Is this flashing?

[mikeytrw]

Hi, I have two red firefish which are in QT and have been for about a week.

I noticed one of them was darting to scratch is lower side across the sand tray I have in QT (I planned to add a goby into QT with these two but have delayed due to this behaviour)

I can't see any spots or anything on the fish, and it's consistently the same of the two that displays this behaviour.

Thanks

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi, I have two red firefish which are in QT and have been for about a week.

I noticed one of them was darting to scratch is lower side across the sand tray I have in QT (I planned to add a goby into QT with these two but have delayed due to this behaviour)

I can't see any spots or anything on the fish, and it's consistently the same of the two that displays this behaviour.

Thanks

Can’t open video on my phone but often this is a sign of flukes or parasite
If you can’t see noticeable dots, likely flukes

 

[LeftyReefer]

Yes, looks like he's flashing. If you suspect flukes, you can do a FW dip to confirm, or just go ahead and treat the QT tank with PraziPro.

I'd put them through 30 days of copper and a couple prazi treatments.

 

[mikeytrw]

Yes, looks like he's flashing. If you suspect flukes, you can do a FW dip to confirm, or just go ahead and treat the QT tank with PraziPro.

I'd put them through 30 days of copper and a couple prazi treatments.

thanks, can i have prazi and copper in tank at the same time?

 

[LeftyReefer]

thanks, can i have prazi and copper in tank at the same time?

Generally, it's best not t o mix meds, but I've never had an issue mixing copper and prazi.

i QT all my fish 30 days in copper, while running several prazi treatments over those 30 days. 9 days between prazi treatments. Can do three prazi treatments in a standard 30 day copper treatment. That's what I've been doing.

I would add an air-stone though...

 

[mikeytrw]

OK, ordered Prazipro, Copper Power and Hanna 702 .....total £136 ($168) ***! ...the things we do to save a £16 fish

 

[Goaway]

OK, ordered Prazipro, Copper Power and Hanna 702 .....total £136 ($168) ***! ...the things we do to save a £16 fish

But, you get to keep those things for other fish and it is worth it.
Never look at the price tags like that. It wont cost that much per round. Thankfully.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hi, I have two red firefish which are in QT and have been for about a week.

I noticed one of them was darting to scratch is lower side across the sand tray I have in QT (I planned to add a goby into QT with these two but have delayed due to this behaviour)

I can't see any spots or anything on the fish, and it's consistently the same of the two that displays this behaviour.

Thanks

For some reason, the video was overexposed on my screen. Still, I could see the flashing. I agree with the prazi/copper angle. Be sure to add strong aeration during the Prazipro treatment. Glad you could get these products in Scotland, I've had people in England tell me that they couldn't buy Prazipro.

Jay

 

[mikeytrw]

For some reason, the video was overexposed on my screen. Still, I could see the flashing. I agree with the prazi/copper angle. Be sure to add strong aeration during the Prazipro treatment. Glad you could get these products in Scotland, I've had people in England tell me that they couldn't buy Prazipro.

Jay

Yes, it's available in the UK, the Copper Power I'm importing from US though. If it takes longer than a week to arrive I'll have to make do with a more readily available alternative.

PraziPro 1oz (29.5ml)

PraziPro® is a ready-to-use, liquid concentrate that was developed to offer the hobbyist an effective way to control unwanted parasites in their marine aquarium. Extremely safe and highly effective this revolutionary product offers you rapid control yet will not negatively impact your biological...

www.cellarmarinestore.co.uk

 

[mikeytrw]

Hey, so I've done a 5 minute freshwater dip of both fish in warmed RODI with a bubbler, nothing came off that looked like flukes from the videos online that I've watched (opaque sesame seed things).

There were a couple other tiny bits of matter but nothing that looked like a parasite as such. Will continue to observe in QT until the copper power arrives to see if the flashing behaviour continues. I will probably copper treat for 30 days when it arrives. I have the Hanna checker now as well.

Should I bother to dose Prazipro even though there were no visible flukes?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hey, so I've done a 5 minute freshwater dip of both fish in warmed RODI with a bubbler, nothing came off that looked like flukes from the videos online that I've watched (opaque sesame seed things).

