Bodianus sepiacaudus + prazipro = dead fish

[Monkeyfish]

I bought a Bodianus sepiacaudus and placed him in a 29g established QT (barebottom, PVC elbow, heaters, HOB filter with chemipure and an oversized sponge filter). He'd been at the LFS for 2 weeks, looked clean and healthy and the $ was great. He ate 10 hours after being placed in the QY (mysis and a little squid).

After 24 hours I noticed that he had what looked like long, white, stringy poop. This occured more than once so I figured, "Parasites. Need Prazipro." I dosed the Prazipro and turned of the HOB filter (may have added 1 ml more of the Prazi than recommended). 24 hours after adding the Prazipro the fish became a little sluggish. 36 hours after the Prazipro treatment he began to gasp and breath rapidly. 48 hours after the Prazipro he died.

Did I do something wrong or was this fish sicker than I thought? The other fish in the tank with him (a tiny 1 inch tetrasoma gibbosus that came from the same store) is doing fine.

 

[bucky1168]

The fish sounds like he was worse off then was expected. I bet they had some type of gill and internal parasite, possibly a bad case of flukes. When you treated with Prazi-pro, the parasites died and fell off the gills and cause the laboring breathing. I have heard of this before but I can't recall why the fish labors to breath then dies. Maybe someone else can chime in to finish what I am trying to say.

Jim

 

[jhentr]

To add to Jim above, the parasites might have fallen off the gills causing internal bleeding.

 

[Monkeyfish]

I recall something about that sort of thing happening. So I guess the question becomes - was there anything to be done to save this fish? Was he a goner from the start? Is there a better, more subtle way to treat parasitic infections of this nature?

 

[Arc Katana]

While the internal worms aren't pretty, it is pretty rare for the fish to die from them. Maybe a better solution would be to get the fish into QT, let him get used to that for three or four days, then once acclimated treat the worms.

Stinks that you took the right steps and he still didn't make it.