Mysterious fish deaths are more common now (Flukes)

[RBU1]

I'd still a do FW dip in order to prove it one way or the other, especially because the odds of it being a bacterial infection from 3 weeks of copper treatment are rather slim I'd bet a beer on it :beer:

OK I will keep you posted......

 

[Yogre]

This has been a really interesting thread for me. A couple of weeks ago I brought home a yellow tang, who at the LFS had been flashing and twitching his head. I assumed ich, and began lowering the salinity in my QT to treat using hypo. Then, a week ago I noticed his left eye was cloudy. After dosing with Prazi Pro, a week later his eye is now clear. Must've been flukes... but I'm still going to treat using hypo to make sure there's no ich as well.

I've also had some issues with "mystery deaths" in my display tank. A McCosker's wrasse and a lyretail anthias, both previously eating well, simply stopped eating, started hiding, and before they died were breathing heavily. Hmmmm. Now another anthias has developed some raggedness to her fins.

So, with some reluctance I started dosing the display tank with Prazi Pro. Half the dose went in about an hour ago; the other half will go in tomorrow. Thus far, the only reaction has been the expected skimmer foaming. For now I've just opened the gate valve, and left it on line to provide aeration. I also shut my carbon filtration down for the duration.

I'll report back soon with more observations.

 

[RBU1]

Well after another discussion my plan of attack has changed....I am going to do a 75 gallon water change tonight on the 125 run carbon for a couple days then do a Prazipro treatment. I will keep the thread updated to my progress....

 

[KingwoodMarcia]

FW dips saved my 12' Passer Angel and proved that it was flukes and not something else. If it is flukes, you will know after a few mins. the 1st FW dip I did was 10min. After the 10min, my dip bucket was full of white looking snow.

 

[RBU1]

OK did the 75 gallon water change and added carbon to remove the cupramine....Gonna let the carbon run for a day and will dose the Prazipro on Sunday. He looks bad today eyes are cloudy and the one eye has something hanging off it can't tell if its his eye or something on it....Hopefully its flukes and the prazipro will get this guy back to normal....His fins also look horrible white coloring all over them.....Sometimes I HATE this hobby.....You try to do the right thing by using the QT process and have to deal with a suffering fish.......VERY FRUSTRATING....

 

[KingwoodMarcia]

Yep, when my Passer had the flukes, his right eye was so bad I thought he would lose it. It also had a string / worm looking item hanging off it. It took 3 dips for his eye to start clearing up. I also, used selcon and put it in the water to help heal him up.

FYI, wetwebmedia has a lot of stuff on FW dips dealing with flukes. I followed their advice and everything has turned out fine. I was going to treat with Prazipro but, I did not want to treat the whole tank if I did not have to.

So, I just have 2 big bottles of the stuff on my self. Better safe than sorry.

 

[RBU1]

Yep, when my Passer had the flukes, his right eye was so bad I thought he would lose it. It also had a string / worm looking item hanging off it. It took 3 dips for his eye to start clearing up. I also, used selcon and put it in the water to help heal him up.

FYI, wetwebmedia has a lot of stuff on FW dips dealing with flukes. I followed their advice and everything has turned out fine. I was going to treat with Prazipro but, I did not want to treat the whole tank if I did not have to.

So, I just have 2 big bottles of the stuff on my self. Better safe than sorry.

OK sounds promissing that the Prazipro will take care of the issue.....Fingers crossed.....I have to get a smaller QT.......This 125 is too much a PITA to do large water changes on.....After I get my pair of crosshatch triggers I am down sizing my QT.....

 

[cthetoy]

He looks bad today eyes are cloudy and the one eye has something hanging off it can't tell if its his eye or something on it....Hopefully its flukes and the prazipro will get this

Like Billsreef said, performing a 5 minute FW dip will provide immediate relief to the fish if it has flukes. It will also confirm if you do have flukes.

 

[RBU1]

Like Billsreef said, performing a 5 minute FW dip will provide immediate relief to the fish if it has flukes. It will also confirm if you do have flukes.

As much as I respect billsreef and his answer. I have spoken to another individual that in my opinion is an expert in the QT field. He suggested I not stress the fish with a FW dip and go with the prazipro treatment. He also does not like using 2 treatments at the same time even though I know people have posted they use cupramine and prazipro together. So thats why I did the large water change and will be running carbon for a day to get the copper level as near to 0 as I can before doing the prazipro.

 

[RBU1]

OK did the prazipro treatment tonight at 5pm. I did not notice anything come off the fish....How long does it take for prazipro to work? What is my next step if this does nothing??? He is not eating and its been a few days since he has. Opinons Please!!!!

 

[Yogre]

OK did the prazipro treatment tonight at 5pm. I did not notice anything come off the fish....How long does it take for prazipro to work? What is my next step if this does nothing??? He is not eating and its been a few days since he has. Opinons Please!!!!

I've dosed my QT (58 gal) and my show tank (215 gal) both with Prazi recently. In both cases it took at least 12 hours to see any results. In my show tank, the anthias I suspected of having flukes looked like she was shedding, there was that much crap coming off her. I had no idea, it was not visible to my naked eye at all . I only suspected flukes after reading this thread.

