clear parasite ????

[Matrajeous]

Hi there everyone I just placed a royal grama in my tank and I have a question I noticed on it today that there were these 3 very tiny small cloudy clearish things... its the only thing I know to describe them as thety kind of look like little slugs on its head and one was crawling across its eye.... I think they may b isopods???? possibly. is there anyway to get rid of them? or do they just stay on the fish and not cause any harm???? he is in my tank with corals and other fish and I only just noticed them this morning. Is there a type of medication to remove them that is safe for inverts, and corals??? thanks for all the help
Matt

 

[billsreef]

Sounds like flukes (trematodes). They are best treated by giving the fish a fresh water dip for 1 to 5 minutes. There are no meds that work for them that won't kill inverts.

 

[Matrajeous]

ok.... I am really bad with freshwater dips, last time I did that the fish died in the bucket... went into a kind of a shock. anyone have tips for me to do a freshwater bath ?????? so i have better success with them ?

 

[romain]

Hi Matt, I'm sending you a PM.

 

[pecan2phat]

Make sure you use RO water, aerate it a bit and adjust the temp to the same degree as the main tank and adjust the ph with buffer to the same as the ph in the main tank.

 

[billsreef]

In addition to what Warren mentioned, don't leave the fish in the dip and go do something else. Hover over it like an old mother hen The fish will easily tolerate a minute dip, and generally they will tolerate up to 5 minutes without problems.

 

[Matrajeous]

ok so if it is trematodes..... is there another way to possibly get rid of them than a freshwater dip???? the royal grama has made itself quite at home in the tank and is very illusive and hard to get at without taking the tank apart, could cleaner wrasses, cleaner shrimp, or neon gobies help?????? the fish doesn't seem to be in distress but i don't want any problems in something that has been going well

 

[billsreef]

This is one of the parasites where cleaner shrimp and gobies can help. Might not function as a cure, but they can control them. Other than that, there are no reef safe cures for flukes.