Coris wrasse parasite is killing him after flucanazole treatment

[ebeltran]

Can anyone diagnose this? Appreciate any help

 

[ebeltran]

This showed up after treating flucanazole according to the bottle for 100g in my 135g tank, targeting briopsis. No sysmptoms in the wrasse ahead of this. Yesterday I noticed a single ‘thing’ attached under his fin, and today there are a bunch. He’s not happy, laying down, floating more than swimming.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

This showed up after treating flucanazole according to the bottle for 100g in my 135g tank, targeting briopsis. No sysmptoms in the wrasse ahead of this. Yesterday I noticed a single ‘thing’ attached under his fin, and today there are a bunch. He’s not happy, laying down, floating more than swimming.

That most likely isn't a "parasite" in the strict sense, more likely it is either mucus or bacteria.

Do you think the fluconazole treatment was causative or coincidental? There have been a few vague reports of wrasse not doing well after this sort of treatment. I don't think it is a direct toxicity, but wrasse have a high oxygen requirement and if you killed off a lot of algae at once, the bacteria decomposition could be taking up too much oxygen.

Jay

 

[ebeltran]

That most likely isn't a "parasite" in the strict sense, more likely it is either mucus or bacteria.

Do you think the fluconazole treatment was causative or coincidental? There have been a few vague reports of wrasse not doing well after this sort of treatment. I don't think it is a direct toxicity, but wrasse have a high oxygen requirement and if you killed off a lot of algae at once, the bacteria decomposition could be taking up too much oxygen.

Jay

Thanks Jay! I have struggled to keep wrasses for the life of the tank (1.5yrs). I introduce them, they disappear, and never reappear, then I get a nutrient spike or a nasty, boogery bacteria outbreak for a week or two following. This coris wrasse is the 1 of 4 that has survived. I figured this was some parasite that had been living with the wrasse (killing the others) until the recent treatment: I dosed the fluconazole Thursday, skimmer off through Tuesday, then noticed a single white 'polyp' on the wrasse Friday, worsened today.

I don't think the loss of the briopsis is the cause: there was not a ton, but it was growing at the top of the tank and I feared it would soon be bothering some acros. Otherwise, no algae to kill. I am also dealing with a smallish cyano outbreak as well, though, and post-fluconazole my po4 dropped to zero, with no3 at about 3.

I have also been struggling to bring ph up for the past month or two, it has been hovering day/night around 8.2/7.7, which could mean low oxygenation, right?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Thanks Jay! I have struggled to keep wrasses for the life of the tank (1.5yrs). I introduce them, they disappear, and never reappear, then I get a nutrient spike or a nasty, boogery bacteria outbreak for a week or two following. This coris wrasse is the 1 of 4 that has survived. I figured this was some parasite that had been living with the wrasse (killing the others) until the recent treatment: I dosed the fluconazole Thursday, skimmer off through Tuesday, then noticed a single white 'polyp' on the wrasse Friday, worsened today.

I don't think the loss of the briopsis is the cause: there was not a ton, but it was growing at the top of the tank and I feared it would soon be bothering some acros. Otherwise, no algae to kill. I am also dealing with a smallish cyano outbreak as well, though, and post-fluconazole my po4 dropped to zero, with no3 at about 3.

I have also been struggling to bring ph up for the past month or two, it has been hovering day/night around 8.2/7.7, which could mean low oxygenation, right?

Yes - a pH change between night and day is a symptom of high carbon dioxide which is usually coincides with lower oxygen levels. Some people avoid this by reverse-lighting their refugium (if they have one) or by adding more aeration.

Jay