Is this flukes on Sargassum Trigger?

Ridgeback1 · 2026-09-28T17:39:45-0400

See the white attachments on his head (sorry about the photo quality--he's not coming out of his cave)--are these a reaction to flukes? They are like skin tags and they move as he swims or water flows over him--kind of wave about like little flags. He's eating well and not scratching, but is hiding rather than his usual sprinting about and his color is darker. Breathing seems to be normal. The white "tags" change literally over minutes--they disappear (fall off?) and others appear. He has maybe 20 of them and they are mostly on his head and upper back. No other fish in the tank have any symptoms of any kind. (I also added a video which if you zoom in you can see the white "tags" moving like little flags. ChatGPT thinks it's not flukes but mucous/skin sloughing from some irritant).

Ridgeback1 · 2026-09-28T19:25:13-0400

Ridgeback1 said:
See the white attachments on his head (sorry about the photo quality--he's not coming out of his cave)--are these a reaction to flukes? They are like skin tags and they move as he swims or water flows over him--kind of wave about like little flags. He's eating well and not scratching, but is hiding rather than his usual sprinting about and his color is darker. Breathing seems to be normal. The white "tags" change literally over minutes--they disappear (fall off?) and others appear. He has maybe 20 of them and they are mostly on his head and upper back. No other fish in the tank have any symptoms of any kind. (I also added a video which if you zoom in you can see the white "tags" moving like little flags. ChatGPT thinks it's not flukes but mucous/skin sloughing from some irritant).

UPDATE: 90 minutes later all the white "flags/tags" are gone and he's swimming around like his usual self. Any idea what this is/was?

mcarroll · 2026-09-28T19:26:30-0400

Ridgeback1 · 2026-09-28T19:29:07-0400

mcarroll said:
sand

Less likely. I have coarser aragonite as substrate, not sand.

mcarroll · 2026-09-28T19:52:42-0400

Ok.......sand or debris from your sand.

vetteguy53081 · 2026-09-28T20:09:48-0400

Ridgeback1 said:
UPDATE: 90 minutes later all the white "flags/tags" are gone and he's swimming around like his usual self. Any idea what this is/was?

Flukes often are not visible and I view this as sand dust often from being kicked up. Ich will increase daily. You should see nothing come tomorrow if so, repost concerns