dma1976
New member
I have a 55 gallon FO setup that I've had for years. Currently I have 1 green spotted puffer and 1 yellow tail damsel. Until recently I also had 1 very large domino damsel and 2 three striped damsels. I have had them all for about 2.5 years. No new additions.
Water quality is good, no ammonia or nitrites, I have nitrates , about 30 but they are less than they have been in the past, pH is 7.8 and salinity is 1.020
About 2 months ago the larger damsels started becoming aggressive toward eachother and my puffer. They were re-homed about 3-6 weeks ago, In stages as one would become the new aggressor. Around the time that the aggression started, my puffer started acting peculiar, turning dark in color, hiding on the bottom more and not eating as much. I had to treat once with melafix about 6 weeks ago for ripped/bloody fins, etc. on some of the fish. He had spurts of acting/eating better but has not been back to normal ever.
I have read the article and many threads and I think I might have flukes but am confused as to how I could get them now...
This is why I think it's flukes:
loss of appetite, change of color, hiding on the bottom or bobbing at the top, (not gasping), breathing heavy and some flashing/ rubbing on the overflow.
I treated with PraziPro 5 days ago. He ate and was swimming around on days 2 & 3 of treatment. Now nothing again. My question is could it be flukes when no new fish have been added in over 2 years?
I normally feed frozen mysis, krill, clams, shrimp & scallop and occasionally fresh water snails as a treat. Since this started I have added some Nerite and margarita sails & hermit crabs to the tank hoping they would become food but they haven't yet and now the only thing I can sometimes get him to eat are FW snails and ghost shrimp. I also added a small amount of LR about 2 weeks ago.
I don't think he'll survive a FW dip or even me catching him right now, he's thin and weak. I was planning on doing a WC re-treating with PraziPro tomorrow. But I am unclear as to how he could get flukes and if it is not that, then any ideas?
Thanks!
Water quality is good, no ammonia or nitrites, I have nitrates , about 30 but they are less than they have been in the past, pH is 7.8 and salinity is 1.020
About 2 months ago the larger damsels started becoming aggressive toward eachother and my puffer. They were re-homed about 3-6 weeks ago, In stages as one would become the new aggressor. Around the time that the aggression started, my puffer started acting peculiar, turning dark in color, hiding on the bottom more and not eating as much. I had to treat once with melafix about 6 weeks ago for ripped/bloody fins, etc. on some of the fish. He had spurts of acting/eating better but has not been back to normal ever.
I have read the article and many threads and I think I might have flukes but am confused as to how I could get them now...
This is why I think it's flukes:
loss of appetite, change of color, hiding on the bottom or bobbing at the top, (not gasping), breathing heavy and some flashing/ rubbing on the overflow.
I treated with PraziPro 5 days ago. He ate and was swimming around on days 2 & 3 of treatment. Now nothing again. My question is could it be flukes when no new fish have been added in over 2 years?
I normally feed frozen mysis, krill, clams, shrimp & scallop and occasionally fresh water snails as a treat. Since this started I have added some Nerite and margarita sails & hermit crabs to the tank hoping they would become food but they haven't yet and now the only thing I can sometimes get him to eat are FW snails and ghost shrimp. I also added a small amount of LR about 2 weeks ago.
I don't think he'll survive a FW dip or even me catching him right now, he's thin and weak. I was planning on doing a WC re-treating with PraziPro tomorrow. But I am unclear as to how he could get flukes and if it is not that, then any ideas?
Thanks!
