What’s that spot on kole tang ?

[Idech]

I'm not sure what you mean by "go slower" - do you mean with a longer interval between treatment? I usually shoot for 8 or 9 days. In some cases, you need to do three treatments to truly eradicate the flukes though.

I’m sorry that wasn’t clear at all. I meant « should I use a lower dose ».

I’ve read that dosing Prazipro (when the infection is severe) without dipping the fish in freshwater first can kill it, because the flukes will wiggle inside the fish and make the it bleed. So I was wondering if there is a way to avoid that by using a lower dose.

 

[Idech]

Update : tang is dead. It was still eating a little bit yesterday but was looking bad.

I will go get the Prazipro today and dose the tank, hoping it is flukes and that I can save the other fish. This sucks.

I tried to get a fish vet appointment but the only existing one wanted me to bring the fish in (3 hour drive) or pay 300$/hr (minimum 3 hours) to have a vet tech come at my house. After the holidays. I hate that my country does nothing to help its fish.

@Jay Hemdal here are pictures I took in the hopes that you might recognize what illness/parasite killed it :

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I’m sorry that wasn’t clear at all. I meant « should I use a lower dose ».

I’ve read that dosing Prazipro (when the infection is severe) without dipping the fish in freshwater first can kill it, because the flukes will wiggle inside the fish and make the it bleed. So I was wondering if there is a way to avoid that by using a lower dose.

Ugh - I see this message didn't get sent form last night, sorry.

Oh, that’s actually my own idea, but changed a bit (grin). What happens is that in really heavy fluke infections, if you knock them all off at once (by dip or treatment) that leaves hundreds of tiny holes in the fish’s skin or gills, and the fish bleeds out. The thought is, give the fish a short dip to knock off some of the flukes, wait a few days for the fish to heal and then give a full dip or prazi treatment. In practice it is very difficult to knock off just some of the flukes.
I would just go with the full prazi dose.
Jay

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Update : tang is dead. It was still eating a little bit yesterday but was looking bad.

I will go get the Prazipro today and dose the tank, hoping it is flukes and that I can save the other fish. This sucks.

I tried to get a fish vet appointment but the only existing one wanted me to bring the fish in (3 hour drive) or pay 300$/hr (minimum 3 hours) to have a vet tech come at my house. After the holidays. I hate that my country does nothing to help its fish.

@Jay Hemdal here are pictures I took in the hopes that you might recognize what illness/parasite killed it :

In the third and fourth pics, I can see white dots. Is that just sand caught on the fish?

Identifying cause of death from a dead fish visually isn't really possible. In freshly dead fish, a gill clip and skin scrape under a microscope can sometimes show parasites.


Sorry,

Jay

 

[Idech]

In the third and fourth pics, I can see white dots. Is that just sand caught on the fish?

No, there is no sand on the fish.

Prazipro bottle is so small (29 ml) I can barely do 2 treatments. :-(

I also wonder if the clowns have brook ? There is white dust on them and they are breathing fast. Or can flukes cause that symptom too ? I feel so defeated and very unsure of what to do.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

No, there is no sand on the fish.

Prazipro bottle is so small (29 ml) I can barely do 2 treatments. :-(

I also wonder if the clowns have brook ? There is white dust on them and they are breathing fast. Or can flukes cause that symptom too ? I feel so defeated and very unsure of what to do.

Well, gross visual disease ID isn’t always possible, but I might see more if you post a video of the clowns. The differential diagnosis for those symptoms could be: velvet, Brook or flukes, and each one requires a different treatment.
Jay

 

[Idech]

Well, gross visual disease ID isn’t always possible, but I might see more if you post a video of the clowns. The differential diagnosis for those symptoms could be: velvet, Brook or flukes, and each one requires a different treatment.
Jay

I put up a video above but you couldn’t see much, the quality wasn’t good enough. I’ll try again with a different device.

The tail spot blenny is nowhere to be seen, so I suppose it died. The firefish also has the white dust. The cardinal and YWG seem fine. I can’t catch them.

Question 1) I have isolated the clowns in a hospital tank and started the General Cure treatment. Should I do a freshwater dip to see if flukes fall out ?

Question 2) Should I start treating the display with prazipro, but only if there are flukes on the clowns ?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I put up a video above but you couldn’t see much, the quality wasn’t good enough. I’ll try again with a different device.

The tail spot blenny is nowhere to be seen, so I suppose it died. The firefish also has the white dust. The cardinal and YWG seem fine. I can’t catch them.

Question 1) I have isolated the clowns in a hospital tank and started the General Cure treatment. Should I do a freshwater dip to see if flukes fall out ?

Question 2) Should I start treating the display with prazipro, but only if there are flukes on the clowns ?

That “white dust” comment is worrying me. That is not a typical symptom of flukes. The missing blenny also points to a rapidly worsening situation.
Im worried this could be velvet or Brook. Missing the diagnosis at this point virtually guarantees additional fish losses - up to 100% if it is velvet.

