Are these flukes? About to medicate DT

[Eackone]

I've been questioning if my tank has flukes. My issue is that medication is hard to obtain where I live and whenever I had a concern, I was never able to catch the fish in question to test with fresh water dips.

Nonetheless I decided I would try to order some prazipro and see if it actually made its way here. A few days later, I have 16 oz of prazipro waiting on my door step.

I have a feather duster I love, but I am prepared to risk it to treat my fish. But Id like a second opinion before committing to treating my DT (I cant take out all my fish without tearing down the DT).

I have the video below of my radiant wrasse which had a patch on its tail which made me suspect flukes. The radiant also flashes on the sand occasionally.
https://youtube.com/shorts/H8RBp7xSabA

(Not sure how to have the video embedded in my post - HD version is still rendering at the time of writting this)

I also have a red head solon fairy wrasse which ive been finding to be discolored and often swimming to the top of the water column.

Lastly, my royal gramma looks to have weird discoloration spots around the top of its head. Pretty much impossible to capture by photo with reef lighting but noticeable to the eye if pointed out.

Every fish eats well and is active asides from that.

All in all, looking to get a second input before I dump some prazipro in my DT. (Pray for my coco worm)

 

[vetteguy53081]

I've been questioning if my tank has flukes. My issue is that medication is hard to obtain where I live and whenever I had a concern, I was never able to catch the fish in question to test with fresh water dips.

Nonetheless I decided I would try to order some prazipro and see if it actually made its way here. A few days later, I have 16 oz of prazipro waiting on my door step.

I have a feather duster I love, but I am prepared to risk it to treat my fish. But Id like a second opinion before committing to treating my DT (I cant take out all my fish without tearing down the DT).

I have the video below of my radiant wrasse which had a patch on its tail which made me suspect flukes. The radiant also flashes on the sand occasionally.
https://youtube.com/shorts/H8RBp7xSabA

(Not sure how to have the video embedded in my post - HD version is still rendering at the time of writting this)

I also have a red head solon fairy wrasse which ive been finding to be discolored and often swimming to the top of the water column.

Lastly, my royal gramma looks to have weird discoloration spots around the top of its head. Pretty much impossible to capture by photo with reef lighting but noticeable to the eye if pointed out.

Every fish eats well and is active asides from that.

All in all, looking to get a second input before I dump some prazipro in my DT. (Pray for my coco worm)

Pictures under white lighting would be very helpful in assessment
Some signs are:
-scratching gills/face
- heavy breathing
- loss of appetite
- fish looks like it’s yawning
- eyes looking milky

often a 5 minute freshwater dip in a clean bucket will offer temporary relief and you can then return fish to tank and look on bottom of the container and see if you can see what looks like sesame seeds or fish scales. Use a flashlight if needed
If you can- those are flukes

 

[threebuoys]

I viewed your video but I could not see the "patch" on the wrasse's tail. Is that the primary reason you suspect flukes?

Do you have more than the two wrasses and royal gramma in the tank? Unless multiple fish are frequently flashing, I think you have scant evidence to conclude flukes. The fresh water dip method is a good way to identify flukes, but frankly, I would not go there unless I had stronger evidence.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I've been questioning if my tank has flukes. My issue is that medication is hard to obtain where I live and whenever I had a concern, I was never able to catch the fish in question to test with fresh water dips.

Nonetheless I decided I would try to order some prazipro and see if it actually made its way here. A few days later, I have 16 oz of prazipro waiting on my door step.

I have a feather duster I love, but I am prepared to risk it to treat my fish. But Id like a second opinion before committing to treating my DT (I cant take out all my fish without tearing down the DT).

I have the video below of my radiant wrasse which had a patch on its tail which made me suspect flukes. The radiant also flashes on the sand occasionally.
https://youtube.com/shorts/H8RBp7xSabA

(Not sure how to have the video embedded in my post - HD version is still rendering at the time of writting this)

I also have a red head solon fairy wrasse which ive been finding to be discolored and often swimming to the top of the water column.

