Lyretail Anthias Internal Parasite

Zoajohn · Nov 1, 2020

I've got a group of 3 lyretails, and the biggest/dominant one has had some stringy poop since I got them. The past 4 or 5 days I haven't seen him eat with the others, and so I'm thinking it is due to internal parasites. It still looks fine and not emaciated which is strange. Only abnormal behavior other than that is it will rest on rocks until the others come out to the front of the DT but then he swims with them normally. I've been feeding them with mysis soaked in metro/focus, but since this one won't eat it doesn't help. Is my best course of action to pull it into a makeshift QT and dose the water with metro?

Jay Hemdal · Nov 1, 2020

Metronidazole is REALLY bitter. Very often, fish will take one bite and then refuse all food that looks like that. Try some non-treated, different food. If you can get him feeding again, perhaps reassess and just go with an observation period. If it still refused to feed, then consider moving it to a QT and dosing the water with General Cure.

Jay

Spare time · Nov 1, 2020

You can dose prazipro into the display. It wouldn't hurt

Zoajohn · Nov 1, 2020

Jay Hemdal said:
Metronidazole is REALLY bitter. Very often, fish will take one bite and then refuse all food that looks like that. Try some non-treated, different food. If you can get him feeding again, perhaps reassess and just go with an observation period. If it still refused to feed, then consider moving it to a QT and dosing the water with General Cure.

Jay

I have noticed this the past 2 days. They ate pretty well the first time but they only eat a few pieces per feeding now.

Jay Hemdal · Nov 1, 2020

Spare time said:
You can dose prazipro into the display. It wouldn't hurt

Prazi is a decent antihelminth that is mostly reef safe. The trouble is that the stringy feces can more commonly be from Spironucleus/Hexamita flagellates, and prazi alone won't control that. Metronidazole is the best med for controlling that issue, and that is not safe for a DT.

Jay

Zoajohn · Nov 1, 2020

Jay Hemdal said:
Prazi is a decent antihelminth that is mostly reef safe. The trouble is that the stringy feces can more commonly be from Spironucleus/Hexamita flagellates, and prazi alone won't control that. Metronidazole is the best med for controlling that issue, and that is not safe for a DT.

Jay

Think it is at least worth trying in the DT first? Netting an anthias is harder than nuclear fusion lol.