Please help - what disease is this?

[WrasseyReefer]

Hi everyone,

Help would be appreciated. I got some new fish and put them in a qt. I have a Bella goby that has been scratching on the sand and yawning. No white spots to indicate ich or velvet. I figured it was flukes, so I treated with prazipro, but the scratching and yawning didn’t stop. Figured the bacteria in my tank might be digesting the prazipro, so I transferred fish to a sterile new tank and treated with prazipro, still scratching and yawning. Figured it was prazipro resistant flukes so treated with fenbendazole dissolved in dmso for 12 hours and removed with water change. Still yawning and scratching. I have black mollies that I acclimated to saltwater from freshwater, not showing any white spots to indicate ich or velvet. What is this? I guess next step would be to treat with copper in case it’s ich or velvet even though there’s no white spots?

Thanks for your help.

 

[Jekyl]

White light photos and a short video will help this along.

 

[threebuoys]

Can you post a video to help confirm the diagnosis?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hi everyone,

Help would be appreciated. I got some new fish and put them in a qt. I have a Bella goby that has been scratching on the sand and yawning. No white spots to indicate ich or velvet. I figured it was flukes, so I treated with prazipro, but the scratching and yawning didn’t stop. Figured the bacteria in my tank might be digesting the prazipro, so I transferred fish to a sterile new tank and treated with prazipro, still scratching and yawning. Figured it was prazipro resistant flukes so treated with fenbendazole dissolved in dmso for 12 hours and removed with water change. Still yawning and scratching. I have black mollies that I acclimated to saltwater from freshwater, not showing any white spots to indicate ich or velvet. What is this? I guess next step would be to treat with copper in case it’s ich or velvet even though there’s no white spots?

Thanks for your help.

"prazi resistant flukes" is a bit of a misnomer - what people actually see is what you are aware of, the bacteria digesting the praziquantel before it has a chance to work. What you did would have overcome that issue. So - the issue may not be flukes after all, but I agree, those symptoms pretty much just point to flukes.

You could try a 5 minute FW dip. If the fish scratches the next day after that, it for sure isn't flukes.

Jay

 

[WrasseyReefer]

White light photos and a short video will help this along.

"prazi resistant flukes" is a bit of a misnomer - what people actually see is what you are aware of, the bacteria digesting the praziquantel before it has a chance to work. What you did would have overcome that issue. So - the issue may not be flukes after all, but I agree, those symptoms pretty much just point to flukes.

You could try a 5 minute FW dip. If the fish scratches the next day after that, it for sure isn't flukes.

Jay

I tried a 5 min freshwater bath too, but I read that freshwater bath doesn’t work for gill flukes.

 

[WrasseyReefer]

Will try to get photos and videos.

 

[WrasseyReefer]

 

[WrasseyReefer]

 

[WrasseyReefer]

Tried loading a video but it didn’t work.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I tried a 5 min freshwater bath too, but I read that freshwater bath doesn’t work for gill flukes.

No - FW dips won't CURE gill flukes (it doesn't kill their eggs) but it will give temporary relief - not the day of the dip (fish is still stressed) but the next day. If that didn't happen, then it isn't flukes....

Jay

 

[WrasseyReefer]

No - FW dips won't CURE gill flukes (it doesn't kill their eggs) but it will give temporary relief - not the day of the dip (fish is still stressed) but the next day. If that didn't happen, then it isn't flukes....

Jay

When I said work, I didn’t mean cure. I meant indicate whether it is flukes or not or provide relief. I read that you probably won’t see gill flukes come off in a freshwater bath but you will for body flukes. I don’t think I saw any flukes when I did the freshwater bath, but I assumed it was due to it being gill flukes.

Ok, so even though I’m not seeing any white spots, it could be ich or velvet? Sounds like copper treatment is next step? I’ve treated with metroplex, kanaplex, and neoplex already.

I’m also seeing red gills on other fish. I assume that’s probably a symptom of many different infections.

 

[WrasseyReefer]

No - FW dips won't CURE gill flukes (it doesn't kill their eggs) but it will give temporary relief - not the day of the dip (fish is still stressed) but the next day. If that didn't happen, then it isn't flukes....

Jay

How long should a freshwater bath relieve symptoms if it’s flukes?

 

[WrasseyReefer]

If this is ich or velvet, how long after reaching therapeutic dose of copper should the scratching stop?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

How long should a freshwater bath relieve symptoms if it’s flukes?

Generally, the next day through around 5 to 8 days, then the flukes return. It won't be like a "light switch", the symptoms will just get better, and may not go away 100%, it is a subjective call.

jay

 

[Jay Hemdal]

If this is ich or velvet, how long after reaching therapeutic dose of copper should the scratching stop?

Ich and velvet rarely cause constant scratching, but copper typically works in 3 days. You should use coppersafe or copper power, and a good test kit. then, get the dose to 2.25 ppm in 12 hours.

Jay

 

[WrasseyReefer]

Ich and velvet rarely cause constant scratching, but copper typically works in 3 days. You should use coppersafe or copper power, and a good test kit. then, get the dose to 2.25 ppm in 12 hours.

Jay

Yes, I have a Hanna copper test kit and copper power.

Yeah, I’m stumped since this seems like flukes yet the scratching isn’t stopping with prazipro or fenbendazole. How long after flukes treatment should a fish stop scratching? Would a fish stop scratching after one treatment of prazipro or fenbendazole? I know I need to do a second treatment a week later after the eggs hatch.

Is it possible that the type of flukes is resistant to both prazipro and fenbendazole and requires hyposalinity? I’m just having a hard time believing this is ich or velvet given the lack of white spots and the fact that ich or velvet rarely shows as regular scratching. The Bella isn’t constantly scratching, but it’s likely daily. I can’t know the frequency for sure, as I’m not watching all day. Sometimes it’s one or two times, but I’ve seen him/her scratch like 10 times in a row before.

The Bella’s scratching and yawning has been going on for 3 weeks now. I had a pintail wrasse 5 weeks ago that was scratching gills on temp probe, shaking head, and twitching. He died from what looked like a spinal injury. He was swimming vertically with head facing upward and swam in circles, couldn’t control his swimming. I think he’s the one that brought in the flukes (or whatever this is).

I also noticed after the fenbendazole treatment, one of my clownfish had a thin whiteish clearish long string coming out of its mouth and its anus. I don’t know if this was dead worms or what.

Trying to provide as many details as I can in the hopes of solving this. Thank you for your help.

 

[WrasseyReefer]

Also, at one point, I did see clearish blobs on my black mollies that I acclimated to SW from FW for this qt. I think the marks are gone now.

 

[WrasseyReefer]

Could this be black ich? Now I’m seeing black spots on my pink streaked wrasse. But isn’t prazipro the treatment? I’m at a loss here. Fish are breathing heavy. Please help.

 

[WrasseyReefer]

@Humblefish

 

[WrasseyReefer]

Anyone?