Lastly, my royal gramma looks to have weird discoloration spots around the top of its head. Pretty much impossible to capture by photo with reef lighting but noticeable to the eye if pointed out.

Every fish eats well and is active asides from that.

All in all, looking to get a second input before I dump some prazipro in my DT. (Pray for my coco worm)

I couldn't see the white patch on the wrasse either. FW dips only diagnose for one type of fluke, Neobendenia, and that isn't the case here. The small skin flukes have to be diagnosed indirectly - FW dip and see if they improve for a short time, or just treat with Prazipro and see if it helps.

Coco worms are tough to keep long term IMO, but the Prazi is really specific against flukes and cestodes - it won't kill other healthy worm species.

Jay

 

[Eackone]

I have other fish in my tank (clownfish, hawkfish, mandarin, desjaridini tang, goby, etc) but the 2 wrasses and royal gramma are the only ones displaying potential symptoms.

I had a Blue throat fairy wrasse die in my tank for unknown reasons about 1.5-2 years ago. Since then, everyone seemed healthy and fine.

About 2 months ago, I started to think my Red Head Solon Fairy wrasse has lost alot of his vibrant colors. I figured it might just be because he is now the only fairy wrasse in the tank and isnt competing anymore. It is often hanging near the top of the tank swimming around, but my gyres push it around. I feel it just looks pretty week compared to my other fish.

I started to observe my fish more and more for symptoms of anything (I feel the a point of slight paranoia ) and notice the radiant wrasse was occasionally flashing in the sand.

I also started to notice very slight discoloration patches on the top of the head of my royal gramma. I tried to catch my fairy wrasse or my royal gramma to attempt a H20 dip but no success in getting either or.

Finaly, about a week ago, I noticed this new sesame shapped like translucent patch on my radiant wrasse tail. It hadnt been there before and made me further think it is flukes.

None of my fish have shows signs of lympho before (which was my other theory for the bump on the radiant). Nitrates 8.0-9.00 ppm No ammonia or nitrite - No new additions

 

[Eackone]

If i cant catch the wrasses or the royal gramma, is there any use in FW dipping another fish?

If one fish in my tank has flukes would they likely all have them?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

If i cant catch the wrasses or the royal gramma, is there any use in FW dipping another fish?

If one fish in my tank has flukes would they likely all have them?

Not all fish are susceptible to the same fluke species. Closely related fish species would be expected to become infected though. Likewise, scale type can also have different fluke species….ctenoid, cycloid and scaleless would all have different fluke species involved.
Jay

 

[Eackone]

Not all fish are susceptible to the same fluke species. Closely related fish species would be expected to become infected though. Likewise, scale type can also have different fluke species….ctenoid, cycloid and scaleless would all have different fluke species involved.
Jay

Thank you jay,

Im not sure if the pictures I posted helped. Its hard to catch the slight color blemishes or markings on such fast moving fish.

Would you advise to treat with prazi pro to be on the safe side? Despite being generally reef safe, im weary of putting any meds in my tank. That being said, I plan on getting more wrasses down the line. I'd rather tackle this now and follow proper QT protocol for future additions.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Thank you jay,

Im not sure if the pictures I posted helped. Its hard to catch the slight color blemishes or markings on such fast moving fish.

Would you advise to treat with prazi pro to be on the safe side? Despite being generally reef safe, im weary of putting any meds in my tank. That being said, I plan on getting more wrasses down the line. I'd rather tackle this now and follow proper QT protocol for future additions.

Prazipro adds nutrients and strips out oxygen, but direct damage from it to reef tanks is rare.
That said, I can’t say the wrasse have flukes for sure, that takes diagnostic dips or skin scrapes to be positive about. Flukes can’t really be seen on fish,(except one species, on the eyes) you just see the secondary affects - rapid breathing, scratching, tattered look. So - it is a judgement call I guess…

Jay