wild caught percula with 3 parasites on skin . FWD?

[CTaylor]

Hi,

I've done fresh water dip successfully before. She had a heavy film on her after I first got her last week, that is gone, but she developed the parasite since then. They may have always been there but now are visible. There are 2 neon gobies in the tank, but I see them clean all the other fish, not the percs (yet).

I have meds, but I'd prefer to keep this easy and quick. I might as well try the FWD? 10 mins? I ask b/c I think I saw some place that FWD may not work on percs (?????)

TY

 

[HumbleFish]

Does the film look like brook? Look here: https://humble.fish/brooklynella/

 

[CTaylor]

It did look like the lightest form.. but can hardly see anythign now. It may have been nothing, b/c now I wouldn't know it's there if I didnt see it before when it was heavier. I see what looks like flukes near the tail, and one smaller one under chin. Not like a dust, but an actual very short worm like thing.

 

[ThRoewer]

Freshwater dips don't work for all flukes and they certainly don't work as a treatment method.
The flukes who killed my ventralis anthias just took shelter under the fish's scales and managed to survive a 30 min freshwater exposure that way. Only the ones on the fins and eyes who could not find shelter balled up and died. I watched the whole thing under the microscope on the last of the ventralis to kick the bucket.
These either need to be killed by long term exposure in hyposalinity (2 to 4 weeks) or PraziPro treatment, or best, a combination of both.

 

[CTaylor]

I have a 30 gallon neon goby only tank lol. There are 6 in there. They love my fingers. Im thinking to acclimate the perc to that tank. And let the gobies in that tank go to town since the 2 large neons in the reef dont pay attention to them< Perhaps bc they are always at my elegance or torch.

 

[ThRoewer]

I have a 30 gallon neon goby only tank lol. There are 6 in there. They love my fingers. Im thinking to acclimate the perc to that tank. And let the gobies in that tank go to town since the 2 large neons in the reef dont pay attention to them< Perhaps bc they are always at my elegance or torch.

That isn't a viable approach!
Not only is it rather unlikely these gobies "clean" smaller fish but they also are by no means guaranteed to get the fluke eggs as well. In the worst case you infect that tank as well.
Cleaner shrimp would be more likely to service clownfish, but I wouldn't vouch for their effectiveness.

You seriously need to invest into a quarantine/hospital tank setup. 10 gallon should be sufficient for your needs. Better would be two sets to have one as backup.
Without a QT/HT you will continue to run into the kind of issues you are experiencing lately.

 

[CTaylor]

That isn't a viable approach!
Not only is it rather unlikely these gobies "clean" smaller fish but they also are by no means guaranteed to get the fluke eggs as well. In the worst case you infect that tank as well.
Cleaner shrimp would be more likely to service clownfish, but I wouldn't vouch for their effectiveness.

You seriously need to invest into a quarantine/hospital tank setup. 10 gallon should be sufficient for your needs. Better would be two sets to have one as backup.
Without a QT/HT you will continue to run into the kind of issues you are experiencing lately.

I have these medicines: Fish Sulfa Forte and FIsh flox, as well as 37% formalin. I'm hoping one of those works for this!!. As if I have to order somethign she may be dead by time it gets here.
TY

 

[CTaylor]

Here's a pic of her... you can see a cluster of flukes on black strip at top of tail. Thers also another smaller one on her chin tha tyou can't see.

PS that elegance was a frag from Cherry corals :-D ... bullet proof they are called. I've had it for 1 1/2 years. It's grown substantially, it's gorgeous, get one if you dont have one :-D

 

[ThRoewer]

I don't think those are flukes. It looks more like an infected wound.
The fish also seems to have a skin infection going.
I would pull it out of the display, give it a formalin bath and then treat it with Septra (Fish Sulfa Forte) in a separate tank.

 

[CTaylor]

I don't think those are flukes. It looks more like an infected wound.
The fish also seems to have a skin infection going.
I would pull it out of the display, give it a formalin bath and then treat it with Septra (Fish Sulfa Forte) in a separate tank.

