Butterfly problem-Flukes?

[dennis romano]

I have a 125 FOWLR populated with seven butterflies, most have been with me for over a year. The tank has been running for three years. In the last month, I have lost two long term fish with the same symptoms, head shaking and weight loss. Up to the day they died, they were active and eating well. I thought possibly flukes and treated three times with Prazi but still lost them. Of the remaining fish, one is showing the same symptoms. The other fish are symptom free. Any suggestions?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have a 125 FOWLR populated with seven butterflies, most have been with me for over a year. The tank has been running for three years. In the last month, I have lost two long term fish with the same symptoms, head shaking and weight loss. Up to the day they died, they were active and eating well. I thought possibly flukes and treated three times with Prazi but still lost them. Of the remaining fish, one is showing the same symptoms. The other fish are symptom free. Any suggestions?

Can be flukes but also velvet
With flukes the likelihood, you can safely dose prazi pro adding One application lasting 8 days and do a water change and one more application for 8 days
Are they eagles now and how is breathing rate?

 

[dennis romano]

Breathing rate is normal. Fins are normal. There are no spots or discoloration.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Breathing rate is normal. Fins are normal. There are no spots or discoloration.

It's not velvet then - that always causes rapid breathing in every case.

It does sound like flukes, and butterflies are certainly prone to them. Prazi doesn't always work, some species of flukes lay eggs and the prazi doesn't kill the eggs, so you need to guess at the dosing frequency to try and kill new flukes that hatch out, but before they have time to lay their own eggs. I use 8 or 9 days as the interval, for three treatments, but even that doesn't always work. Hyposalinity at a specific gravity of 1.012 will work, but of course cannot be done with invertebrates in the tank,

Jay