jeffreylam1132
New member
Great info! Never knew about this disease until now. Thanks.
Mysterious fish deaths are more common now (Flukes)
- Thread starter cthetoy
- Start date
zemuron114
In Memoriam
formalin is a very touchy med. Its very potent at a small dose and if you overdose in the slightest it will kill pretty much everything. It does work against flukes though, but you have to carefully dose it.
Thanks for the reply. I've used it as a dip before without ill effect. I used only the recommended dose,3tsps of 3% for 29 gallons. The directions state you can double dose. So I think the fish will be ok. I just didn't wan't to wait untill I can get some prazi pro.
Good thread -
A couple of observations though - the pictures (and many of the symptoms) above pertain to Neobenedinia. This is a large, common fluke that *can* kill fish, but it takes a long time. More insidous are smaller gill and skin flukes (you cannot see these in the FW dip bucket without a microscope or at least a hand lens).
With FW dips, it makes sense to match water temps, but don't go overboard trying to match the pH - a fish exposed to massive osmotic change like that isn't going to notice the pH difference<grin>.
Also, I generally don't go 10 minutes on a FW dip. Dips alone won't eradicte flukes because some are egg-layers and infections with the livebearing species almost always have some juveniles in the tank and not on the fish. Better to use the FW dips as a pre-treatment.
Here is a rather important point - if the fish has a heavy fluke infestation and you do a 10 minute FW dip and knock off ALL the flukes, the fish may "bleed out" and die from the literally hundreds of holes in its skin left by the killed flukes. If you suspect a SEVERE fluke infestation, try a 3 or 4 minute FW dip, wait a couple of days and try a 5 or 6 minute dip, wait a day or two and then hit the tank with praziquantel. The idea is to remove the flukes a few at a time so the fish's skin can heal a bit between removals.
Jay Hemdal
A couple of observations though - the pictures (and many of the symptoms) above pertain to Neobenedinia. This is a large, common fluke that *can* kill fish, but it takes a long time. More insidous are smaller gill and skin flukes (you cannot see these in the FW dip bucket without a microscope or at least a hand lens).
With FW dips, it makes sense to match water temps, but don't go overboard trying to match the pH - a fish exposed to massive osmotic change like that isn't going to notice the pH difference<grin>.
Also, I generally don't go 10 minutes on a FW dip. Dips alone won't eradicte flukes because some are egg-layers and infections with the livebearing species almost always have some juveniles in the tank and not on the fish. Better to use the FW dips as a pre-treatment.
Here is a rather important point - if the fish has a heavy fluke infestation and you do a 10 minute FW dip and knock off ALL the flukes, the fish may "bleed out" and die from the literally hundreds of holes in its skin left by the killed flukes. If you suspect a SEVERE fluke infestation, try a 3 or 4 minute FW dip, wait a couple of days and try a 5 or 6 minute dip, wait a day or two and then hit the tank with praziquantel. The idea is to remove the flukes a few at a time so the fish's skin can heal a bit between removals.
Jay Hemdal
racerw
New member
Excellent post not much info on RC about them. Here is my story.
About 8-9 months ago I received a pair of crosshatch triggers from a wholesaler that seemed fine at first. They were eating & swimming around.
After about a week I noticed my male had a cloudy eye, than he stopped eating & would stay in the rock work. With in days the female started doing the same thing.
When I finally figured out what they had & did a fresh water dip the bottom of the container was covered in flukes. After the dip I treated w/Prazipro & flukes still came off them.
About 8-9 months ago I received a pair of crosshatch triggers from a wholesaler that seemed fine at first. They were eating & swimming around.
After about a week I noticed my male had a cloudy eye, than he stopped eating & would stay in the rock work. With in days the female started doing the same thing.
When I finally figured out what they had & did a fresh water dip the bottom of the container was covered in flukes. After the dip I treated w/Prazipro & flukes still came off them.
LargeAngels
Premium Member
Great thread cthetoy.
A couple of things I have experienced with these flukes.
Copper does NOTHING to these guys
FW dips only remove the adults, but does not kill the eggs
Prazipro is excellent, as far as Reef Safe I don't put anything in my reef that is meant to kill anything.
I've used Fluke tabs, but it seems more toxic and not tolerated by all fish.
Many wholesalers or LFS don't know or treat for them.
I treat EVERY single fish with Prazipro. If an infected fish is placed in a community tank it may be too late for other fish by the time you figure it out.
I've used Prazipro in combination with Cupramine with no ill affects.
Don't assume the fish is healthy and doesn't have flukes just because it is eating or came from a reputable dealer.
A couple of things I have experienced with these flukes.
Copper does NOTHING to these guys
FW dips only remove the adults, but does not kill the eggs
Prazipro is excellent, as far as Reef Safe I don't put anything in my reef that is meant to kill anything.
I've used Fluke tabs, but it seems more toxic and not tolerated by all fish.
Many wholesalers or LFS don't know or treat for them.
I treat EVERY single fish with Prazipro. If an infected fish is placed in a community tank it may be too late for other fish by the time you figure it out.