At least i have the meds from the last time .. So I'm ready to go.. I'll just pull out my little 7 gallon baby bow front. It really does look like flukes in person. litte tube like things coming off it. It's not clear in pic at all.
**When you say bath, can you tell me exactly how much formalin for each gallon of water?

I can't find where you said before the protocol for this... the bath and the actual treatment after. Can you put it here? TY!!!

 

[ThRoewer]

Formalin bath
Dose: 20 drops per gallon
Duration: 30 to 50 minutes

Septra
Dose: 1 tablet Septra Forte per 50 liter

 

[CTaylor]

Formalin bath
Dose: 20 drops per gallon
Duration: 30 to 50 minutes

Septra
Dose: 1 tablet Septra Forte per 50 liter

TY again ThR
So I have it right >> I do the formalin dip first, then right after start the sulfa forte? How long for the S F?

*I did a FWD dip last night with some formalin in it. I probably should not have. She's stressed, but seems ok now. What looked like white parasites to me at base of tail in pic, is now gray, and has moved to the top of that base of tail area, and wraps around the top to the other side of the fish. << weird parasite?

Now I'm sure I need to wait some period to do what I should have, which is medicate as you said in your last comments. But it's also doing it soon enough so she doesnt die now from it.

Should I wait a day now? To try to de-stress before putting her through the real treatment?

TY again!

 

[CTaylor]

I just re-read what you posted ThR. Like I mentioned, it looks way more like flukes in person than the pics, especailly since they moved during the dip.. I guess it could be that if it's an injury it's just very 3 dimmensional and it spread, making it look like the flukes had moved. But if it's flukes or some type of worm like parasite I hope the Sulfa fixes it.. that really looks like her worst issue.


Edit >> looking at the pic I posted, it looks like the damaged area spread. And it's grey now. Not as white as before the dip. I'm going to set up the 7 gallon now and start treatment. If it was a fluke it likely would have fallen off during the 15 min FWD, right? I also put formalin in there as well.

 

[CTaylor]

What should I do to keep NH3 and NO2 down in the hospital tank? major daily water changes? All I have is a sponge filter for it. I have no real spare live rock to use. I guess I nee dto go to LFS and hope they have bottled nitrifying bacteria?

TY

 

[CTaylor]

I also have fish flox. Do I do anything with this? TY

 

[CTaylor]

Here are slightly better pics of the main area of concern...It is a mass, maybe not flukes.. Will the SUlfa forte treat this? TY

She's in treatment tank now

 

[CTaylor]

my bottle of sulfa forte says one tab per 50 gallons, not liters. I put in 1/2 tab for 5 gallons. She seems ok. Fins are not clamped like pic. The only thing that seems sick about her is the appearance of that area at base of tail, and not as 'perky' (no pun intended lol) looking as the 'male' (whom is not sick, knock on wood). Do I need to dilute?

 

[ThRoewer]

That looks like a Saprolegnia infection. Those fungal skin infections are more common in freshwater, but can also occur in saltwater fish. The cause is often poor water quality or a dirty tank in combination with a wound through which the fungus can enter.
Secondary bacterial infections are common so treatment with antibiotics is definitely right.

 

[ThRoewer]

https://www.ratemyfishtank.com/blog/how-to-deal-with-marine-fungus-in-the-saltwater-aquarium

 

[CTaylor]

Do i need to add an antifungal? What exactly do i need to do?
The bottle of sulfa says to add more today as well. Im thinking no since (if you see above) i already overdoses it by 4-5x.
So what else should i do since she has fungal also And. I have no biological filtration established in hosp tank. I have prime. Im thinking 50 % watee changes daily and dose 1/10 tab sulfa forte starting 2 days after start if treeatment (so tomorroe night) sincd there is too much in it right now (not to do more sulfa now). (???)

And again what to add for the fungal? I have cipro also fish flox. Thats all i have. Ill read that article also

Ty!