Does this look/sound like flukes?

[daniella3d]

Nok, flukes show up right away, not 6 weeks after introduction. The fast breathing start pretty much right away as well. Ich or marine velvet can show up like 4 to 5 weeks later due to the parasites live cycle. This can also cause fast breathing and scratching.

What do you mean he shakes and shakes until the rock fall off? does he scratch itself on the rock? If he scratch his body on the rock or gill on the rock then it is definitly some parasites and must be taken care of as soon as possible. It could also be that the white stuff on the fin is some infection after a bad scratch on the rock?

Any excessive scratching on the rock is not a good sign. A little bit here and there is not necessary sign of parasite, just like us have a little ich here and there. Like once a day or so is not necessary a sign of parasite but 30 time per day scratching on the rock would be a bad sign.

Originally Posted by jassz

What I was told was that it is almost always strikes newly added fish, and shows up about 6wks after introduction. That also fits. Now someone else has told me it is not likely lymphocystis as it is not at the edge of the fin. Has anyone seen it before? How could I differentiate it from flukes, or even a bacterial infection?

On the upside, he tried a bit of prawn last night, and has now moved his excavation of the aptisia to the gravel at the bottom. He shakes and shakes until the rocks fall off. I wonder if I could squirt some vitamins on to them?

I should also mention that he has fairly liquidy poo (which the puffer ate ). But then again, he has a pretty limited diet (the butterfly I mean, not the puffer).

His improved appetite gives me hope. And he doesn't seem at all stressed. Even when I was doing the water change and cleaning the walls of the tank yesterday, he didnt' particularly shy away from me. He seemed rather curious, just like the rest of them.

[jassz]

Actually, I meant that the lymphocystis shows up six weeks after introduction, not flukes. Sorry for the confusion.

He is shaking off small rocks that the aptasia has rooted into before he eats them. He seems to give all his food a shake, even the bits of stuff he has eaten that I give him.

He was bashing his chin a bit on the rocks, but I haven't seen that action for a week or more. I am hoping it means his mouth is healing on its own.

I'll be watching him closely!

[daniella3d]

Ok then I would just keep watching and wait as if his mouth have cleared on its own that mean the fish immune system is doing its job.

Unless there are parasites and there is no real evidence of it for now, I would just observe.

I wish mine would eat aiptasia! millions in my tank.

[jassz]

Update:

The saddle butterfly is doing well. After about 8 weeks, he finally started eating the food I give them, and now actually eagerly competes with the trigger for the pieces. The spot that was on his front fin went away on its own, so I guess maybe it was lymphocystis? Whatever, he seems to be doing very well. I should have taken before/after pictures of the aptasia, because he's really gotten that under control.

However....

I noticed my Valentini puffer flashing against the rocks a few times. I couldn't see anything apparently wrong, but then I noticed that right in front of his front fin on one side, it looks like a bubble inflating and deflating as he breathes (I guess it's his gill). It is very tiny and hard to see, but the other side has no bubble. It just looks like an open... well, gill. So now I'm wondering if it is a gill fluke? Maybe I should have treated the tank, but the butterfly got better. The puffer is pretty old though I think, maybe he's just more susceptible. There is no way I can start treatment now, as I'm going away for a week and the neighbour kid is coming in to take care of the critters. She's pretty reliable, but no way I'm leaving her to medicate. I don't even know for sure what/if I should medicate. Any thoughts???

[daniella3d]

I don,t think you would see gill flukes with your bare eyes. It's very tiny and difficult to see.

As for medication, prazipro is quite reef safe. I used it and all my invert and coral were fine, except maybe the xenia that shrinked a bit but they survived.

Also flukes don't inflate and deflate. If that think is big enough for you to see it inflate and deflate, I doubt it's a fluke.

Originally Posted by jassz

Update:
I noticed my Valentini puffer flashing against the rocks a few times. I couldn't see anything apparently wrong, but then I noticed that right in front of his front fin on one side, it looks like a bubble inflating and deflating as he breathes (I guess it's his gill). It is very tiny and hard to see, but the other side has no bubble. It just looks like an open... well, gill. So now I'm wondering if it is a gill fluke?

[jassz]

Well, what I read about flukes is that the fish will create mucous to try to get rid of the thing, and that's what ends up suffocating the fish (when the fluke is in the gills). This doesn't really look like mucous, it looks like skin, but I wouldn't really know what it's supposed to look like.

[daniella3d]

I had many fish with flukes before, freshwater and saltwater but never saw any mucous on the fish because of that. I don't think you would see this on the gill unless there are a huge amount of them, but thats unlikely.

My copperband butterfly had flukes and 2 treatments of prazipro took care of it. You might want to try a cleaner shrimp as well as they are good at removing the flukes.

Originally Posted by jassz

Well, what I read about flukes is that the fish will create mucous to try to get rid of the thing, and that's what ends up suffocating the fish (when the fluke is in the gills). This doesn't really look like mucous, it looks like skin, but I wouldn't really know what it's supposed to look like.