Possible flukes?

[AlexT25]

Hi everyone,

I’ve just recently bought a powder blue tang and a sand sifting goby and put them into my smaller lionfish tank. For context I have 2 tanks: my main display and a smaller dwarf lion fish tank that also has 2 clowns in. I do not have a dedicated quarantine tank as my parents will not allow another tank and they have no involvement with them, so their understanding is limited. So my plan was to put the powder blue and goby in the lionfish tank and wait a few months before moving them into my main display, as I thought this would be the best thing to do without having a qt tank.

Less than a week after getting them I notice what looks like a small flatworm hanging off of one of the clowns and noticed that the powder blue was not happy. I have just fresh water dipped all 5 fish for 5 minutes and in the bottom of the container looks to be 2 very small flatworms, photos attached. From what I’ve read they seem too big to be flukes as the largest one seemed to be around 3mm.

I’m hoping for any ideas of what they are and the best course of treatment. I have dosed NT labs marine anti-fluke and wormer as I had this on hand. I am going to order some fluke solve as I believe that this is the UK equivalent to Prazipro

Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks Alex

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi everyone,

I’ve just recently bought a powder blue tang and a sand sifting goby and put them into my smaller lionfish tank. For context I have 2 tanks: my main display and a smaller dwarf lion fish tank that also has 2 clowns in. I do not have a dedicated quarantine tank as my parents will not allow another tank and they have no involvement with them, so their understanding is limited. So my plan was to put the powder blue and goby in the lionfish tank and wait a few months before moving them into my main display, as I thought this would be the best thing to do without having a qt tank.

Less than a week after getting them I notice what looks like a small flatworm hanging off of one of the clowns and noticed that the powder blue was not happy. I have just fresh water dipped all 5 fish for 5 minutes and in the bottom of the container looks to be 2 very small flatworms, photos attached. From what I’ve read they seem too big to be flukes as the largest one seemed to be around 3mm.

I’m hoping for any ideas of what they are and the best course of treatment. I have dosed NT labs marine anti-fluke and wormer as I had this on hand. I am going to order some fluke solve as I believe that this is the UK equivalent to Prazipro

Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks Alex

These could very well be flukes, hard to confirm in container as FW dip will typically dislodge some or all. Doing a Praziquantel treatment wont hurt even if not flukes. I see you are in the UK and a better treatment would be Sera Tremazole and if none, you can use Fluke Solve which is like USA PraziPro. The NT labs would work but take longer opposed to the two i just listed

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hi everyone,

I’ve just recently bought a powder blue tang and a sand sifting goby and put them into my smaller lionfish tank. For context I have 2 tanks: my main display and a smaller dwarf lion fish tank that also has 2 clowns in. I do not have a dedicated quarantine tank as my parents will not allow another tank and they have no involvement with them, so their understanding is limited. So my plan was to put the powder blue and goby in the lionfish tank and wait a few months before moving them into my main display, as I thought this would be the best thing to do without having a qt tank.

Less than a week after getting them I notice what looks like a small flatworm hanging off of one of the clowns and noticed that the powder blue was not happy. I have just fresh water dipped all 5 fish for 5 minutes and in the bottom of the container looks to be 2 very small flatworms, photos attached. From what I’ve read they seem too big to be flukes as the largest one seemed to be around 3mm.

I’m hoping for any ideas of what they are and the best course of treatment. I have dosed NT labs marine anti-fluke and wormer as I had this on hand. I am going to order some fluke solve as I believe that this is the UK equivalent to Prazipro

Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks Alex

While those could be Neobenedenia flukes (the only fluke large enough to really be seen in dips) only seeing two would be a minor infection and would cause the other symptoms you are seeing.
How is the powder blue acting off?

Jay

 

[AlexT25]

While those could be Neobenedenia flukes (the only fluke large enough to really be seen in dips) only seeing two would be a minor infection and would cause the other symptoms you are seeing.
How is the powder blue acting off?

Jay

Hi Jay, thanks for your reply.

Before I did the freshwater dip he was breathing quickly and Ive seen him scratching, now he is just hiding but his breathing is normal and he has stopped scratching. All fish have been eating normally.

What else would you consider other than flukes?

Cheers, Alex

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hi Jay, thanks for your reply.

Before I did the freshwater dip he was breathing quickly and Ive seen him scratching, now he is just hiding but his breathing is normal and he has stopped scratching. All fish have been eating normally.

What else would you consider other than flukes?

Cheers, Alex

FW dips should look d be considered diagnostic tools, not treatments. One of the diagnoses is if, after a dip, by the next day at least, if the symptoms improve, it is usually flukes. Putting the fish back into the tank reinfects it of course, but the FW dip helped diagnose the issue and bury you some time.
I would consider treating the tank with praziquantel at 2 ppm, 8 days apart with good aeration.

Jay