There were a couple other tiny bits of matter but nothing that looked like a parasite as such. Will continue to observe in QT until the copper power arrives to see if the flashing behaviour continues. I will probably copper treat for 30 days when it arrives. I have the Hanna checker now as well.

Should I bother to dose Prazipro even though there were no visible flukes?

Only Neobenedenia flukes are really large enough to see with the naked eye. I always need a microscope to see gill and smaller skin flukes.
You could wait 72 hours after the FW dip. If symptoms have improved, then prazi would be warranted. If no improvement is seen post dip, then it might not be flukes.
Jay

 

[mikeytrw]

OK, so a few days later, I've not seen any flashing since the freshwater dip.

Should I now treat Prazi?

Thanks again for the help

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

OK, so a few days later, I've not seen any flashing since the freshwater dip.

Should I now treat Prazi?

Thanks again for the help

Yes, I would. Prazipro dosed 2x nine days apart with good aeration is what I generally suggest. General Cure or pure prazi can also be used.
Jay

 

[mikeytrw]

Yes, I would. Prazipro dosed 2x nine days apart with good aeration is what I generally suggest. General Cure or pure prazi can also be used.
Jay

OK I am now 5 days after first prazipro treatment with 2 air bubblers for aeration. I saw flashing again for the first time yesterday which is concerning. You mention 9 days apart for the treatments, should I really wait that long? Is that for the leftover eggs to hatch?

thanks again for the help.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

OK I am now 5 days after first prazipro treatment with 2 air bubblers for aeration. I saw flashing again for the first time yesterday which is concerning. You mention 9 days apart for the treatments, should I really wait that long? Is that for the leftover eggs to hatch?

thanks again for the help.

Yes - the timing is to allow eggs to hatch and then to try and kill the flukes before they get large enough to lay eggs again. It is NOT a foolproof method, different species of flukes at different temperatures have different timing. Sometimes, Neobenedenia flukes need up to five treatments......

Jay

 

[mikeytrw]

Yes - the timing is to allow eggs to hatch and then to try and kill the flukes before they get large enough to lay eggs again. It is NOT a foolproof method, different species of flukes at different temperatures have different timing. Sometimes, Neobenedenia flukes need up to five treatments......

Jay

Thanks, and this might seem like a ridiculous question but whats the view on adding another new fish into QT at this stage? I'd quite like to pick up a goby friend for my pistol shrimp...

 

[LeftyReefer]

If you add fish now, you should restart your QT clock. if you were treating the existing fish for 30 days, then restart the 30 day countdown after you add the new fish. Treat for 30 days after the last addition has been made. If you make new additions, restart the 30 days again.

 

[mikeytrw]

Hi,

I'm now through 5 doses of Prazipro, 9 days apart and 30 days of Copper Power at 2.5ppm.

The fish is still flashing. Any advice?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hi,

I'm now through 5 doses of Prazipro, 9 days apart and 30 days of Copper Power at 2.5ppm.

The fish is still flashing. Any advice?

I went back and re-read the thread. I do not have anything else to offer other than you could consider hyposalinity, at a specific gravity of 1.012 for 35 days. Or - if the fish is flashing infrequently, and showing no other symptoms, after all of these treatments, consider that it might be behavioral. I've also seen in tanks with too much particulate matter, the fish will scratch when the detritus lands on them (you should know if this is a potential, in that the water would be cloudy, with particles floating around in it).

Jay

 

[mikeytrw]

I went back and re-read the thread. I do not have anything else to offer other than you could consider hyposalinity, at a specific gravity of 1.012 for 35 days. Or - if the fish is flashing infrequently, and showing no other symptoms, after all of these treatments, consider that it might be behavioral. I've also seen in tanks with too much particulate matter, the fish will scratch when the detritus lands on them (you should know if this is a potential, in that the water would be cloudy, with particles floating around in it).

Jay

Thank you.

I'm actually thinking behavioural might be the answer.

If I introduce the fish to my DT, what are the risks to my existing livestock? I have 2 clowns and a mandarin, all 3 fish have been in the DT for 3-5 months. Do flukes jump species?