Prazi resistant flukes experience thread

Have you encountered Prazi resistant flukes and did you succeed in eradicating them?

  • Nope, never

    Votes: 22 50.0%
  • Yes and hyposalinity worked

    Votes: 4 9.1%
  • Yes and fenbendazole worked

    Votes: 1 2.3%
  • Yes and formalin worked

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Yes and something else worked

    Votes: 3 6.8%
  • Yes, but I was never able to eradicate them

    Votes: 14 31.8%

  • Total voters
    44

Pbh-reef

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The main purpose of this thread is to provide a place for people to discuss their experiences dealing with Prazi resistant flukes.

In my first ever attempt at QTing my fish I seem to have encountered Prazi resistant flukes (hurray!). Some searches on r2r and other forums indicated to me that this experience was becoming more common, so I thought it might be helpful to start a thread on it for people to share their experiences.

I am about to try a treatment using fenbendazole that @Humblefish recommended and @GoldeneyeRet has used.
The treatment is as follows- (below is a quote from Humblefish):

Noga recommends treating with fenbendazole @ 25mg/L (95mg/gal) in a 12 hour bath in order to eradicate monogeneans (flukes). The fish should be transferred to a clean/sterile QT post bath in order to prevent reinfection. He doesn't say in his book if a second bath (5-7 days later) is necessary like it is with prazi, but for now I would do it for good measure. Again, transfer the fish into a clean/sterile QT following the 12 hr bath treatment.

@GoldeneyeRet has suggested that fenbendazole may only require a single treatment based on his experience.

I will do 1 bath and then a move to a sterile observation tank and let people know what happens.

For others who have this problem- how did it go for you? What treatments did you use? what worked and didn’t work?
 

ckalupa

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I am just setting up to do this same process! Debated hypo but figured I would try this instead. Interesting on one of the sites for buying it that Humblefish notes that said “sometimes in the first hour you can see worms squirting out.”

Have to try this.

I got the Thomas labs packets that are 275mg each so not quite 1 gallon.

Good luck to you!
 

Humblefish

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I encounter prazi resistant monogeneans (flukes) and/or turbellarians (black ich) almost every single shipment. I typically use either hyposalinity for 1 week or repeated formalin baths in order to eradicate them; but I am convinced that fenbendazole is the wave of the future. You can also food soak fenbendazole to treat stubborn intestinal worms.
 

Rakie

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I encounter prazi resistant monogeneans (flukes) and/or turbellarians (black ich) almost every single shipment. I typically use either hyposalinity for 1 week or repeated formalin baths in order to eradicate them; but I am convinced that fenbendazole is the wave of the future. You can also food soak fenbendazole to treat stubborn intestinal worms.

What is Fenbendazole specifically? I have never heard of this
 

Humblefish

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What is Fenbendazole specifically?

A broad spectrum benzimidazole anthelmintic used against gastrointestinal parasites. (Many veterinarians prescribe it to treat intestinal parasites.) And as outlined above, Noga also mentions it in his book to treat fish flukes + intestinal worms.
 

Rakie

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A broad spectrum benzimidazole anthelmintic used against gastrointestinal parasites. (Many veterinarians prescribe it to treat intestinal parasites.) And as outlined above, Noga also mentions in his book using fenbendazole to treat flukes + intestinal worms.

Thanks that helps! Two quick questions!

- Is it more gentle on fish? I've never been a huge fan of Praziquantel

- Where do you buy it?
 

Humblefish

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Thanks that helps! Two quick questions!

- Is it more gentle on fish? I've never been a huge fan of Praziquantel

- Where do you buy it?

It appears to be safer. At this point @GoldeneyeRet has more actual experience using it than I do. Hopefully he chimes into this thread.
 

Frtdrmrose7

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Humblefish

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I’m going to order some and im assuming this is going to become the new “go to” initial treatment. Any issues with this and wrasses? I have two new wrasses coming.

Not enough experimentation has been done to know which species may or may not be sensitive to fenbendazole.

It will also turn the water milky white.
 

GoldeneyeRet

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My experience with fenbendazole is very limited, but very positive.

It has been simple to use and apparently effective.

I have now used it on about a dozen fish, several with confirmed flukes that are resistant.to praziquantel.

One of those fish was a C. isoceles that had a terrible reaction to general cure. It had no issues with fenbendazole. I also treated a C.exquisitus which had flukes persist through two rounds of gc and two rounds prazipro. Fenbendazole took care of the flukes and the wrasse did well.

I have also treated an emporer angel, flame angel, fusilier damsels and some gobies. No issues with any of them, and no sign of flukes.

I plan to continue using it,but be aware there is not a lot of Information regarding sensitive species, efficacy etc. I reccomend careful observation during treatment and an extended observation post treatment.
 

GoldeneyeRet

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One more "experiment" I'm doing is using fenbendazole orally in my reef.

I chose to try this for a few reasons. First, I have a C.cf cyanopluera that had a stubborn case of intestinal parasites in qt. After two 14 day rounds of oral gc I moved it to my display. But I regret doing so, as I found some white strings I my tank. Could be dog hairs or something harmless, but I had nightmares of white stringy feces lol. Im a bit paranoid.

The other reason, my tank is new and most of my corals are still in my old tank, so now is a good time.

The tank has some zoas, rics, euphillia macroalgae and a few sps. I added some xenia for the test since it might be sensitive. I mixed fenbendazole, focus and frozen brine shrimp and have fed three consecutive days waited a week and fed 3 more days. I did not run carbon or polyfilter, but would recommend both if anyone tries this.

I see no issues in the tank. I see no white strings either. I can't be sure it was effective, but I am sure there was no damage to my reef, at least none that showed yet.
 
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Pbh-reef

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Hi @Humblefish and @GoldeneyeRet - what do fish look like during the bath?

The wrasse definitely reacted as if flukes were coming off (head banging). Now it’s laying in the corner of the tank just wanted to know if I should be concerned
 
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Pbh-reef

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I am just setting up to do this same process! Debated hypo but figured I would try this instead. Interesting on one of the sites for buying it that Humblefish notes that said “sometimes in the first hour you can see worms squirting out.”

Have to try this.

I got the Thomas labs packets that are 275mg each so not quite 1 gallon.

Good luck to you!

Good luck to you too! I hope this thread is useful for people in the future as well!
 

Hermie

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I have battled FW Prazi-resistant gill flukes that could live without hosts for at least a year (I know because I collected some into a 5ml test tube for that duration). The only thing that worked was Cupramine. Prazi resistant monogeans are the reason why I quarantine everything now.

Never tried Formalin though.

They were some species of Gyrodactylus. These things were absolutely evil
ItrOpQS.jpg
 
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Pbh-reef

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Mine acted normally, except the ones I did in a 5 gallon pail, they just laid on the bottom.

Keep an eye on it! My first time I stared at them almost at the entire 12 hours!

I wish you the best!

Thanks I decided to do the bath over night, maybe that was a mistake, but let’s hope it works. This little possum wrasse has been through it! She took 3 or 4 days to recover from a FW dip and laid on the tank bottom looking half dead the whole time

Thanks for all your help by the way!
 
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