PraziGold/PraziPro Protocol

[AlessioSG]

Hi guys,

After losing my hippo tang due to gill flukes last week, I went on with a PraziGold attack in the display tank. First day, after administering the medicine, several white spots/lines appeared on my fishes (especially the new hippo tang (just brought in from the store) and the blue powder tang) spots which were not there the following day. I have been told and I read on this forum that they may have been flukes leaving the skin/body of the fishes. However, here is the question: today is day 3 since I administered PraziGold (I did it last Sunday), can I put back the collection cup of the protein skimmer and turn on the UV sterilizer at least for a couple of days before re-administering again PraziGold? Or, for the entire length of the treatment, the collection cup and the UV sterilizer need to be passive (activated carbon removed already and not of concern)? I am afraid the nitrates go over the roof, also I see some green patches coming back.

In addition, I met (in the city where I live) a quite knowledgeable guy in the reef hobby and, based on his experience using PraziGold, he suggested to administer PraziGold every 4 days for 4 times (protocol which has always been highly effective, according to him). 3 times to kill the flukes in the tank and the 4th time apparently is very useful to kill the flukes hatched from the eggs (which I understood to have 12-day hatching period). Do you see any issue with this protocol as opposed to the 8 day protocol?

Once again, many thanks in advance. Cheers, A.

 

[fishguy242]

#fishmedic

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hi guys,

After losing my hippo tang due to gill flukes last week, I went on with a PraziGold attack in the display tank. First day, after administering the medicine, several white spots/lines appeared on my fishes (especially the new hippo tang (just brought in from the store) and the blue powder tang) spots which were not there the following day. I have been told and I read on this forum that they may have been flukes leaving the skin/body of the fishes. However, here is the question: today is day 3 since I administered PraziGold (I did it last Sunday), can I put back the collection cup of the protein skimmer and turn on the UV sterilizer at least for a couple of days before re-administering again PraziGold? Or, for the entire length of the treatment, the collection cup and the UV sterilizer need to be passive (activated carbon removed already and not of concern)? I am afraid the nitrates go over the roof, also I see some green patches coming back.

In addition, I met (in the city where I live) a quite knowledgeable guy in the reef hobby and, based on his experience using PraziGold, he suggested to administer PraziGold every 4 days for 4 times (protocol which has always been highly effective, according to him). 3 times to kill the flukes in the tank and the 4th time apparently is very useful to kill the flukes hatched from the eggs (which I understood to have 12-day hatching period). Do you see any issue with this protocol as opposed to the 8 day protocol?

Once again, many thanks in advance. Cheers, A.

Praziquantel is only effective for a short time after being added - averages about 24 hours. You can collect skimmate and run the UV between treatments if you want, just wait 24 hours after each treatment.
As for the dose timing, yes, that is to kill any flukes that hatch from eggs. The time that takes is based on the water temperature and the species of fluke involved. It is all just a guess. I prefer 8 day spacing 2x or up to 4x for Neobenedenia. With four day spacing, not all the eggs have hatched.

 

[AlessioSG]

Praziquantel is only effective for a short time after being added - averages about 24 hours. You can collect skimmate and run the UV between treatments if you want, just wait 24 hours after each treatment.
As for the dose timing, yes, that is to kill any flukes that hatch from eggs. The time that takes is based on the water temperature and the species of fluke involved. It is all just a guess. I prefer 8 day spacing 2x or up to 4x for Neobenedenia. With four day spacing, not all the eggs have hatched.

Jay, thanks a lot. Ok, collection cup is back in place and UV light is back on.

Cheers, A.

 

[bgervaisToronto]

How did it work out for you @AlessioSG ? I managed to put my hand on some Prazipro (a challenge here in canada).
I'm also tempted to turn my uv and skimmer back on 30hours after my initial dosing. Its already turning a little green in there...
Thanks to Jay too!

