Video - How to do a Freshwater Dip

[drawman]

Great video Meredith!!

 

[haanstang]

How to perform a freshwater dip


Freshwater dips are a very important diagnostic tool when you have a sick fish. Since it can help flush out the excess mucus that can and does build up in the gills with a parasite infestation, it can be lifesaving as well. It will even confirm a flukes infestation. It’s important to know how to perform a freshwater dip since so much can be gained from it. We are going to go through the steps here together.

Equipment:

· A container that holds water and is large enough for the fish in question to fit inside easily. It’s preferable to have a dark colored container to make finding flukes easier.
· Air pump, Air stone and tubing.
· RODI water (you can buffer the water with a splash of tank water)
· Net & Heater
· Cell phone, timer, stop watch, clock – something to keep track of the time.

These are all common things and I’m sure most of us have them laying around already.

Directions:

· Fill your chosen container with RODI water and start heating it to match the tank the “patient” is coming from.
· Place an air stone in the container to start aerating the water.
· Catch the patient.
· Check that the temperature matches between the container and the tank. You can check the PH of both and if they are wildly different, use a splash to tank water to buffer the dip water a bit.
· Place the patient in the freshwater and start the timer for 5 minutes.
· Keep a close watch on the fish while the dip is in progress. If he starts thrashing about, it’s probably a good time to remove him from the dip early.
· When the 5 minutes is up, remove the fish and replace him either in the tank he came from or into a QT.

When you’re done, don’t get rid of the water yet! The first thing you will do is look closely at the water the fish was just in. If flukes are found, you’ll see opaque circles or ovals in the bottom of the bowl. If the bowl is clear, then flukes can be ruled out and other parasites or maladies can be considered. Take a look at the fish you just got done dipping. It’s possible that the fish is now breathing easier, a bit more alert, or just resting from the treatment.

For additional info on Freshwater Dips see Humblefish's write up here: Freshwater Dip

I’ve never had a problem performing a fresh water dip on a fish. I’ve done hundreds and only lost a hand-full of fish. I’ve found that if a fish doesn’t survive the freshwater dip, he was likely past saving anyway. That sounds harsh, but it’s likely true. Here is a video of how I perform a freshwater dip.



Special thanks to my coworker Sonia for being my camera-woman and to the customer to waited that last minute patiently so we could finish the dip and the video.

Great info and video. I have to admit if I would have tried the dip before watching the video I don't know if I would have left the fish in the freshwater for the full 5 minutes.
That video kind a hit home for me because that's my favorite fish out of the ones I have. Love my powder brown tang.

 

[PatW]

Great video. It was interesting that the fish did the dramatic death routine but towards the end of the dip seemed to have settled down. Seeing the video is good because now I am prepared for such behavior. Had I not seen it, that sort of thing would have been alarming.

 

[sricorals]

How to perform a freshwater dip


Freshwater dips are a very important diagnostic tool when you have a sick fish. Since it can help flush out the excess mucus that can and does build up in the gills with a parasite infestation, it can be lifesaving as well. It will even confirm a flukes infestation. It’s important to know how to perform a freshwater dip since so much can be gained from it. We are going to go through the steps here together.

Equipment:

· A container that holds water and is large enough for the fish in question to fit inside easily. It’s preferable to have a dark colored container to make finding flukes easier.
· Air pump, Air stone and tubing.
· RODI water (you can buffer the water with a splash of tank water)
· Net & Heater
· Cell phone, timer, stop watch, clock – something to keep track of the time.

These are all common things and I’m sure most of us have them laying around already.

Directions:

· Fill your chosen container with RODI water and start heating it to match the tank the “patient” is coming from.
· Place an air stone in the container to start aerating the water.
· Catch the patient.
· Check that the temperature matches between the container and the tank. You can check the PH of both and if they are wildly different, use a splash to tank water to buffer the dip water a bit.
· Place the patient in the freshwater and start the timer for 5 minutes.
· Keep a close watch on the fish while the dip is in progress. If he starts thrashing about, it’s probably a good time to remove him from the dip early.
· When the 5 minutes is up, remove the fish and replace him either in the tank he came from or into a QT.

