m using copper power and the Hanna checker. I acclimated the wrasse to 1.0ppm Saturday night and have been slowly ramping up over the week. I hit 1.53 ppm yesterday. The wrasse ate the very first feeding (Sunday) and stopped eating about two days ago. I’ve since seen white stringy poop from it.

So yes very possible it is the copper combined with internal parasites. I just hope she makes it for 30 days in Copper (I don’t have a second qt to transfer her to). Do fish that stop eating in copper start back up again after a few days? Any advice? I’ve been throwing food at her - reef nutrition roe and arcti pods as well as hikari frozen brine and mysis.

HotRocks · Dec 14, 2018

Pbh-reef said:
I’m using copper power and the Hanna checker. I acclimated the wrasse to 1.0ppm Saturday night and have been slowly ramping up over the week. I hit 1.53 ppm yesterday. The wrasse ate the very first feeding (Sunday) and stopped eating about two days ago. I’ve since seen white stringy poop from it.

So yes very possible it is the copper combined with internal parasites. I just hope she makes it for 30 days in Copper (I don’t have a second qt to transfer her to). Do fish that stop eating in copper start back up again after a few days? Any advice? I’ve been throwing food at her - reef nutrition roe and arcti pods as well as hikari frozen brine and mysis.

Wrasse are very prone to internal parasites and/or worms. I start them off on medicated food day 1 for this reason. Once they stop eating it can be difficult to erradicate the internal issues. You need the food soaked meds to hit them in the gut.

I doubt it's the copper based on your process and the current level.

Pbh-reef · Dec 14, 2018

Thanks - I did start with medicated food so she got a few days of it. Otherwise I guess I’m just left hoping she starts eating again

HotRocks · Dec 14, 2018

Pbh-reef said:
Thanks - I did start with medicated food so she got a few days of it. Otherwise I guess I’m just left hoping she starts eating again

Other option is to dose General cure with copper and hope she ingests enough to be effective. It's probably not likely to help and I wouldn't risk dumping all that medication on the fish at once.

Pbh-reef · Dec 14, 2018

HotRocks said:
Other option is to dose General cure with copper and hope she ingests enough to be effective. It's probably not likely to help and I wouldn't risk dumping all that medication on the fish at once.

Thanks yeah I don’t the risk/reward balances out well there. For now she swims loads and is very active and still chubby so I just hope she starts eating again. But I guess the chances of that are low

code4 · Dec 15, 2018

If you are treating with copper just in case of an outbreak you could back off and see if the wrasse begins eating again. Just a thought.

Shelley

Pbh-reef · Dec 15, 2018

@HotRocks
I dipped the wrasse and found this on the bottom of the container - seems like a fluke?
That was the biggest one there seem to be a few smaller ones. I noticed the wrasse seem to knock its gills against the bottom of the tank this morning so I tried the dip.

The wrasse doesn’t look Super happy now in the tank - breathing heavy on the bottom- any advice to helping her get through this stage? I held her under the flow from the Hob filter for awhile

code4 · Dec 15, 2018

It they are fluids getting those off was a good thing. I am assuming you have checked for ammonia. I have never used copper. But if the little guy was doing well until after the last copper increase I would do a water change to dilute it. Just my thought. If the fish does not eat and is struggling it will die. If on the other hand it does start to eat again you can worry about ich when and if they appear. Deal with flukes and breathing issues first. More oxygen by means of a bubbler could also help. I wish you well.

Shelley

code4 · Dec 15, 2018

Did you put a sponge in the HOB filter from your display tank? It really does help with ammonia and nitrite issues. At least it has helped me.

Shelley

HotRocks · Dec 15, 2018

That does look like a fluke that came off in the dip.

Pbh-reef · Dec 15, 2018

code4 said:
Did you put a sponge in the HOB filter from your display tank? It really does help with ammonia and nitrite issues. At least it has helped me.

Shelley

Yup their is a seeded sponge and ammonia badge on the tank! If the wrasse makes it through the dip I will see what to do for now I’m just crossing my fingers

GoldeneyeRet · Dec 15, 2018

I agree looks like flukes confirmed.

Perhaps a rally or meth blue bath would help him post dip.

maroun.c · Dec 16, 2018

I'd use Praziquantel (prazipro) which works great for both flukes and internal parasites. FW dip will confirm their presence and also provide immediate relief.