1) don’t do a FW dip on the clowns, you would only see one type of large fluke anyway and the GC will deal with all flukes. Since they are isolated, you could dose with copper in case they have velvet.
2) If the clowns have flukes, they are in the tank also, so at some point you probably need to treat your DT.

Jay

 

[Idech]

1) don’t do a FW dip on the clowns, you would only see one type of large fluke anyway and the GC will deal with all flukes. Since they are isolated, you could dose with copper in case they have velvet.
2) If the clowns have flukes, they are in the tank also, so at some point you probably need to treat your DT.

Thanks.

1) I just did the freshwater dip before seeing your answer. There were no big white parasites in the water. Maybe tiny white specs, but it’s hard to tell.

I ordered copper on Amazon; it should be here within a week.

2) I am hesitant to treat the display tank with prazipro since we’re not sure at all it’s flukes. Would you ?

Here is a new video of the clowns, after first General cure dose and the dip. In case it helps.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Thanks.

1) I just did the freshwater dip before seeing your answer. There were no big white parasites in the water. Maybe tiny white specs, but it’s hard to tell.

I ordered copper on Amazon; it should be here within a week.

2) I am hesitant to treat the display tank with prazipro since we’re not sure at all it’s flukes. Would you ?

Here is a new video of the clowns, after first General cure dose and the dip. In case it helps.

The clowns don’t look too bad. The GC will take a few days before showing any benefit - fingers crossed!
Jay

 

[Idech]

The orange clown (male) was dead when I woke up this morning.

 

[Idech]

The black female clown in the hospital tank was dead this morning. Despite all my treatment attempts with General Cure, nox-ich and copper. She was better 2 days ago and ate very well. The next day she was dying.

I only have 2 fish left in the display tank. They are being treated with Polyp Lab Medic (reef safe) and it seems to be working. The cardinal never had any white powder but the firefish did and 4 days later there are none left. Both are eating very well. I will treat with it for 20 days total.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

The black female clown in the hospital tank was dead this morning. Despite all my treatment attempts with General Cure, nox-ich and copper. She was better 2 days ago and ate very well. The next day she was dying.

I only have 2 fish left in the display tank. They are being treated with Polyp Lab Medic (reef safe) and it seems to be working. The cardinal never had any white powder but the firefish did and 4 days later there are none left. Both are eating very well. I will treat with it for 20 days total.

Sorry to hear. Although Nox-Ich says it is for fresh or saltwater, it is just malachite green and salt, so should not be used in saltwater. In fact, it isn't a very good freshwater treatment, I mean, there are better choices out there. Malachite green can be toxic after repeated doses. You should never dose it more than 3 times. I can't say for sure that was the issue here, but mixing medications can be risky.


Jay

 

[Idech]

Sorry to hear. Although Nox-Ich says it is for fresh or saltwater, it is just malachite green and salt, so should not be used in saltwater. In fact, it isn't a very good freshwater treatment, I mean, there are better choices out there. Malachite green can be toxic after repeated doses. You should never dose it more than 3 times. I can't say for sure that was the issue here, but mixing medications can be risky.


Jay

Nothing was ideal in anything I have tried. Dealing with disease in your pets when you don’t have the necessary medication is very difficult. I called veterinarians but nobody would or could help me.

I dosed three times, as it said on the bottle. The fish was dying and I hadn’t received the copper yet. I figured might as well try that instead of letting it die.

All those deaths have taken a toll on me and I am left defeated and sad. I’m grieving those fish that never should have died in the first place.

It’s not the only reason, but I am seriously considering closing my tank for good. Time will tell. Right now I am not having fun.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Nothing was ideal in anything I have tried. Dealing with disease in your pets when you don’t have the necessary medication is very difficult. I called veterinarians but nobody would or could help me.

I dosed three times, as it said on the bottle. The fish was dying and I hadn’t received the copper yet. I figured might as well try that instead of letting it die.

All those deaths have taken a toll on me and I am left defeated and sad. I’m grieving those fish that never should have died in the first place.

It’s not the only reason, but I am seriously considering closing my tank for good. Time will tell. Right now I am not having fun.

Oh, sorry I misunderstood - I thought you were dosing nox-ich and copper at the same time.

I understand your frustration. We all lose fish, and I know it’s tough. The only time I take it personally is when I make a mistake: an error in dosing, forgetting to put a tank lid back on, etc. If I try to save a fish, but am unable to do so because the disease wasn’t identified, I’m saddened, but I don’t take it personally because I tried my best….like you did in this case.

Jay

 

[vetteguy53081]

Agree with jay and these things do happen. Take a moment each day at feeding to visit with fish and look for change in:
swimming
breathing
color/skin pigment
injury
loss of appetite

These are often warning signs that something different has occured warranting an investigation into cause.