is flukes dormant?

[Makara23]

I have a few juvenile clownfish that I'm 95% sure had flukes but now has fully recovered for 2 weeks now. They're still in observational QT and I'm hesitant to release them into my display tank because I'm concerned they still might have dormant flukes. Their symptoms when they were sick:

• erratic swimming and flashing
• not eating
• lethargic
• rapid breathing
• one or two clamped fin
• small wound/scratches right after recovering (assuming from the worms falling off)

I was thinking about dosing Hikari PraziPro to the QT tank even though they show no more symptoms. There are live rocks, biomedia, and a few inverts in there. Should I still put praziquantel in there or is it ok to skip because they've recovered?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have a few juvenile clownfish that I'm 95% sure had flukes but now has fully recovered for 2 weeks now. They're still in observational QT and I'm hesitant to release them into my display tank because I'm concerned they still might have dormant flukes. Their symptoms when they were sick:

• erratic swimming and flashing
• not eating
• lethargic
• one or two clamped fin
• small wound/scratches right after recovering (assuming from the worms falling off)

I was thinking about dosing Hikari PraziPro to the QT tank even though they show no more symptoms. There are live rocks, biomedia, and a few inverts in there. Should I still put praziquantel in there or is it ok to skip because they've recovered?

If in quarantine, to assure they are free of flukes - although some of those symptoms also associated with velver is to do a water change and One more treatment process . . . . . dose at 80% of recommended and apply initial dosage known as an interval for 8 days, do a water change and do one more 8 day dose interval
Use airstone with prazi as it does reduce both oxygen and appetite

 

[Makara23]

... some of those symptoms also associated with velver is to do a water change and One more treatment process . . . . . dose at 80% of recommended

I assumed it wasn't velvet because I've heard that fish go downhill very quick and hard to recover if it was velvet.

What's the point of 80% dose? I might as well do 100% unless prazi is harsher if it's full dose.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I assumed it wasn't velvet because I've heard that fish go downhill very quick and hard to recover if it was velvet.

What's the point of 80% dose? I might as well do 100% unless prazi is harsher if it's full dose.

80% as many do overdose and also gylcol which is an ingredient may not fully dissolve. You are welcome to do 100% but I recommend as a safety factor.
I had an easy time battling velvet with recovery in a couple of days 5 years ago. Velvet is a flagellate and flukes once in gills can take a fish down just as fast

 

[Makara23]

If I kept the fish in observational QT for another 30 days and no flukes/velvet symptoms show up, does that mean it's completely gone or can they still live in a dormant state?

 

[vetteguy53081]

If I kept the fish in observational QT for another 30 days and no flukes/velvet symptoms show up, does that mean it's completely gone or can they still live in a dormant state?

In most cases gone. Flukes are a type of flatworm and need a host which can be fish , snails and even crabs and other inverts. At 30 days, if there are no symptoms, the obvious is they have not survived. However, they have a strange cycle in which their eggs if present will hatch within 4-6 days. Once hatched, the worm seeks a host and latches onto the body of the host and inbed their hooks into the flesh they feed on the flesh for 2-3 weeks. Once it has reached adult state, it lays its eggs nd starts the priocess of the cycle all over. So not seeing them or symptoms may not be a good sign but assumption. Higher water temps (80.5) slows them down.

 

[Makara23]

Just to be on the safe side, I just did a 50% water change, reduced salinity down to 1.020 (does this count as hypo salinity?), and dosed 90% recommended dose of prazi.

So on the 8th day, I should do a water change and dose prazi again? Should it be a 100% water change or is 50% good enough?