Possible gill fluke

[kevindo123]

Clown fish is breathing rapidly and stopped eating completely. I have started prazi this morning. There are no visible signs of parasite / ick / velvet. Fish has been eating very well and fat and healthy.

Is this gill fluke? I had some bad luck in my QT and may have cross contaminate into my DT.

 

[Humblefish]

Rapid breathing can mean a lot of things, including flukes. However, ich (for example) can also sometimes harbor just in the gills and not be seen on the body. Exposure to ammonia or some other toxin can also cause heavy breathing. Is the clown in a QT or in your DT?

 

[kevindo123]

Its in my DT and is getting worst. Its now laying on its sides and breathing heavily. I did a fresh water dip and found tiny red specs (seems like gill flesh).

I can move it to my QT and treat it if needed. How to diagnose what it has.

 

[kevindo123]

Here is picture of it taken just now. From the picture, you cannot see any visible damage but its gill flesh seems to be falling out.

 

[Humblefish]

Did you do the FW dip after dosing Prazipro? If so, no white flukes will likely fall out as they have already dropped off the fish. It's possible the red specks (is that from being viewed under a scope?) are damage from where the flukes were attached. The only thing I can think you could do for him at this point is treat with Methylene Blue in a QT to help heal the gills.

Malachite Green/Methylene Blue: Treats ammonia burn, cuts, injuries.

How To Treat - Comes in both liquid and powder form, sometimes mixed in with another medication(s). So, follow the directions on the label. Best used as a 30 minute bath solution, but you also can treat with it in a quarantine tank. Aerate heavily. If you are using it in a bath solution, then it is also a good idea to treat the fish with nitrofurazone (active ingredient found in Furan-2 and Nitrofuracin Green Powder) once he is returned to the quarantine tank. Nitrofurazone is great for treating open wounds or sores.

Pros - Highly effective.

Cons/Side Effects - Depletes oxygen from the water. Malachite Green is considered “harsher” on fish than Methylene Blue.

 

[kevindo123]

I did dose Prazipro earlier before the fresh water dip. I captured the red spec with a scope at 60x (maximum for my scope). I will move to QT. Can I mix Malachite Green or Methyline Blue with prazipro in QT?

 

[Humblefish]

I did dose Prazipro earlier before the fresh water dip. I captured the red spec with a scope at 60x (maximum for my scope). I will move to QT. Can I mix Malachite Green or Methyline Blue with prazipro in QT?

I would not mix Prazipro with either of those. No telling if the Oxybispropanol (found in Prazipro), mixes well. I would just focus on healing his gills for now. Get back to the flukes problem later. I think you got most of them when you dosed Prazipro.

 

[kevindo123]

That is good, the QT tank only has Prazipro in it. I did a 1 gallon bath solution using Methylene Blue (3ppm) and Furan-2 for 1 hour with air stone and seems to be comfortable and swimming normally in the bucket. Its in the QT now. Should I follow the bottle which says to increase the dosage to 50ppm of Methylene Blue for 10min bath? Should I repeat the bath everyday? When should I stop the bath?

 

[Humblefish]

I only use Methylene Blue on an "as needed" basis, so if he's acting normally again I would stop. He probably just needs a little R&R now. In a week's time you can resume Prazipro treatment (to kill any fluke eggs that have hatched.)

 

[kevindo123]

The clownfish is still not eating and is still breathing heavily. What should I do?

 

[kevindo123]

Ping

 

[Humblefish]

How long was he exposed to Prazipro before you removed him from it?

 

[kevindo123]

He is still in prazipro medication since Saturday morning. I only dip him for an hour in MB(low dosage 3ppm)+furan2 bath and then back to prazipro QT. I thought he may get stressed out with too much MB (bottle says 50ppm for 10min) I did the regular 3ppm dosage for an hour instead. Should I dip him again for 10 min at 50ppm MB?

 

[Humblefish]

Should I dip him again for 10 min at 50ppm MB?

I would, yes. I would also do a WC and run carbon on the QT. Prazipro only needs 24 hrs to work its magic. But if it's still lingering in the water, that may be what is suppressing his appetite.

It's also possible that he has a parasite (such as ich) inside the gills, and that is causing the continued heavy breathing.

 

[kevindo123]

I did the dip yesterday at the recommended dosage and did a 50% water change. Today it is still not eating. It seems to be breathing normally now but will not take food. I also did another 20% water change and will give it one more day and try again. Visually it still looks healthy and tough. I think he can pull through this if I do the right treatment.

 

[Humblefish]

I would do another round of Prazipro this weekend and then reevaluate. Try soaking his food in garlic to entice him to eat.

 

[kevindo123]

I just feed it Reef nutrition roe and it is eating now. I will get to eat more and start another round of Prazi. I will do for both my QT and DT.

 

[Kershaw]

Glad to hear he is starting to eat. Hope he makes it.

 

[kevindo123]

Its still finicky eating only fish roe, but its breathing has increased again. Should I do another bath in MB?

 

[Humblefish]

Its still finicky eating only fish roe, but its breathing has increased again. Should I do another bath in MB?

I think something is coming & going from it's gills. Fluke hatchlings should not be having this much of an impact so soon. I would give the fish a FW dip to check for flukes (see below). If no flukes are present, I'd say your fish probably has ich and that is what is afflicting it's gills.

Freshwater Dip: Provides temporary relief for Brooklynella, Flukes, Marine Velvet disease (Amyloodinium); possibly even Ich & Uronema marinum (both unproven). Can be used to confirm the presence of Flukes.

How To Treat - Fill a bucket with RODI water, and use a heater to match the temperature to the water the fish is coming from. Aerate the water heavily for at least 30 minutes prior to doing the dip, then discontinue aeration while performing the dip. Fish aren’t overly pH sensitive for short durations like this, but you can squirt a little tank water into the dip just before the fish goes in to help bring it up.

Place the fish in the freshwater (FW) dip and observe closely. It is not unusual for them to freak out a little at first. Also, tangs are notorious for “playing dead” during a FW dip. The important thing is to watch their gills; they should be breathing heavily at all times during the dip. If breathing slows, it’s time to exit the dip. Dip the fish for no longer than 5 minutes. Multiple dips may be done, but it’s important to give your fish a day to recuperate in-between dips.

For flukes, use a dark (preferably black) bucket so you can see if tiny white worms fall out of the fish (especially out of the gills) at around the 3-4 minute mark. The worms will settle to the bottom, so you can use a flashlight to look for them there as well.

Pros - Provides temporary relief for a wide range of diseases in a chemical free environment. Can “buy you more time” until a proper treatment can be done.

Cons/Side Effects - Not a permanent “fix” for any disease, as FW dips are not potent enough to eradicate all of the parasites/worms afflicting the fish. Some fish can have an adverse reaction to a FW dip by appearing unable to maintain their equilibrium once returned to the aquarium. If this happens, hold the fish upright (using latex, nitrile or rubber gloves), and gently glide him through the water (to get saltwater flowing through the gills again). It is also a good idea to place the fish in an acclimation box until he appears “normal”.