 

[Jay Hemdal]

How did it work out for you @AlessioSG ? I managed to put my hand on some Prazipro (a challenge here in canada).
I'm also tempted to turn my uv and skimmer back on 30hours after my initial dosing. Its already turning a little green in there...
Thanks to Jay too!

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

You can turn those back on after 30 hours, and then off again before the next dose. A few weeks ago, I wrote up some additional notes on PZQ dosing:

Dosing Praziquantel (PZQ)

Using Praziquantel (PZQ) to treat flukes Overview In the early 1990’s, a researcher at the New York Aquarium published a paper on using Praziquantel (PZQ) to help control flukes, a parasitic flatworm. Also known as monogenean trematodes, these fish parasites can cause significant mortality in...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[bgervaisToronto]

Thanks Jay. I was also trying to find any information on the water cloudiness. Should it not clear quickly with a skimmer on (now 12 hours later and still ver cloudy)?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Thanks Jay. I was also trying to find any information on the water cloudiness. Should it not clear quickly with a skimmer on (now 12 hours later and still ver cloudy)?

No, not really. The cloudiness is caused by a bacterial bloom. Skimmers remove bacteria, but do so at a pretty slow rate. The bacteria won't harm anything, but it DOES pull oxygen from the water, thus the need for good aeration.

Cloudiness can also be from other feeding, etc. You need to ensure that there are not more than one reasons why the water is cloudy.....

 

[bgervaisToronto]

Thanks Jay. Much appreciated.

 

[bgervaisToronto]

Good morning Jay. Update 4 days later. Fish are eating but synptoms on foxface are worse. Also, looks my powder blue has ich? Could it be stress? And to make matters worse my purple tang is twitching and has the beginning of a cloudy eye... urgh...

 

[bgervaisToronto]

 

[Jay Hemdal]

It does look like the PBT has ich. The foxface may have turbellarian worms (prazi doesn't help much with those).

 

[bgervaisToronto]

thanks Jay. What would you recommend for Tubellarians?

 

[bgervaisToronto]

Cloudy eyes on the other fish are just a response to chemicals in the water?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

thanks Jay. What would you recommend for Tubellarians?

Formalin works, but is toxic to people. FW dips work, but you need to move the fish to a new tank. Hyposalinity sometimes works. Prazi seems to work in some cases, unsure if that’s coincidental or what.

 

[bgervaisToronto]

And the cloudy eyes on other fish? Signs of more bad things to come? Thanks!

 

[Jay Hemdal]

And the cloudy eyes on other fish? Signs of more bad things to come? Thanks!

Can you post fresh pics? Both eyes cloudy are often a sign of Neobenedenia flukes.

 

[bgervaisToronto]

Not the best picture. He is hiding in a corner all day being lethargic and not eating but also impossible to catch. . This purple tang was super active until 2 days ago. The cloudy eyes came shortly after the prazipro treatment (5 days ago). Given the bacterial bloom following prazipro i thought this would be a bacterial infection.... only one eye for now. Hippo tang showed a cloudy eye too later today. PBT in quarantine, im thinking velvet. Its a mess.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Not the best picture. He is hiding in a corner all day being lethargic and not eating but also impossible to catch. . This purple tang was super active until 2 days ago. The cloudy eyes came shortly after the prazipro treatment (5 days ago). Given the bacterial bloom following prazipro i thought this would be a bacterial infection.... only one eye for now. Hippo tang showed a cloudy eye too later today. PBT in quarantine, im thinking velvet. Its a mess.

Sorry - the picture is too blue and fuzzy to make out any details.

Generally though, single cloudy eyes are caused by an injury. Eye diseases, either flukes or something else will involve both eyes, at least to some degree.

 

[bgervaisToronto]

Thanks Jay.

Pbt died overnight in quarantine. 2 clowns were with him and still ok. It was fast. Velvet it was i guess?

Focused on the cloudy eyes now. Weird that 2 different fish would have a cloudy eye... i was reading that melafix was a good help and reefsafe... do you know it?

The foxface still showing marks. He is breathing from only 1 gill.

Water change this am for 20%. Restarted uv and skimmer.