Eye fluke

[rinconmike]

I have a 150 FOWLR system. I only have around 25 pounds of LR (my main filtration is a wet dry with bioballs).

I have a

24" Snowflake Eel
6" Porc. Puffer
5" Heni. Butterfly
6" Red Breasted Wrasse

The butterfly has had a bad eye for probably a year. The center of it has white inside that looks like 2mm in diameter. I always thought it was from a secondary infection when I was treating with cupramine for ich.

A few days ago I added a 1.5" turbo snail and then yesterday a 3" conch (the fish are leaving them alone).

I only dipped the snails in a couple tank water baths after acclimating their bags (temp and added tank water). i did not do any separate QT. The water in the bag did not get into the tank.

my ammonia and nitrite are zero. nitrate down to under 10ppm (been running biopellets).

My salinity is around 1.025. Temp goes from 78 to 79.

Today I notice the good eye of the butterfly has a little film with some of it looks like it is flaking off. could this be flukes? or something else?

Should I treat the tank with Prazipro just in case? I have treated the display with prazi in the past (maybe a year ago) and the fish seemed fine. but that was before I had any LR or the two snails.


thanks,

Mike

Note, there are two areas that look like raised scales. I assume this was the wrasse. been like that for a week. There is no rapid breathing and not twitching.

 

[MrTuskfish]

Prazi-pro can be used with those critters; but with those fish, I think its just a matter of time before the snail & conch are lunch. It may help, flukes often cause eye problems. But after a year, who knows. Prazi is quite safe, so you don't have much to lose by trying it. What is the deal with the raised scales/ is this on the butterfly and you suspect the wrasse? I'm a little slow, sometimes.

 

[rinconmike]

sometimes the wrasse snaps at the butterfly so I thought it was an injury, Maybe it is something else. I really have no idea.

 

[rinconmike]

before I treat the tank, I might try a FW dip to see if anything falls off. The good eye looked better last night.

I would hate to treat the tank if it is not flukes, but then again, hate to not treat it if it is.

 

[MrTuskfish]

before I treat the tank, I might try a FW dip to see if anything falls off. The good eye looked better last night.

I would hate to treat the tank if it is not flukes, but then again, hate to not treat it if it is.

Prazi-Pro is really pretty mild, as far as meds go. many hobbyists, me included, treat all new fish with it.

 

[rinconmike]

thanks. I guess my only concern with putting in my display is turning off my skimmer for 10 days.

If I do treat, do I treat as follows:

Today 6/30 - Day 1: Full dose of Prazi
Monday 7/4 - Day 5: 25% water change and then Full Dose of Prazi
Saturday 7/10 - Day 10: 25% water change, turn back on skimmer. GFO, and Carbon.

Doi you know if 2 back to back treatments is enough? Should I do 3? If only two, are my durations fine?

thanks,

Mike

 

[MrTuskfish]

Going without a skimmer for 10 days (or 10 weeks) in a FOWLR tank is no problem at all. If your system depends on a skimmer to aid surface turbulence & water movement; then replace it with a PH. A skimmer is not a life or death piece of equipment in a FOWLR and its benefits are long-term. I'm guessing that you're worried about nitrates; again, no big deal in a FOWLR---unless they are extremely high. Say 80+ppm. Your treatment schedule sounds fine.

 

[rinconmike]

Thanks. I went ahead and dosed 7.5 teaspoons for my 150 tank.

 

[rinconmike]

those two areas that I thought were raised scales (while) appear to be near gone. Maybe it was flukes or something else and the prazi is already starting. everything including the two snails seem fine. I will do at least 2 and maybe a 3rd treatment.

I did treat the tank a year ago or so with it, but only did one treatment. If it is flukes, could the fish have had flukes for a year and still seem fine?

 

[rinconmike]

Fish seem fine. Water clouded up, but I think that is a bacteria bloom from the biopellets as a result fo stopping the skimmer.

I am going to do a 25% water change on Monday and do another full dose.

My wrasse had a little pimple like bump (looks like a white head) that I though was a result of brushing against rock. But that too looks like it is clearing up.

Wrasse Pic for 5/8/11

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5728038/Wrasse/Wrasse 2011-05-08 - White Dot 2.jpg


Any rate, looks like only positives from dosing, and no negatives (so far).

thanks,

Mike

 

[rinconmike]

yesterday I did a 25% water change (around 37 gallons) and did a second dose of prazipro (7.5 teaspoons),

I cannot see much of a change in either the good eye (looks like there is something there) and the bad eye on the butterfly. However, I do see areas on the butterfly that looks like holes (2 or 3 areas).

Could this be a sign there was a worm there and it has fallen off?

It has only been 6 days since the first treatment. How long would eye flukes (if that is what is is) take to start showing it is clearing up. This looks more in the eye than on it.

As of now I do plan on doing a 3rd treatment so my treatments will be:

Thursday 6/30 - Day 1: Full dose of Prazi
Monday 7/4 - Day 5: 25% water change and then Full Dose of Prazi (second)
Saturday 7/9 - Day 10: 25% water change and then Full Dose of Prazi (third)
Saturday 7/16 - Day 17: 25% water change, turn back on skimmer. GFO, and Carbon.

thanks,

Mike

 

[rinconmike]

I did 3 treatments with Prazi. There was really no change in how the fish eyes looked.

The fish bottom fins did look a little more frayed in the last week or two. I am not sure if that was from one of the other fish or something else. Also 2 days ago, the bad eye had what looked like air bubbles in it.

Well last night, I looked a the tank, the the fish was on the bottom lying on the side and the eye was gone.

I grabbed a net to take it out and the other eye was gone. When I went to grab the fish, it was still alive. Both eyes gone and an actual hole from one eye cavity to the next.

Could this be caused by the other fish or is it a parasite or something I have in the tank?

One other observation is that in the last week, it looks like there was an round area about 1/8" in diameter that looked like a raised scale. Or could that be some other parasite.

thanks,

Mike

 

[csmfish]

Okay, I was gonna say thanks for keeping us posted, as i am trying to learn about Flukes, but, jeezuz dude, what the??? I wasnt expecting eaten fish eyes!!! Wish I had an answer for you, but unfortunately I dont. Sorry about the fish.

 

[rinconmike]

I am not sure if it was flukes. The one eye has had that white in it for a year.

Maybe a bacterial infection that has been there for a while? Not sure.

Other fish look ok. The Wrasee has a split side fin but I think that is from the puffer.

I am wondering if I should treat the tank with Maracyn Plus. I have read on the forums it is very safe. I do run bio-pellets so wonder if it will kill off that bacteria.

thanks,

Mike