I've used Prazipro in combination with Cupramine with no ill affects.
Don't assume the fish is healthy and doesn't have flukes just because it is eating or came from a reputable dealer.
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Neptune777
Premium Member
Will a Hyposalinity treatment work on the Flukes as well? Not the FW dip but a 6 week duration like used to kill ICH?
LargeAngels
Premium Member
I forgot to mention that one. Hypo does not appear to work either.
LargeAngels
Premium Member
I lost a chrysurus juvenile and a red sea regal within one day of adding the fluke tabs on different occasions. Wrasses and clowns tolerated it, but after that and reading that fluke tabs will affect the biological filter bed I went with Prazipro from then on.
grouperman
Member
i just added prazi pro to my system and fish are twitching and acting irratated . hopefully it is just the flukes dying causing this . is this normal ?
cthetoy
Active member
When I dosed Prazipro and it took 48 hours before I saw the dead flukes. Looked like a small snow storm in my Qtank. If you have a filter system running you might not see the flukes. Watch your water parameters and aeration. Also make sure you shake the bottle vigorously as stated or you will dose will be too weak or too strong. Keep us posted
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CW from the OC
New member
Hey Guys,
I just dosed some prazipro in my QT. I shook the crap out of it, but I still got some whitish blobs of very thick stuff coming out. At some points, the blob would actually prevent me from being able to get the prazipro out of the bottle.
Anyone else had this problem? Any idea what to do? Shake it for an hour?
I just dosed some prazipro in my QT. I shook the crap out of it, but I still got some whitish blobs of very thick stuff coming out. At some points, the blob would actually prevent me from being able to get the prazipro out of the bottle.
Anyone else had this problem? Any idea what to do? Shake it for an hour?
willhoward
New member
This is a very interesting thread! Might explain alot of mysterious fish deaths. I've got a few questions about flukes:
~ Can flukes be dormant? In other words, how do my fish get it if I havn't added anything new within the last 2 months and the fish that died have been healthy for almost a year in my tank?
~ How quickly does flukes progress? The fish was eating well the one day, no foggy eyes, next morning lay on sand, next day dead
~ Can fish carry flukes without being infected?
~ How do one get flukes out of your main system if you've got it? Will it die off without a host (the fish)
~ Is PraziPro invert safe?
Thanx alot!
~ Can flukes be dormant? In other words, how do my fish get it if I havn't added anything new within the last 2 months and the fish that died have been healthy for almost a year in my tank?
~ How quickly does flukes progress? The fish was eating well the one day, no foggy eyes, next morning lay on sand, next day dead
~ Can fish carry flukes without being infected?
~ How do one get flukes out of your main system if you've got it? Will it die off without a host (the fish)
~ Is PraziPro invert safe?
Thanx alot!
cthetoy
Active member
~ Can flukes be dormant? In other words, how do my fish get it if I havn't added anything new within the last 2 months and the fish that died have been healthy for almost a year in my tank?<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11310149#post11310149 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by willhoward
I've got a few questions about flukes:
~ Can flukes be dormant? In other words, how do my fish get it if I havn't added anything new within the last 2 months and the fish that died have been healthy for almost a year in my tank?
~ How quickly does flukes progress? The fish was eating well the one day, no foggy eyes, next morning lay on sand, next day dead
~ Can fish carry flukes without being infected?
~ How do one get flukes out of your main system if you've got it? Will it die off without a host (the fish)
~ Is PraziPro invert safe?
I had a new Angel for about 2 months and it got flukes. Im not sure if he got it from the other fish or if he had it when I bought it. That was the time I didnt know anything about flukes
~ How quickly does flukes progress? The fish was eating well the one day, no foggy eyes, next morning lay on sand, next day dead
I never had a fluke infested fish die the next day after it stopped eating. It took another 2 weeks before the fish will die. In my experience if you catch the fish early on with the symptoms and FW dip the fish your chances of curing it is greater. Usually the fish that stopped eating will eat the next day after the FW drip. If you wait too long like I did once because I did not have time to tear down my tank to catch the fish it died 2 weeks later despite the FW dip and yes it had flukes as well.
~ Can fish carry flukes without being infected?
Yes, just like Ich.
~ How do one get flukes out of your main system if you've got it? Will it die off without a host (the fish)
You can leave the main system fishless for about 4-6 weeks or treat it with Prazipro for 5 days
~ Is PraziPro invert safe?
Not safe with worms i.e. feather dusters. From other threads Xenia and Star Polyps does not like Prazipro. Not sure about invertebrates.
The above answers are just from my previous experiences and your results my vary.
If other would like to charm in please do so
LargeAngels
Premium Member
IME it seems that it does take a couple of weeks to kill the fish, and of course some are more or less susceptible than others. With new fish there is no way to tell when it got infected or how well it can fight off the flukes. So with new fish it is very important to catch this as early as possible.
Secondary infections and severe injury to the eyes also plays a major role.
Secondary infections and severe injury to the eyes also plays a major role.
