Neobenedenia - How f-ed am I?

[DiscoHobbit]

First off, this is my own fault as is didnt quarantine.

So, yesterday i got the last fish for my 25g peninsula tank: a bicolor blenny, amazing fish!

However, i saw something pulsating in between its eye and gills. I thought i was just being paranoid again and went on with my day. Then my girlfriend looked at it and said the same. If she sees it, it must be something was my train of thought. The fish was also breathing heavily and was flicking its head.

Somehow by the grace of the gods, I could catch it in 1 swoop and put it in fresh water for 5 mins. And lo and behold, the pulsating things became white and fell off. After some googling i found them to be Neobenedenia. All in all the fish has been in my system for 24hrs and 2 worms fell off. How big is the chance that this will infect my other fish and am i out of the woods, or do i just keep that fish out of the main tank? (i have no QT, so it would go back to the store)

 

[HumbleFish]

In most cases, Neobenedenia flukes are spread via direct contact with an infected fish. So, you may have gotten lucky and other fish weren't infected. Sometimes though flukes will drop off, float around the water column and land on another fish. You will just have to wait & see if other fish start showing symptoms: Flukes

In the meanwhile, I would treat the blenny in a QT with Prazipro: Praziquantel

 

[DiscoHobbit]

In most cases, Neobenedenia flukes are spread via direct contact with an infected fish. So, you may have gotten lucky and other fish weren't infected. Sometimes though flukes will drop off, float around the water column and land on another fish. You will just have to wait & see if other fish start showing symptoms: Flukes

In the meanwhile, I would treat the blenny in a QT with Prazipro: Praziquantel

All right, that sounds somewhat assuring. Since im in europe, prazi isnt available here (just some non prazi treatments for flatworms) and importing will take way way too long. Will just the freshwater dip(s) do?

 

[HumbleFish]

All right, that sounds somewhat assuring. Since im in europe, prazi isnt available here (just some non prazi treatments for flatworms) and importing will take way way too long. Will just the freshwater dip(s) do?

For Neobenedenia (skin flukes), yes. Freshwater dips are just not very effective at eliminating gill specific flukes.

Use this treatment calendar to determine when is the best time to do the second freshwater dip: BeNeZe - Cawthron 2022

When using the treatment calendar (screenshot below): Be sure "Parasite Selection" is checked for all 3, and below that move the water temperature slider for your treatment tank water temp in Celsius. (Fahrenheit to Celsius conversion here.)

The treatment calendar takes water temperature into consideration which affects the lifecycle. The reason for the second dip is to eradicate the “next generation” of worms before they can lay eggs of their own. Because while the freshwater dip does kill worms, it doesn’t eliminate any eggs they might leave behind.

 

[DiscoHobbit]

Amazing, thanks!