Help with suspected intestinal parasite in QT'd Carpenter Flasher and possibly Filament Flasher infected

Fishrocker1 · Feb 20, 2024

So I have been dealing with a bit of an issue in my 20 gal long QT tank. I picked up two new flasher wrasses from my lfs about a week ago both of which ate on the day of their arrival. About 3 days in I noticed labored breathing from the carpenter which prompted me to do a freshwater dip after testing paramters which were in appropriate ranges. The FW dip revealed 4 gill flukes as I sucpected dealing with them many times before from the same vendor. I promptly treated the tank with a round prazi for about 3 days which then I did a 95% water change and dosed the appropriate amount of Micro Bacter 7. After the water change the carpenter pooped out a white thing roughly the width of a ramen noodle to which the filament wrasse desided to devour before I could remove it. Its been about 2 days now and the carpenter wrasse hides all day and refuses to eat. The filament wrasse remains active and continues to eat. I have delivered a second round of prazi and have mixed freeze dried mysis with metroplex, focus, prazi, selcon, and garlic guard which I've seen the filament wrasse eat a little of and the carpenter not even flinch for. Any thoughts on what I should do from here or should I stick to my regiment in hopes the condition of the carpenter improves.

MnFish1 · Feb 20, 2024

I think you're mixing diseases - and quarantine protocols. The poop is likely not related to the gill issue - 3 days is not the protocol we tend to use here - instead its 2 treatments 8 days apart

MnFish1 · Feb 20, 2024

Fishrocker1 said:
So I have been dealing with a bit of an issue in my 20 gal long QT tank. I picked up two new flasher wrasses from my lfs about a week ago both of which ate on the day of their arrival. About 3 days in I noticed labored breathing from the carpenter which prompted me to do a freshwater dip after testing paramters which were in appropriate ranges. The FW dip revealed 4 gill flukes as I sucpected dealing with them many times before from the same vendor. I promptly treated the tank with a round prazi for about 3 days which then I did a 95% water change and dosed the appropriate amount of Micro Bacter 7. After the water change the carpenter pooped out a white thing roughly the width of a ramen noodle to which the filament wrasse desided to devour before I could remove it. Its been about 2 days now and the carpenter wrasse hides all day and refuses to eat. The filament wrasse remains active and continues to eat. I have delivered a second round of prazi and have mixed freeze dried mysis with metroplex, focus, prazi, selcon, and garlic guard which I've seen the filament wrasse eat a little of and the carpenter not even flinch for. Any thoughts on what I should do from here or should I stick to my regiment in hopes the condition of the carpenter improves.

PS - Its my opinion that adding x, y, z to a food may not do much. And I would never mix antibiotics/antiparisiticals together - as - it's impossible to know the dose.

Fishrocker1 · Feb 20, 2024

MnFish1 said:
I think you're mixing diseases - and quarantine protocols. The poop is likely not related to the gill issue - 3 days is not the protocol we tend to use here - instead its 2 treatments 8 days apart

I'm not so much concerend with the fluke issue as I am with the possible internal parasite problem. I've dealed with flukes countless times but I've never had to deal with internal issues before. My weird home brew of meds is mostly an attempt to treat the possible internal issues. I know prazi pro claims it treats internal issues like tapeworms but does this apply when the fish is not eating? My lfs owner has recomended I add a little bit of prazi to the food as it is the best way to directly target internal parasites.

Jay Hemdal · Feb 20, 2024

Fishrocker1 said:
So I have been dealing with a bit of an issue in my 20 gal long QT tank. I picked up two new flasher wrasses from my lfs about a week ago both of which ate on the day of their arrival. About 3 days in I noticed labored breathing from the carpenter which prompted me to do a freshwater dip after testing paramters which were in appropriate ranges. The FW dip revealed 4 gill flukes as I sucpected dealing with them many times before from the same vendor. I promptly treated the tank with a round prazi for about 3 days which then I did a 95% water change and dosed the appropriate amount of Micro Bacter 7. After the water change the carpenter pooped out a white thing roughly the width of a ramen noodle to which the filament wrasse desided to devour before I could remove it. Its been about 2 days now and the carpenter wrasse hides all day and refuses to eat. The filament wrasse remains active and continues to eat. I have delivered a second round of prazi and have mixed freeze dried mysis with metroplex, focus, prazi, selcon, and garlic guard which I've seen the filament wrasse eat a little of and the carpenter not even flinch for. Any thoughts on what I should do from here or should I stick to my regiment in hopes the condition of the carpenter improves.

First thing - you can’t just mix medication with food and focus, the dose won’t be correct. Too much medication and you poison the fish, too little and there is no benefit. You didn’t get that advice here did you? We have a medicated food calculator and instruction file here, but it requires a gram scale and a LOT of work.

I agree with @MnFish1 - rapid breathing is rarely associated with internal parasites. Are you positive on the gill fluke diagnosis? I have trouble identifying those, even with a microscope.

What about using General Cure? It has prazi, but also has metronidazole in it that hells against some protozoans.

Fishrocker1 · Feb 20, 2024

Jay Hemdal said:
First thing - you can’t just mix medication with food and focus, the dose won’t be correct. Too much medication and you poison the fish, too little and there is no benefit. You didn’t get that advice here did you? We have a medicated food calculator and instruction file here, but it requires a gram scale and a LOT of work.

I agree with @MnFish1 - rapid breathing is rarely associated with internal parasites. Are you positive on the gill fluke diagnosis? I have trouble identifying those, even with a microscope.

What about using General Cure? It has prazi, but also has metronidazole in it that hells against some protozoans.

Yes, I am positive I was initially dealing with flukes. This intestinal problem the carpenter wrasse is having now is a completely seperate and unrelated issue. I was just giving a background of what I had been dealing with. I'm glad I am being told to not use the home brew food as I wasn't really sure about it. I only administered it once so I'm glad I'm going to stop it before it before it creates further issues. As for general cure, I was reading about it and saw it contains both prazi and metro; however, I still remain unsure how to administer it. Should it be added to the food or should I dose it as instructed to the water?

Fishrocker1 · Feb 20, 2024

Forgive me I should also mention that the rapid breathing stopped the day after I freshwater diped the wrasse.

Jay Hemdal · Feb 20, 2024

Fishrocker1 said:
Forgive me I should also mention that the rapid breathing stopped the day after I freshwater diped the wrasse.

Yes - that’s a good clue that pretty much points 100% to gill flukes.

You just dose General Cure in the water.

MnFish1 · Feb 20, 2024

Fishrocker1 said:
I'm not so much concerend with the fluke issue as I am with the possible internal parasite problem. I've dealed with flukes countless times but I've never had to deal with internal issues before. My weird home brew of meds is mostly an attempt to treat the possible internal issues. I know prazi pro claims it treats internal issues like tapeworms but does this apply when the fish is not eating? My lfs owner has recomended I add a little bit of prazi to the food as it is the best way to directly target internal parasites.

If the fish is not eating - no - an oral food will not help. However, some medications in the water are taken up.