I bought a used 210 gal. to replace my 55 gal. aquarium. My fish needed a bigger home. I have a large niger trigger ,an Emperor Angel, hippo tang and a Cuban hog. I found out that the fish that were in the 210 (I'm not taking them) had flukes on them. Tomorrow we will be getting the tank and setting it up. I'm afraid that the tank (I will be keeping the sand and live rock) is infected with the flukes even though her fish are no longer in the tank. I don't want my fish to get this parasite when I put them in the tank. Fortunately, I don't have to put my fish in the tank immediately. Any suggestions on what I should do? If I'm planning on this being a FOLR tank should I just put copper power in it and hopefully do away with the parasite? Would letting the tank sit with no fish in it for two weeks get rid of any potential larvae? But if the tank sits empty for too long I'll knock back my biological filter, so I'm not sure what I should do. I'd appreciate any advice.
fish fluke treatment?
- Thread starter VPersons
- Start date
Due to the life cycle of the monogenea the sand and rock most likely do contain eggs. Letting the tank sit w/out fish would allow the eggs to hatch, and if the the oncomiracidia (larval stage)does not have a host to infect the cycle is broken...the problem with using any treatment against monogeneans (especially some of the tougher ones such as the Capsalidae) is that the eggs are highly resistant, if not impervious to chemotherapeutics...in other words the copper would most likely kill the flukes, and the oncomiracidia, but not the eggs. In fact the eggs of some species (Neobenedenia melleni) have been shown to be resistant to all drugs, and free chlorine in excess of 100 ppm! The other problem is that, depending on the species, a couple weeks may not be long enough for the eggs to hatch, some species can take 18-24 days, so if you choose to leave it down for 2 weeks you will likely lose most or all of your nitryfying bacteria and may still get flukes. I see a few options to eliminate the risk:
1) Put your fish in and treat with a medication containing praziquantel every seven days for 3 weeks (though with a 210 this may get pricey)
2) Put your fish in and treat with copper for the same time length (though why put your healthy fish through the stress of a copper treatment if you don't have to?)
3) Put your fish in and keep the salinity low (<18 ppt) for 3 weeks
4) Set the tank up and let it sit empty for 3-4 weeks while feeding the tank ammonium nitrate to keep the biological filter established
I hope this helps, I have done battle with many species of flukes and know how frustrating it can be...good luck!
1) Put your fish in and treat with a medication containing praziquantel every seven days for 3 weeks (though with a 210 this may get pricey)
2) Put your fish in and treat with copper for the same time length (though why put your healthy fish through the stress of a copper treatment if you don't have to?)
3) Put your fish in and keep the salinity low (<18 ppt) for 3 weeks
4) Set the tank up and let it sit empty for 3-4 weeks while feeding the tank ammonium nitrate to keep the biological filter established
I hope this helps, I have done battle with many species of flukes and know how frustrating it can be...good luck!
Have you heard of Salifert Flatworm Exit?
Have you heard of Salifert Flatworm Exit?
Thanks so much for the advice. How do you get the medication praziquantel ? I have never heard of it. I did happen to see in the Marinedepot catalog the medication Salifert Flatworm Exit which sounds like it doesn't harm anything except the flatworm. Have you ever heard of this medication? As for having my healthy fish in copper, I have kept "Copper Power" in my other tanks as a preventative and I've never had a problem with it.
Have you heard of Salifert Flatworm Exit?
Thanks so much for the advice. How do you get the medication praziquantel ? I have never heard of it. I did happen to see in the Marinedepot catalog the medication Salifert Flatworm Exit which sounds like it doesn't harm anything except the flatworm. Have you ever heard of this medication? As for having my healthy fish in copper, I have kept "Copper Power" in my other tanks as a preventative and I've never had a problem with it.
I've never used flatworm exit, but it is not intended for use as a medication...and the active ingredient is proprietary, so I'm not even sure if it would work. I think you are right about it only working on the flatworms, as Planaria and Monogeneans (flukes) are both flatworms (Phylum Platyhelminthes) they are in different classes and are different beasts, so to speak. The flatworm exit may work, but the anti-fluke medications are designed to work against the parasitic flatworms. (It would be interesting to see if anyone here has used FWE on fluke problems, and if it worked)
...as for finding a medication with praziquantel, you have too look for the active ingredient, as the trade names will differ I know there are a few out there (e.g. Droncrit, PraziPro, Fish Tapes, et cetera)
I usually tend to shy away from copper-based medications in general unless they are needed, although the chelated forms are less toxic in the short term, they most likely have the same long-term effects such as skeletal deformities, gill problems, and tumors in the long term, especially when the fish have had long exposures to them. It will also be absorbed into the rock and gravel, and will leach out for years (though since you aren't planning on a reef tank this may not be as imortant)
...as for finding a medication with praziquantel, you have too look for the active ingredient, as the trade names will differ I know there are a few out there (e.g. Droncrit, PraziPro, Fish Tapes, et cetera)
I usually tend to shy away from copper-based medications in general unless they are needed, although the chelated forms are less toxic in the short term, they most likely have the same long-term effects such as skeletal deformities, gill problems, and tumors in the long term, especially when the fish have had long exposures to them. It will also be absorbed into the rock and gravel, and will leach out for years (though since you aren't planning on a reef tank this may not be as imortant)
BTTRFLYGRL
New member
I would just set the tank up and let it sit fallow for 4-6 weeks. I wouldn't add any chemicals or lower the salinity when you have live rock. Treating your fish in Prazipro and then placing them back in a fluke infested tank seems a waste of time.
I know your excited and want to get these fish in their new home, but believe me...you don't want flukes! Let the tank go fallow and allow them to die off
I know your excited and want to get these fish in their new home, but believe me...you don't want flukes! Let the tank go fallow and allow them to die off