 

[RBU1]

Well I am not getting a warm and fuzy feeling that the prazi pro did anything. Went down to check on him this morning and the eyes are still cludy. He alomst looks like he cant see swimming into things......

Not sure what my next step should be....I am afraid he is not going to make it...

Can you use an antibiotic with prazipro in the tank?????

 

[RBU1]

I've dosed my QT (58 gal) and my show tank (215 gal) both with Prazi recently. In both cases it took at least 12 hours to see any results. In my show tank, the anthias I suspected of having flukes looked like she was shedding, there was that much crap coming off her. I had no idea, it was not visible to my naked eye at all . I only suspected flukes after reading this thread.

What was the fishs behavior like? THis guy is not swimming around and is kind of just leaning up against the PVC pipe...

 

[billsreef]

Sometimes I HATE this hobby.....You try to do the right thing by using the QT process and have to deal with a suffering fish.......VERY FRUSTRATING....

Just remember, by using a QT you didn't bring this problem to your fish

As much as I respect billsreef and his answer. I have spoken to another individual that in my opinion is an expert in the QT field. He suggested I not stress the fish with a FW dip and go with the prazipro treatment. He also does not like using 2 treatments at the same time even though I know people have posted they use cupramine and prazipro together. So thats why I did the large water change and will be running carbon for a day to get the copper level as near to 0 as I can before doing the prazipro.

The FW dip isn't nearly as stressful has having those little critters chew away at the fishes skin I do agree with not using 2 treatments together unless you know they are compatable.

OK did the prazipro treatment tonight at 5pm. I did not notice anything come off the fish....How long does it take for prazipro to work? What is my next step if this does nothing??? He is not eating and its been a few days since he has. Opinons Please!!!!

Depending on the species, and it's susceptibility to prazi, could take a few days. Again why I like the FW dip as the first line treatment, it provides immediate relief, as well as being diagnostic.

 

[Yogre]

Re: Mysterious fish deaths are more common now (Flukes)

I honestly don't know if praziquantel can be used with antibiotics. The yellow tang I dosed was twitching it's head, and had a cloudy left eye. It is much improved... Eating normally.

The anthias in my show tank was not eating and had started hiding in the rocks, much like an earlier one that died. All the fish in my show tank are still skittish as can be but they are eating.

Hope your fish make it.

 

[RBU1]

Thanks......I will give the prazi another couple days. Just incase I ran out today and picked up Kanaplex..

 

[KingwoodMarcia]

It amazes me that there are so many questions about what works or doesn't works with prazipro. Again, why don't folks just call the customer service number on the bottle? They have done the research and testing on the product!!!

They will tell you all you need to know about the product and the ins and outs of treating fish with flukes. At least the gentelman that I talked to did, very nice guy. He even advise doing fresh water dips first.

When done properly, fw dips are not as stressful to the fish as the owner. Read about fw dips at wetwebmedia, if you can't find them he at RC.

A simple phone call can save you time, money, and the fish you care so much about.

By no means am I an expert, so I call on the folks that are ones.

 

[jlinzmaier]

It amazes me that there are so many questions about what works or doesn't works with prazipro. Again, why don't folks just call the customer service number on the bottle? They have done the research and testing on the product!!!

They will tell you all you need to know about the product and the ins and outs of treating fish with flukes. At least the gentelman that I talked to did, very nice guy. He even advise doing fresh water dips first.

When done properly, fw dips are not as stressful to the fish as the owner. Read about fw dips at wetwebmedia, if you can't find them he at RC.

A simple phone call can save you time, money, and the fish you care so much about.

By no means am I an expert, so I call on the folks that are ones.

The trouble in talking with manufacturers of products is that they don't always do the needed research and don't always know what full implications their products can have on the various hundreds of thousands of reef type animals. They'll sure tell you what you want to hear, but it may not always be the full truth or ential all the detrimental effects their product "could" cause.

I'm really glad you got good help from the prazi pro customer service, but the manufacturers are one of the last places I look to for advice when researching what a product does and doesn't do. Randy Holmes Farley has taken dozens of products and proven, with science and chemistry, that they cannot and will not do what the manufacturer claims. Label indications, companies claims, and great marketing often leaves us buying many products that simply don't do what they say they will (or will have various consequences that aren't always bolded and highlighted). The companies will tell you what it takes to sell more products. Here on RC we share real experiences and provide real details about what products do and don't do. I don't even bother to read manufactures claims on what products and supplements will and will not do. I just come here to search through a few threads and get the real truth from people who aren't trying to sell the product and profit from unknowing reefers.

Jeremy

 

[RBU1]

OK keeping my fingers crossed but it looks like things are improving.....One one is looking almost back to normal. The pectoral fins still have a little clouding but nothing like they were. I am hoping he will continue to improve and be back to normal in a couple days. He did also eat some flake food I put in. So far so good......

 

[intermision]

I have a Singapore angel that has/had flukes. I did a 10 min FW dip and about 20-30 flukes came off, but the angel still has cloudy eyes. Could there still be some flukes on him, or is it more likely a secondary infection?