When you’re done, don’t get rid of the water yet! The first thing you will do is look closely at the water the fish was just in. If flukes are found, you’ll see opaque circles or ovals in the bottom of the bowl. If the bowl is clear, then flukes can be ruled out and other parasites or maladies can be considered. Take a look at the fish you just got done dipping. It’s possible that the fish is now breathing easier, a bit more alert, or just resting from the treatment.

For additional info on Freshwater Dips see Humblefish's write up here: Freshwater Dip

I’ve never had a problem performing a fresh water dip on a fish. I’ve done hundreds and only lost a hand-full of fish. I’ve found that if a fish doesn’t survive the freshwater dip, he was likely past saving anyway. That sounds harsh, but it’s likely true. Here is a video of how I perform a freshwater dip.



Special thanks to my coworker Sonia for being my camera-woman and to the customer to waited that last minute patiently so we could finish the dip and the video.

Great Job. Thanks.

 

[Radman73]

Great video. It was interesting that the fish did the dramatic death routine but towards the end of the dip seemed to have settled down. Seeing the video is good because now I am prepared for such behavior. Had I not seen it, that sort of thing would have been alarming.

My thoughts exactly. If I'd sen a fish lay on its side, that quick, it would have been out of there in about 10 seconds lol! Now I know better.

 

[Forsaken77]

I don't think my Harlequin Tuskfish will be able to tolerate the dip. When I was running hypo in the display tank, he was having a very hard time at 1.013 while all the other fish, even other Wrasses, were fine.

I had to slowly up the salinity after a week of him not moving or eating. Even though he looks Australian, I think he's not and may have been hit with cyanide. He was doing great for months but his health started to decline to the point of him being blind. And he's still at the end of his juvenile phase.

It sucks because he was my first and favorite fish in this tank and I may have to euthanize him before he starves to death. Poor guy. He's in quarantine (and all my fish have always been qt'd) and I've gone to the point of trying to hold him still with my hand and shove the food in his mouth, but because he can't see he just freaked out and tried to bite me.

 

[Reefahholic]

Great video. I love when people document with video. FLUKE party ended that day!

 

[Humblefish]

I don't think my Harlequin Tuskfish will be able to tolerate the dip. When I was running hypo in the display tank, he was having a very hard time at 1.013 while all the other fish, even other Wrasses, were fine.

Some fish who cannot tolerate long-term exposure to hypo conditions can still handle a 5 min FW dip just fine. However, I've run into a few cases where the fish appears unable to maintain their equilibrium once returned to SW. If this happens, hold the fish upright (using latex, nitrile or rubber gloves), and gently glide him through the water (to get saltwater flowing through the gills again). It is also a good idea to place the fish in an acclimation box until he appears “normal”.

 

[spllbnd2]

Excellent information and makes everyone a bit more prepared for what to expect when performing a FW dip.

Cheers,
Alex

 

[Forsaken77]

Some fish who cannot tolerate long-term exposure to hypo conditions can still handle a 5 min FW dip just fine. However, I've run into a few cases where the fish appears unable to maintain their equilibrium once returned to SW. If this happens, hold the fish upright (using latex, nitrile or rubber gloves), and gently glide him through the water (to get saltwater flowing through the gills again). It is also a good idea to place the fish in an acclimation box until he appears “normal”.

I actually did do the freshwater dip on him for 5 minutes. I used the CPR Aquatics First A.I.D. Deluxe unit. Those things work great because it's big enough to hang on any tank, has a built-in nozzle on the bottom to connect either an air line or hook up the pump for drip acclimation and you can regulate the air amount or drip with a built-in nozzle. It comes with a frag tray but wasn't needed. It's also a smoked plastic so seeing flukes is easier.

