Sargassum Trigger with Flukes...advice

flower1459

flower1459

Member
My beautiful Sargassum has flukes...I think. His eye was swollen this morning, after staring at him for an hour I was debating on weather it was pop-eye or flukes. The eye looks like flakey which leaned me towards flukes. I left for an hour to run an errand and came back and he's now got a white web like substance between his eyes. I've searched a lot of threads and have found a lot of different answers as to treatment. Should I run out and grab some formalin? Prazi-Pro? I really don't want to do a FW dip as I've never done one before and the idea of messing it up scares me. I tried to get a pic, but he is not cooperating at all!!! In the meantime I am treating his food with fresh garlic and rotating selcon and zoecon.
My water parameters are perfect and he's the only fish in the tank (180) right now. It's a new tank, but definitely well cycled. Ran empty for almost 2 months before purchasing any livestock. Now...
my father does not believe in QT tanks - a constant argument between the two of us for months now. I think he's learning the lesson the hard way with MY fish.

If I can get some help quick, I can run out and get everything I need (as I'm assuming it'll be a dip of some sort and I can get a bucket and use current tank water). On payday, I'm going out and getting a QT setup whether Mr. Stubborn likes it or not.
TIA
 
flower1459

flower1459

Member
He's not cooperating for a picture. I tried for about 30 mins yesterday to get one. I can try again though. I just got up a bit ago and am almost afraid to go down to the tank and see what he looks like now.
 
flower1459

flower1459

Member
Sep, here's a picture of him as of this morning. His eye does look better than it did originally I think, but still has some fogginess. I've been rotating fresh garlic with selcon and/or zoecon on top of fresh scallops. Do I need to worry about meds or do you think it should clear up with the vitamins? He still has a healthy appetite, but he is now more timid and I'm hand feeding him while he's hiding in the rocks.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
It will clear. I wouldn't bother with the meds for the eye. Did you ever actually see flukes on him or was it just the cloudiness?
 
kjr_trig

kjr_trig

Active Member
I agree, doesn't look like flukes, and if the eye looks any better than it did that should be an indication as well.....If he is eating well, I would just keep a close eye on him....Good choice in putting him as the first fish, they do much better as an early addition.
It's not unheard of to scratch an eye while netting him to put him in the tank.
 
truefishman

truefishman

Member
yay.it dosent look like flukes just make sure that you keep vitamins and garlic in his food and he should be back to normal
 
flower1459

flower1459

Member
It originally looked like flukes but then sorta cleared up. He has no signs of ich, but he's "twitching" a lot so I'm not sure what that is all about. I'm just happy that he has his appetite, he's not coming out for free floating food like he originally was, but is taking it hand fed. Trying to reach to the bottom of a 180 for extended periods of time to get him to trust me enough to finally eat solidified my determination to keep this fish healthy and happy.You can tell he doesn't feel good though, he has lost some of his fun personality which is why I picked him in the first place.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Again, flukes are worms. You would see them on his body. They are not microscopic. They are worms that will extend from the fish. They are about half an inch long and they move. You can see the end curling and relaxing while they are attached.
I am glad that he is eating for you when hand fed. Let him keep doing that for another week, if that. Then he has to start coming out for foods. You can bring it near, but drop the food before it gets to him. Be sure to dose with a rotation of Vitachem and Zoecon.
 
auroradrvr

auroradrvr

Member
Originally Posted by sepulatian
http:///forum/post/2947005
Again, flukes are worms. You would see them on his body. They are not microscopic. They are worms that will extend from the fish. They are about half an inch long and they move. You can see the end curling and relaxing while they are attached.
Flukes is more of a general term that applies to several different species of flukes parasites. There are many shapes and sizes to "flukes". The parasite commonly referred to as flukes is a flat translucent oval, almost reminiscent of a flatworm.
The Digenetic & Monogentic as depicted in this sketch, are the species most common to Ornamental fish, especially Angels & Butterflies.
 
aquaknight

aquaknight

Active Member
There are over 100 common forms of marine flukes. While not microscopic, having treated 4 fish with flukes, the only way I was able confirmed flukes, was by dipping the fish, and finding flukes that died and fell off in the bottom of the container. Most were around the size of a pen tip (the whole metal piece), mostly translucent, and look more like flatworms, then a n elongated tube. They can harbor in a number of different places, including flukes specifically contained within the gills of the fish, that you'll never be able to see.
There are several 'clues' I use to tell if a fish has flukes, generally cloudy eye(s) and tattered fins. 'Head twitching' is a dead giveaway as well. A healthy fish should not be shaking.
If you don't have a QT setup, I would perform a Prazi-Pro dip, and see what you get.
 
peter1215

peter1215

Member
My lfs treats flukes by first giving a 5 min fresh water dip (you should see some drop off the body) then treating with either prazi pro or fluke tabs. This procedure has worked for me .
 
flower1459

flower1459

Member
Well, he's coming out of his shell a little bit. For the 1st week he only stayed on the left side of the tank. The pic I posted was him in a cave on the right side of the tank, which he NEVER ventured to. Now he's in the middle in a cave that I could barely see him in (it's kind of a downhill cave, hard to explain). I managed to get some food to him, he's becoming picky and only taking the scallops now. He couldn't come out for any because the cave is a cave in the back of the rocks with only a small hole in the front which I fed him through. What I can see of his eye is pretty darn perfect
but now I'm worried about the twitching which I mentioned in passing and am now panicking about flukes again. I'll try to see him him when he's out (usually when I'm at work according to my father) and take a closer look.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Here is a thread on parasitic worms for you http://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/345243/parasitic-worms
Have you checked your water quality? Fish twitch for many reasons. Don't rule parasites out. It is very true that some are rather hard to see, especially if the fish is hiding. If you see him out then you should be able to notice flukes, if they are there. Being that they eye is clearing, and he is coming out, I suspect that his eye was scraped by the net from the LFS and he has just been scared. Don't rule the parasites out until you get a thorough look at him though.
 
flower1459

flower1459

Member
He's still holed up in his fortress he shares with 1 of the 3 cleaner shrimp. I've had some crazy work schedules the past few days so feeding has been challenging. I've managed to train him to recognize me and the feeding stick as his only food source
. He is scared of my father who tries unsuccessfully to feed him while I am working. He apparently just waits patiently in his hole for me to come home and hand him his meal. I went down there today tested the water parameters, which are still good, and pulled out the feeding stick. I could just about see his eyes light up with excitement. He immediately perked up.
I still can't get a good look at him. I haven't seen him twitching when I have been able to watch him which I take as a good sign. I would love to get a full body shot of him though and see how he's really doing.
Anyone have any ideas on how to wean him off of the hand feeding and get him out in the open? I can't put the food in front of him to coax him out because the cave he's in only has a small opening at the front, not big enough for him to come out of that way, only the back. I don't want to drop the food in the back because all I need is a nitrate spike from uneaten food I can't get to to clean up (not a huge fan of a CUC). I've had him for 2 weeks now, I'm hoping that in another 2 weeks maybe I can get some clowns or maybe chromis or who knows what to put in with him that will encourage him to come out. Any thoughts?
 
flower1459

flower1459

Member
Happy to report that both eyes have cleared up beautifully and he is now out and about swimming around.
He just needed to chill, hang out, and heal up (from whatever it was) in his fortress I guess. All the babying paid off!
Thanks for everyone's help!
 
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