Gill Flukes Fallow Period?

[Wheelfish]

Hi everyone!

I'm new here, but I have been a hobbyist for about 16 years. Long story short, I brought in some very young green laser corys about a month ago for a breeding project and didn't quarantine. I know I messed up, but I've never had a problem with parasites other than ich and I only have one tank set up at the moment. I put them in my planted 55g with a lone ranger C. melanistius that's around 12-13 years old.

I would like to preface this with my water parameters are fine and nothing new has been added to this tank for at least 10 years. The issues started immediately after adding these fish with them displaying the symptoms ie: flashing, head shaking/spasms, excess muscous, lethargy, rapid respiration...

Without access to a microscope and after reading a large portion of the internet, I'm 95% sure they came in with gill flukes. I had some Jungle Parasite Clear on hand and put in a single dose intitally. It jacked up my plants but the fish improved a for a few days until the symptoms came back. I then did a 7 day/single dose of prazipro and salt which helped significantly, but a week later they have returned and now even the old cory is in a bad way.

I'm about to start a 21 day treatment, dosing prazipro every other day with 50% WC. Salt will be omitted due to stress on the plants. I want to change the substrate over to sand anyway so I'm also going to slowing siphon it out during water changes to reduce hiding places for eggs.

It would be a last resort, but if the meds don't work this time, I'm considering euthanizing the fish and turning it into a shrimp tank until whatever it is dies off without a host. I should mention there are no snails in this tank as I've read they can be a vector.

What I would like to know is, does anyone have experience with a fallow period for freshwater flukes? I can't find concrete info and at best conflicting time frames for egg dormancy. I've read anywhere from 4 days to 6 months. I really don't want to nuke everything and start from scratch.

Thanks in advance.

[Colu]

On 3/9/2024 at 7:04 AM, Wheelfish said:

Hi everyone!

I'm new here, but I have been a hobbyist for about 16 years. Long story short, I brought in some very young green laser corys about a month ago for a breeding project and didn't quarantine. I know I messed up, but I've never had a problem with parasites other than ich and I only have one tank set up at the moment. I put them in my planted 55g with a lone ranger C. melanistius that's around 12-13 years old.

I would like to preface this with my water parameters are fine and nothing new has been added to this tank for at least 10 years. The issues started immediately after adding these fish with them displaying the symptoms ie: flashing, head shaking/spasms, excess muscous, lethargy, rapid respiration...

Without access to a microscope and after reading a large portion of the internet, I'm 95% sure they came in with gill flukes. I had some Jungle Parasite Clear on hand and put in a single dose intitally. It jacked up my plants but the fish improved a for a few days until the symptoms came back. I then did a 7 day/single dose of prazipro and salt which helped significantly, but a week later they have returned and now even the old cory is in a bad way.

I'm about to start a 21 day treatment, dosing prazipro every other day with 50% WC. Salt will be omitted due to stress on the plants. I want to change the substrate over to sand anyway so I'm also going to slowing siphon it out during water changes to reduce hiding places for eggs.

It would be a last resort, but if the meds don't work this time, I'm considering euthanizing the fish and turning it into a shrimp tank until whatever it is dies off without a host. I should mention there are no snails in this tank as I've read they can be a vector.

What I would like to know is, does anyone have experience with a fallow period for freshwater flukes? I can't find concrete info and at best conflicting time frames for egg dormancy. I've read anywhere from 4 days to 6 months. I really don't want to nuke everything and start from scratch.

Thanks in advance.

I wouldn't consider euthanizing your fish flukes can be  treated with the appropriate medication and treatment intervals Jungal fungus  isn't effective at treating flukes with prazipro you want to do 4 full courses of treatment two weeks apart so you would treat week 1 week 3 week 5 week 7 add the dose of prazipro on day 1 and leave it a week before water change it out 

Edited March 9 by Colu

[Wheelfish]

Ok, what does 1 week of dosing look like? For example do you dose every day/every other day, or dose once and wait a week before a water change. I've seen both suggested so I'm a little confused.

Also, if I put them in a smaller tank or tub to treat, any idea how long I should wait before putting them back in the main tank to be sure the eggs have all hatched?

[Colu]

On 3/9/2024 at 7:09 PM, Wheelfish said:

Ok, what does 1 week of dosing look like? For example do you dose every day/every other day, or dose once and wait a week before a water change. I've seen both suggested so I'm a little confused.

Also, if I put them in a smaller tank or tub to treat, any idea how long I should wait before putting them back in the main tank to be sure the eggs have all hatched?

You Add 5ml of prazipro for 20 gallons on day one after a large water change and leave it for 7 days then water change out the medication after 7 days 

[Wheelfish]

On 3/9/2024 at 4:54 PM, Colu said:

You Add 5ml of prazipro for 20 gallons on day one after a large water change and leave it for 7 days then water change out the medication after 7 days 

Thanks for your advice Colu.

Given what I've read about the life cycle of the fluke, the time period which the prazi stays at therapeutic levels, and my experience with how soon the symptoms return, would there be any harm in doing a 4 day cycle? Say 3 days with prazi, waterchange and day 4, then dose again on day 5?

This tank is very mature with tons of wood and substrate and covered in duckweed. It ran with nothing but a koralia for years so it has a great built-in bio-filter. I've used both fungus clear and parasite clear on it and the discoloration was gone in like an hour, whereas most tanks it stays that way for days. My concern is the prazi will be processed out by the bio filter rapidly and 7 days will be too long of a time for it to be effective.

[Colu]

On 3/9/2024 at 10:39 PM, Wheelfish said:

Thanks for your advice Colu.

Given what I've read about the life cycle of the fluke, the time period which the prazi stays at therapeutic levels, and my experience with how soon the symptoms return, would there be any harm in doing a 4 day cycle? Say 3 days with prazi, waterchange and day 4, then dose again on day 5?

This tank is very mature with tons of wood and substrate and covered in duckweed. It ran with nothing but a koralia for years so it has a great built-in bio-filter. I've used both fungus clear and parasite clear on it and the discoloration was gone in like an hour, whereas most tanks it stays that way for days. My concern is the prazi will be processed out by the bio filter rapidly and 7 days will be too long of a time for it to be effective.

You could do it that way I don't think it will be more effective