So anyway, I did the dip on him and when I put him back his slime coat was all raggedy looking. I also dipped a Blue Throat Trigger that has a round circle on his eye, buy nothing fell off either fish. The Trigger acted like he was in regular salt water, just swimming around nonchalantly.

I guess the Tusk is done for and maybe the Trigger has something bacterial.

 

[arkareefo]

Will this treat icks on Any fish?...

 

[Humblefish]

Will this treat icks on Any fish?...

Ich is one of the few disease a FW dip WILL NOT help with, as the trophonts burrow in too deeply to be affected. It is mostly useful for removing "surface" parasites & worms (ex. velvet, flukes). Never gets them all, but removes enough to provide temporary relief until a proper treatment can be done.

 

[melypr1985]

So anyway, I did the dip on him and when I put him back his slime coat was all raggedy looking.

It sounds like something was removed with the dip, just maybe it wasn't flukes. Usually that ratty look is from parasites letting go of their holds and showing the damage they left behind. At least that has been my experience with it.

 

[Rory's Reef]

I suspected my tang had flukes, so I did a freshwater dip and this is the result (looks like flukes from what I can tell).


Now, at first I thought this was strange because I treated with PraziPro while in QT. But then I remembered I added some snails and a shrimp before I realized I should QT them. The infection doesn't seem terribly bad, no real visible signs other then a little heavy breathing and a saw her scratch against the rock a couple times. She's the only one in the tank currently, but theres been cross contamination from my other tank where I have 3 fish that I planned on relocating today. I would prefer to move them all over to the new tank and treat with PraziPro all together. From what I've read I believe PraziPro is reef safe, but I wasn't sure if it would be ok with inverts, particularly a cleaner shrimp, various snails and a pincushion urchin. Would that be an okay plan of action? or do I need to QT everyone and leave the tank fallow for 76 days?

@Humblefish @melypr1985

Thanks

 

[Humblefish]

Prazipro is generally reef safe, although if you have a large bristle worm or tube worm population that could be a problem. The resulting die-off could trigger an ammonia spike.

 

[Maritimer]

This is a terrific - and rather confidence-building - video.

I've only done one freshwater dip, and it didn't end well, so I've been "twice shy" about trying one again.

Thank you!

~Bruce

 

[melypr1985]

I suspected my tang had flukes, so I did a freshwater dip and this is the result (looks like flukes from what I can tell).


Now, at first I thought this was strange because I treated with PraziPro while in QT. But then I remembered I added some snails and a shrimp before I realized I should QT them. The infection doesn't seem terribly bad, no real visible signs other then a little heavy breathing and a saw her scratch against the rock a couple times. She's the only one in the tank currently, but theres been cross contamination from my other tank where I have 3 fish that I planned on relocating today. I would prefer to move them all over to the new tank and treat with PraziPro all together. From what I've read I believe PraziPro is reef safe, but I wasn't sure if it would be ok with inverts, particularly a cleaner shrimp, various snails and a pincushion urchin. Would that be an okay plan of action? or do I need to QT everyone and leave the tank fallow for 76 days?

@Humblefish @melypr1985

Thanks

Just one problem. I don't see anything in this picture that looks like flukes to me.

 

[Rory's Reef]

Just one problem. I don't see anything in this picture that looks like flukes to me.

I've never seen flukes before so when I saw these white things flying around after I took the tang out after the dip I assumed they were flukes (I think most of those other white things are air bubbles). But I suppose not? I certainly would not be upset if I misidentified, it's part of the reason I posted here to begin with.

 

[Jrose42488]

Great Article. Thanks

 

[melypr1985]

I've never seen flukes before so when I saw these white things flying around after I took the tang out after the dip I assumed they were flukes (I think most of those other white things are air bubbles). But I suppose not? I certainly would not be upset if I misidentified, it's part of the reason I posted here to begin with.

Flukes generally look like sesame seeds but flatter and slightly see-through. Those look like grains of sand possibly.