How to treat gill flukes?

[The_Blenny357]

I got a 1" starry blenny 3 days ago and turns out hes got gill flukes. Ive put him in my 10g QT as of yesterday. What should i use to treat him? My 4 lfs dont have any fluke treatments so is it somthing i could order? One lfs said to do a FW dip, how can i do that? Will it kill the flukes?

Many thanks!

 

[HumbleFish]

F/w dip will provide some relief (and confirm the fish does in fact have flukes); but it won't totally eradicate them. You need to treat with a medication called Prazipro (find it on Amazon or here). Do two treatments, 5 days apart. 20-25% WC before administering the second treatment.

 

[Newsmyrna80]

You could do a freshwater dip which will 1. Confirm flukes 2. Give the fish some relief. Using RO/DI water match the pH and temp that the fish is currently in. Be sure to aerate the water for at least an hour, longer is better. I use a black bucket so you can see if anything comes off the fish. Leave the fish in for anywhere from 2-5 minutes. If he does have flukes you will see something within a couple of minutes. Be sure to watch the fish the entire time and be prepared to get him out if he tries to jump out. If he sinks to the bottom or lays on his side that's normal. But if you don't a feel comfortable doing the dip you could just add Prazipro as per directions. Whether you do the dip or not you should still dose Prazipro. Was he in the main tank with other fish?

 

[The_Blenny357]

You could do a freshwater dip which will 1. Confirm flukes 2. Give the fish some relief. Using RO/DI water match the pH and temp that the fish is currently in. Be sure to aerate the water for at least an hour, longer is better. I use a black bucket so you can see if anything comes off the fish. Leave the fish in for anywhere from 2-5 minutes. If he does have flukes you will see something within a couple of minutes. Be sure to watch the fish the entire time and be prepared to get him out if he tries to jump out. If he sinks to the bottom or lays on his side that's normal. But if you don't a feel comfortable doing the dip you could just add Prazipro as per directions. Whether you do the dip or not you should still dose Prazipro. Was he in the main tank with other fish?

Yes, for the first 2 days. No one else is showing any signs and are all eating as normal.

 

[Newsmyrna80]

They may not be yet but the tank is still infested. You could clear the Blenny of flukes and once you reintroduce him back into the main he will get them again. The main tank needs to be fallow for 3-4 weeks.

 

[The_Blenny357]

They may not be yet but the tank is still infested. You could clear the Blenny of flukes and once you reintroduce him back into the main he will get them again. The main tank needs to be fallow for 3-4 weeks.

Ok alright, to i need to fallow to QT for 4 weeks too? Just a question, can fish fight off flukes on their own?

 

[The_Blenny357]

Ive also been adding garlic guard to all their food (this is in my 20 with 2 clowns and a YWMG) i tried to feed the blenny frozen mysis, frozen brine, emerald entree, nori, frozen squid, and NLS pellet with and without garlic but no luck. He just wont eat.

 

[Newsmyrna80]

If the Blenny is in the QT the Prazi will take care of the flukes. You will need to do at least 2, if not more, rounds of Prazi with a water change before the 2nd dose. Prazi will not harm your biological filter. That all being said some people have dosed Prazi in their main with great results. Some have said it will harm feather dusters and other worms but others say it did not harm anything but the flukes. The Blenny could be affected by the flukes to the point it won't eat or it could be the stress of being in the QT.

 

[The_Blenny357]

If the Blenny is in the QT the Prazi will take care of the flukes. You will need to do at least 2, if not more, rounds of Prazi with a water change before the 2nd dose. Prazi will not harm your biological filter. That all being said some people have dosed Prazi in their main with great results. Some have said it will harm feather dusters and other worms but others say it did not harm anything but the flukes. The Blenny could be affected by the flukes to the point it won't eat or it could be the stress of being in the QT.

Alright, i will treat the blenny alone until he shows good signs, and treat the main aswell. Can fish fight off flukes on their own? Judt wondering...

 

[Newsmyrna80]

No they can not. Some are not as "bothered" by them as others but they are still there. And some flukes are host specific but if they run out of their favorite fish they will settle for something else.

 

[The_Blenny357]

The blenny took a small bite of some nori, but just to spit it out. Not looking good for the little guy. How should i raise the Ph in my RODI? An african cichlid buffer?

 

[Newsmyrna80]

Baking soda. Add 1 tsp to some off water and slowly (like an hour) add to tank. I would test after 1/2 of the solution has been added. My understanding is pH should not be increased more than .2 per day.
What is the pH now? Did you do a FW dip on the Blenny?

 

[The_Blenny357]

Baking soda. Add 1 tsp to some off water and slowly (like an hour) add to tank. I would test after 1/2 of the solution has been added. My understanding is pH should not be increased more than .2 per day.
What is the pH now? Did you do a FW dip on the Blenny?

Ph is 8.3, no i havent dipped him. So should i test with my FW master kit? So i should add baking soda to his tank, why not try and find a way to match the RODI to 8.3? Wont such a low Ph kill him?

 

[The_Blenny357]

Also i have some coppersafe, it says it works against flukes. Can i use this?

 

[Newsmyrna80]

If the pH is 8.3 that is good! I wouldn't do anything to the pH. Do you have a saltwater test kit? Copper is not 100% effective (risk vs reward) and there are better treatments. If the Blenny is still not eating the flukes must be really bothering him. When you dose the Prazi does he get any better?

 

[The_Blenny357]

If the pH is 8.3 that is good! I wouldn't do anything to the pH. Do you have a saltwater test kit? Copper is not 100% effective (risk vs reward) and there are better treatments. If the Blenny is still not eating the flukes must be really bothering him. When you dose the Prazi does he get any better?

Yeah, API master kit. I thought you meant use the baking soda on the RODI lol. I was watching him a few minutes ago and he took some nips at nori. I dont have the prazi yet, thats why im looking for alternitives. I will try and order it tommarow off pet solutions.

Could copper help though? Until the prazi gets here?

 

[The_Blenny357]

Any btw my rodi reads at 7, my SW is st 8.3. Just wanted to clear up any confusing. How can i buffer my RODI to match 8.3? Can i use a marine buffer(seachem)? Or an african cichlid buffer?

 

[Newsmyrna80]

Yes, you can use Seachem Buffer for the RODI. Personally I would do a freshwater dip before I used copper.

 

[ca1ore]

To my knowledge, I have never had a fish with flukes. Are they directly observable on the fish, or does one diagnose based on symptoms?

 

[The_Blenny357]

Just got home and noticed my YWMG is breathing rapidly, skittish, and has 4 little "whisker" things each about the size of a needle tip but 5x smaller. They are waving around in the current aswell. Are they flukes? (there on his face near the mouth)