Hanging out of clownfish mouth...white stringy....?

[ReefAZ]

Hi guys, please see attached picture. This clown went through humblefish's 10 day chloroquine phosphate protocol, followed by two spaced courses of GC (3 days each). Is currently in a nano for observation (I'll be taking down this nano soon). Fish is eating like a HORSE. So the fish has been in hospital/quarantine for over 3 weeks. So in the last few days....
One and only one problem....what appears to be a worm/parasite sticking to lip/below mouth. NOTE: This is NOT brook ich or velvet...it looks like a piece of dental floss, just thinner. The water was cloudy from using ,y magnet cleaner...the mouth thing is the ONLY problem. Ever seen something like this? Suggestions to treat it? I have GC at home but can buy whatever on the fly, as needed. Thanks.

 

[reef lover]

Is it still there?

 

[ReefAZ]

Is it still there?

Reef lover yes. As he is eating like a pig I feel I have a little time. I have started out with food soaked in General cure. 36 hours into it, the white parasite (I think it's a parasite) is still there. If still there tomorrow, my options to get more aggressive with meds I have on hand would be hospital tank and use formalin. He was in humblefish's formula of chloroquine phosphate for 12 days, so I'm not sure it makes sense to try that. Any thoughts?

 

[Victoria M]

Have you tried to manually remove it?

 

[Eagle_Steve]

@Brew12 @HotRocks @4FordFamily can either of you two chime in with your thoughts?

 

[Brew12]

I would try a fresh water dip to see if it releases. For a medication to work on that size parasite it needs to be very targeted.

 

[ReefAZ]

Have you tried to manually remove it?

Not yet... but as I will be moving him to a true hospital tank, when I scoop him out I can
put in a mason jar and try. However, the parasite clearly is rooted into him...that is, when he swims, the whole thing doesn't float around in different directions
***PS to prior post... I will do a freshwater dip before he goes into a treated hospital tank (again, probably will try formalin). Any other suggestions please let me know!

 

[Brew12]

Not yet... but as I will be moving him to a true hospital tank, when I scoop him out I can
put in a mason jar and try. However, the parasite clearly is rooted into him...that is, when he swims, the whole thing doesn't float around in different directions
***PS to prior post... I will do a freshwater dip before he goes into a treated hospital tank (again, probably will try formalin). Any other suggestions please let me know!

I agree that a formalin dip would also be a good thing to try.

 

[ReefAZ]

I would try a fresh water dip to see if it releases. For a medication to work on that size parasite it needs to be very targeted.

Thanks. I just wrote that in my post before I saw your suggestion. Definitely will do the FW dip

 

[ReefAZ]

I agree that a formalin dip would also be a good thing to try.

I was actually thinking low dose formalin in the hospital tank over several days as per guidelines from humblefish. However, that's just because I have never done a formalin dip so afraid of it. I think you are right...I need to suck it up and just do a formalin dip (properly) to get this thing off him fast as possible.

 

[Brew12]

I was actually thinking low dose formalin in the hospital tank over several days as per guidelines from humblefish. However, that's just because I have never done a formalin dip so afraid of it. I think you are right...I need to suck it up and just do a formalin dip (properly) to get this thing off him fast as possible.

I am afraid of formalin also, so I have never used it. It's pretty nasty stuff. It's probably why my initial thought was the FW dip and I would still try that first. In a HT it is easy enough to catch a fish so you can always do a formalin dip if the FW dip doesn't work.

 

[4FordFamily]

I too would start with a freshwater dip, then perhaps a prazi dip. (Prazi is more effective as a dip for things like this— the instructions on the bottle work well often).

Wait 24 hours if it does not work, then try the formalin. I am guessing it’s a type of worm. Almost looks like it was eating white stringy poo from another fish that somehow got stuck... which seems pretty unlikely.

 

[ReefAZ]

I am afraid of formalin also, so I have never used it. It's pretty nasty stuff. It's probably why my initial thought was the FW dip and I would still try that first. In a HT it is easy enough to catch a fish so you can always do a formalin dip if the FW dip doesn't work.

Tried freshwater dip... looks like it didn't do anything. So formalin probably tomorrow.

 

[ReefAZ]

I too would start with a freshwater dip, then perhaps a prazi dip. (Prazi is more effective as a dip for things like this— the instructions on the bottle work well often).

Wait 24 hours if it does not work, then try the formalin. I am guessing it’s a type of worm. Almost looks like it was eating white stringy poo from another fish that somehow got stuck... which seems pretty unlikely.

Freshwater dip did not appear to have dislodged the thing. I can try prazi dip tomorrow, and if no progress.....formalin end of weekend. Thanks for thoughts.

 

[ReefAZ]

I will post a complete update later, but... hydrogen peroxide dip per humblefish recommends did the trip, so nor formal treatment needed. Fish will remain under observation, but so far so good!

 

[ReefAZ]

Success! I treated the clown in a bath of hydrogen peroxide per humblefish's protocol....
WHITE PARASITE IN MOUTH IS GONE! That was about 4 days ago... If there is any update,
I'll add it but... hopefully case closed.

 

[reef lover]

Yay!! I like happy endings!