Gill Flukes?

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llamabob

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I have a featherfin that has been very sporadically and rarely flashing for quite sometime, rubbing his gills and face into the sand. No visible marks or parasites were seen so I let it go, but now hes doing it more frequent and after searching I beleive it is Gill Flukes. Besides flashing he sometimes pumps his gills quickly and sometimes only uses one side, but not so often.


I've treated for ich in the past for up to 10 days with salt treatment so I'm doubtful that it will help, but some sites say do it for 3 weeks.

What do you guys recommend for treatment? Try salt first then move to meds or try meds now?
 
I have been fighting the same thing with my tiger barbs for the past week and it was suggested to me to try a formaldihide solution. I found a product just for flukes at my LFS. I have given them 3 doses in 6 days and I see some improvement but they are not completely gone yet.
 
  1. Formalin can be used, but will not affect the eggs of flukes so timing is important. Jack Wattley in "Handbook of Discus" (1985) suggests three treatments spaced three days apart at three drops/gallon for 8 hours. Then do a 50% water change. Moving the fish to a clean tank can be done to make sure that hatching fluke eggs from the bottom of the aquarium do not reattach to the fish. Extra aeration should be used when using formalin. Do not use temperatures greater than 84 degrees F. as oxygen depletion can occur.
  2. Recommended treatment for safety of fish. Treatment with Prazi has been shown to be effective. Routine = 1/4 teaspoon/20 gallons, wait 48 hours, change 50% water, repeat, continuing for a full 21 days without interruption (Prazi also eliminates tapeworm, do not be surprised if the fish have one, it will come out).
  3. Flubenzadol is very effective and must be used for a full 21 days. Use 1/4 tsp/20 gallons every other day. Do 50% water changes daily (has been shown to be toxic to some fish). Untergasser (1989) reports that Flubenzadol also helps eradicate fluke eggs (it also eliminates internal worms/nematodes). Usually the fish may start acting better after 4 or 5 days.
  4. Salt dips at 3% may help according to Dr. Carrington (Maintaining a Healthy Aquarium, 1985, Salamander Books), dose at 7.5 tablespoons/gallon until the fish "rolls over" then transfer to clean water.
  5. Potassium permanganate dip has been shown to help on the live flukes.
I took all of this from http://www.simplydiscus.com/library/index.shtml
 
Bruce7 said:
I have been fighting the same thing with my tiger barbs for the past week and it was suggested to me to try a formaldihide solution. I found a product just for flukes at my LFS. I have given them 3 doses in 6 days and I see some improvement but they are not completely gone yet.
Click to expand...

Are you judging that based on visibly seeing the worms or judging by the fishes reaction? Just curious as to what to watch for as mine do not have visible parasites.

Seems so far meds really wouldn't be a bad idea to knock this out, and being as prevous salt treatments(for ich) did not kill them off, should probably just try the meds.
 
I am judging by fish reaction. At one point almost all 9 of my barbs and my CAE were flashing within a 30 minute period. Now after 3 treatments of the formalin I have only seen two fish flashing within the same viewing period.
After reading RedScares post about Prazi, I,m thinking about discontinuing the Formalin and starting on the Prazi (after a PWC). After doing some further study this seems like this is a safer and more thorough idea.
 
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