Flukes or something else?

[kgk]

I have gotten a couple conflicting guesses from my local folks, so thought I'd ask here. Can you tell me what is affecting my Angels? I would appreciate any opinions on what these conditions are, and what actions I should take. I'm a doofus and did not quarantine. They have been in my tank 10 days, and I started noticing symptoms yesterday. I am happy to set up a hospital system for them if I can get them out. Everyone else in the tank looks fine. Water parameters are good. Both fish are eating well & seem otherwise unbothered by their conditions. I haven't noticed any pronounced head shaking, for instance.

The Bellus looks like he may have fin rot, or flukes.


The Flame has a white eye. What I read on the Internet says since only one eye is infected, this could likely be from physical trauma.


People have said bacterial infection, flukes, and physical trauma (my tangs beating up on them, most likely). I have never witnessed any real aggression past posturing so I'm leaning towards a disease of some sort.

 

[Newsmyrna80]

Head shaking, torn fins, cloudy eye(s) are all symptoms of flukes. A FW dip will confirm if it is flukes.

 

[saltyair]

Unfortunately looks like flukes and is spreading.
Fw dip will help but only short term. Treat in a hospital tank check parameters to lower stress

 

[Spar]

PraziPro is the medication to rid them permanently, fyi. you can dose this in the reef tank, but is much preferred to do so in a HT/QT. i have never personally done so in the DT itself. i will let others jump in with any negatives they have personally witnessed.

2 full doses, 5-7 days apart.

 

[kgk]

I have a fish trap and a hospital tank and prazipro, trying to get them out. Thanks all.

 

[kgk]

Do I worry about the other fish in the display? That's the one thing I am uncertain of.

 

[Newsmyrna80]

Yes every fish in the same tang has been exposed. They will all need to be treated. Some have dosed Prazi into their main with good results. I personally have not done it.

 

[ReefHog]

I had a similar experience a while back. I noticed what looked like Popeye on my Flame Angel. A day or two later I noticed my Juvenal Emperor angel had one eye infected and the flame angel had both infected. Fresh water dip for a minute or two confirmed. The flukes started oozing out from around the eyeballs at about the 30 second mark. Looked like a horror movie. From the fresh water dip, they went into hospital tank with PraziPro. The flame never recovered and died. The Emperor survived just fine but is blind in the one eye. Doesn't really affect him though. Hes back in the main tank and is the most dominant fish in there. At the time I had three other fish in there and none of them ever got infected.

 

[kgk]

I'll have a quarantine tank now, so I guess I just take it one day at a time with the other fish.

I trapped the flame angel but the bellus is hard. My two tangs are so dominant that they go straight in the trap with the food and the bellus just kinda hangs back until it's all gone.

 

[kgk]

I caught the Bellus finally.

What medicine routine would everyone suggest? I am thinking:
1. 5 minute FW dip.
2. Prazipro for the (assumed) flukes. This could change if the FW dip yields no flukes.
3. Feed antibacterial medicated food.

I already have the food and I'd feel comfortable administering it along with the Prazipro.

 

[Newsmyrna80]

No need to deal with a FW dip if you are dosing Prazi. If your fish will eat medicated food then go for it. Just be sure to feed with vitamins. Also BOLO for secondary infections.

 

[kgk]

Freshwater dip confirmed flukes. The two fish are in the hospital tank now, with Prazipro. The flame is really looking worse for wear. The bellus looks generally much better, but that's probably because of the coloration (more white vs all red) and he never got it in the eye.

I'm going to give them the afternoon off & will try to feed them later today. Keep your fingers crossed.

 

[Newsmyrna80]

Sorry...but at least now you have a diagnosis. Hope your flame pulls through. Be sure to keep the water well aerated as Prazi reduces oxygen.
Keep us apprised of their progress

 

[saltyair]

Glad you are able to treat flames can be hardy hope they pull through

 

[kgk]

The two angels are doing much better after their first treatment with PraziPro. Prazi definitely suppresses appetite - they are eating much better after a large water change.

The bad news is that my yellow tang is now showing symptoms. It's probably only a matter of time until every fish in the tank has it. Darn it.

 

[Newsmyrna80]

Good news on the angels! Yep, any fish exposed needs to be treated.

 

[DaveRaz]

No expert here by any means, I can only speak from first hand experience. I did the tank transfer and observation only on the three fish I have, no proactive prazi treatment. After one month in the DT I confirmed two had flukes. Lesson learned. I treated prazipro on Monday night right into the display as I didn't have a trap and like to killed the fish (and myself) trying to catch them. Tuesday the prazipro worked and they have not shown any symptoms since. I don't plan a second round and plan to remove the prazipro on Sunday.

I left the skimmer on but removed the collection cup. I find that it helps aerate the water.

I bought a kole tang last weekend and he almost died in the QT so I made a decision to drop him in the DT with the prazipro. All seem well and all symptoms are gone.

Good luck.

 

[reelredfish]

No expert here by any means, I can only speak from first hand experience. I did the tank transfer and observation only on the three fish I have, no proactive prazi treatment. After one month in the DT I confirmed two had flukes. Lesson learned. I treated prazipro on Monday night right into the display as I didn't have a trap and like to killed the fish (and myself) trying to catch them. Tuesday the prazipro worked and they have not shown any symptoms since. I don't plan a second round and plan to remove the prazipro on Sunday.

I left the skimmer on but removed the collection cup. I find that it helps aerate the water.

I bought a kole tang last weekend and he almost died in the QT so I made a decision to drop him in the DT with the prazipro. All seem well and all symptoms are gone.

Good luck.

I have one yellow tang with the right eye covered in white. So you had no issue dosing this in the tank? Or is this a fish only tank?

 

[rssjsb]

I've dosed prazi in a reef DT with no ill effect. You will have to stop skimming while you treat.

 

[reelredfish]

Ok I have dosed it tonight put 1.5oz in the 180 gallon tank. Turned off carbon and UV. Pulled the cup from the skimmer and just letting it over flow into sump chamber to ensure there is plenty of O2