Possible internal parasite?

jsker · Sep 28, 2016

TikiBird said:
Update: I mashed up some crushed garlic and garlic juice into the med/food mix and they went for it a little bit--they each took a small nibble of frozen worms. They're pretty small clownfish, about an inch long--do you think a nibble is enough to get the meds in them?

Another update: I managed to get mashed-up frozen worm juice on me while I was making this concoction. [emoji33] BRB gonna take a shower [emoji23]

You can go to a natural food store and the store should have garlic oil. one drop of garlic oil would be good, you can also try baby brine shrimp, they are tiny.

Humblefish · Sep 28, 2016

Note to self: I need to update the Internal/intestinal parasites sticky to include the part about using Focus to bind the medication to the food.

TikiBird · Sep 29, 2016

Thanks again for all the help, everybody! So far the clowns are eating the soaked food now that I have added some garlic juice to the mix! Hopefully I will keep on having more good news to report. [emoji3]

TikiBird · Oct 3, 2016

Well, sad to report that the littlest clownfish hasn't eaten for the last two days. I'm worried he's not eating and worried he's not getting the medicine.

I'm thinking since he's not eating anymore it would be advisable to QT him and treat the water?

Jisko · Oct 3, 2016

I'm sorry about the lil clown, I don't wanna say yes or no to the question as I'm till a newbie but I do wanna follow this to learn a bit more.

Goodluck and hope everything turns out ok

Humblefish · Oct 3, 2016

TikiBird said:
I'm thinking since he's not eating anymore it would be advisable to QT him and treat the water?

Yes, SW fish drink sea water so he will have to ingest the medication that way. They also absorb water (and any medications contained therein) through their skin and gills. Not as ideal as food soaking in this situation, but it will have to do.

TikiBird · Oct 3, 2016

Humblefish said:
Yes, SW fish drink sea water so he will have to ingest the medication that way. They also absorb water (and any medications contained therein) through their skin and gills. Not as ideal as food soaking in this situation, but it will have to do.

Thank you, @Humblefish! I'll get on it.

He's looking pale this morning. Poor little guy.

TikiBird · Oct 3, 2016

One more question--should I put both of the clownfish into the QT, or just the sick one?

The bigger one is eating the medicated food well and seems healthy, but I don't want the fish to be extra stressed without their buddy around....

Humblefish · Oct 3, 2016

TikiBird said:
One more question--should I put both of the clownfish into the QT, or just the sick one?

The bigger one is eating the medicated food well and seems healthy, but I don't want the fish to be extra stressed without their buddy around....

I would treat them both. Odds are the bigger one ate some poop from the smaller one, and as gross as that sounds it's how intestinal worms are spread.

TikiBird · Oct 3, 2016

Humblefish said:
I would treat them both. Odds are the bigger one ate some poop from the smaller one, and as gross as that sounds it's how intestinal worms are spread.

Thank you! I will do that.

OK, so just one more question [emoji6]...

I have a bit of a conundrum.

I could put the QT across the room from the DT (it would be farther than the recommended 10 feet), but I think I could fit only a 5 gallon tank there. (The tank would have to be on a counter and I'm not sure it could support the weight of a heavier tank.)

OR I could set up a 10-20 gallon tank...right next to the DT. I really can't think of anywhere else I can put the tank. I already have almost every inch of space taken up by my freshwater tanks. [emoji23]

Which would you do? Bigger QT near the DT or smaller QT farther away?

Edit to add: I think I might have answered my own question...I think I might as well put the bigger QT next to the DT this time since IPs couldn't be airbrone....

Humblefish · Oct 3, 2016

TikiBird said:
I think I might as well put the bigger QT next to the DT this time since IPs couldn't be airbrone....

Yes

TikiBird · Oct 3, 2016

Thank you, wise @Humblefish!!

TikiBird · Oct 4, 2016

Well, this morning stinks already at it's only 7 a.m. here.

I couldn't get the hospital tank set up last night because of a heater problem, so I was hoping they'd make it till the morning.

I woke up to find one of the poor clowns lying on the tank bottom. I just moved it to the hospital tank but it doesn't look good.

And the other clown...I cannot find ANYWHERE.

I removed all of my rocks, looked in the sand, and looked in the back chambers of the BioCube and this poor fish is nowhere to be found!

If it died overnight, would the nassarius snails and skunk cleaner shrimp (and possibly the other fish, I guess) eat it all that fast??

Humblefish · Oct 4, 2016

TikiBird said:
If it died overnight, would the nassarius snails and skunk cleaner shrimp (and possibly the other fish, I guess) eat it all that fast??

Nassarius snails can make quick work of a dead body.

TikiBird · Oct 4, 2016

Humblefish said:
Nassarius snails can make quick work of a dead body.

Oh man. Well, I guess I'm glad the fish didn't suffer long at least.

The other is lying on the bottom of the hospital tank looking very pale. I feel so bad for the poor fish.

I have another possibly dumb question now....by putting the fish in my DT with live rock and sand, have I now contaminated the tank with internal parasites? Or do they need fish in order to survive? (They won't stay in the tank without fish?)

melypr1985 · Oct 4, 2016

TikiBird said:
Oh man. Well, I guess I'm glad the fish didn't suffer long at least.

The other is lying on the bottom of the hospital tank looking very pale. I feel so bad for the poor fish.

I have another possibly dumb question now....by putting the fish in my DT with live rock and sand, have I now contaminated the tank with internal parasites? Or do they need fish in order to survive? (They won't stay in the tank without fish?)

They need fish to survive. A fallow period will cover your bases of course. 76 days will cover everything including ick. 6 weeks would cover everything except ick. Of course, doing a water change and sucking out any poo on the sand or rocks will do wonders since it spreads in the poo.

TikiBird · Oct 4, 2016

melypr1985 said:
They need fish to survive. A fallow period will cover your bases of course. 76 days will cover everything including ick. 6 weeks would cover everything except ick. Of course, doing a water change and sucking out any poo on the sand or rocks will do wonders since it spreads in the poo.

That's great info. Thank you, @melypr1985!