Does anyone have any experience treating fish for gill flukes? I recently had a bout with them and had success using Trifon which is an organophosphate product from Kordon. However, I must have had a few eggs remaining after my treatment period was over, and then came back and are in full force! I started treating with Trifon again at the same dosage, but it is not have the same effect after 3 days that it had earlier. Does this mean that the flukes have built a resistance to it? The recommended dosage is from 0.25 to 0.75 mg/L (based on temp, acidity, and history of usage according to the bottle) and the first time around the 0.25 didn't produce results so I did the 0.50 dosage. Now, I am wondering if I need to increase it to the 0.75 (triple my starting dosage) to see improvement. That high kind of scares me, but if that is all I can do, maybe my fish will be able to handle it? I can't let the fish go on in agony like this without some sort of relief and fast! The Trifon used to give me better results that I could see in 1-2 days. But, not the case this time. I tried Praziquantel last time too, but that didn't do a thing. Only Trifon knocked the flukes down. Tonight I am going to practically tear down the tank to eliminate the organics in the gravel and possibly remove some gravel to reduce the fluke egg build up (as well as take out and sterilize aquarium accessories). It stinks, but it has to be done because I am sick of these flukes! :devil: I read that flukes can be resistant to formalin and that some fish that are all ready weak (especially if they have wounds) will not respond well to that treatment. (That formalin can get in the wounds and be toxic to the fish) So, I am leary of using that as well. The fish get mildly aggressive with Trifon, but doesn't stress them like other meds can so I may stick with using that but increase the dosage and watch them carefully and see what happens. What else can I do? Does anyone have any other recommendations for treatment?
best fluke treatment? :help:
- Thread starter jjohns
- Start date
Don't have any experience with flukes, but I'll bump this thread so maybe someone else will respond.
Praziquental or Prazi Pro is the best treatment I've heard of for flukes. The directions on Prazi Pro aren't the most clear, but do the dose suggested and then 3-5 days later do another. The stuff is very gentle and safe btw, I use it on my incoming rams.
Cath
Cath
I've used the Prazi-pro. I worked on the dwarf Gourami, but I had a loach that was too far gone that didn't make it.
I'd give it a try, it's easy on the bio filter too. Also you can soak some of your food in it, that helps as well.
I'd give it a try, it's easy on the bio filter too. Also you can soak some of your food in it, that helps as well.
Last edited:
Yes, Prazi Pro works but with flukes you have to make sure that you sanitize everything that you use in your tanks (water changing buckets, python, scrapers...) or you will just reintroduce them into your tank after treatment.
I also had great results with Prazi, I didn't use the prazi pro product per say, but purchased some praziquantel powder through a link on Koi-vet. Either way it caused no side effects to shrimp snails plants or fish, and eliminated the flukes very effectively. I dosed two rounds 7 days apart with no break in between. I am sure one 7 day treatment would have sufficed, but I hate to take chances with parasites. The only complaint I had was the prazi powder was really difficult to dissolve.
Dave
Dave
Well, the outcome does not look good for my fish. I lost most of my angels except for two, and a couple other cichlids are still hanging on, but are obviously infected. I lost count of how many I had to scoop out at this point. I did do triple the dose of Trichlorfon this last time around, and I saw only worsening symptoms a day or so later. I saw a much quicker response when I used it before and have read of a growing immunity to that stuff.
Have any of you that recommend Prazi used them specifically on gill flukes? I read that body flukes are usually easier to treat and Prazi will work well for that. But, the egg-laying gill flukes are hardier and require some pretty strong treatments and for a much longer period of time because the eggs are resistant to chemicals and you must kill the emerging larvae with meds. I have some Prazi-pro on hand, but like I said, that did nothing for me when I used it before and that is why I still have the bottle left over. I did another water change and added Formalin/malachite green treatment at about 1.5x the dose last night and was going to give it a day and see what happens. I have 2 options at this point: If the formalin/malachite green seems to be working, I have some straight 37% formalin that I can go with starting tonight...or I could try the prazi-pro again and see what happens. I know that Formalin can be hard on fish and not all take well to it, plus it can damage the biofilter. But, it can be effective with flukes from what people have reported. I know the Prazi is safe and gentle (mine is in a liquid formula and seems to disperse in the water well), but I just don't know if it will influence these resilient flukes. I wasn't convinced after treating with it before, but maybe if these flukes are resistant to trifon, they won't be resistant to the prazi? I can't imagine that they would be resistant to everything. But, they say with different strains of them out there, one medication can't possibly work all the time. Too many tough choices. I have read that salt won't touch gill flukes either. I do like salt for ich and chilodonella treatments though. So, will it be Prazi-Pro or Formalin that I try tonight??? I will have to do some more internet research before I decide for sure. I am sterilizing everything also to avoid reintroduction. Any advice or other recommendations?
Have any of you that recommend Prazi used them specifically on gill flukes? I read that body flukes are usually easier to treat and Prazi will work well for that. But, the egg-laying gill flukes are hardier and require some pretty strong treatments and for a much longer period of time because the eggs are resistant to chemicals and you must kill the emerging larvae with meds. I have some Prazi-pro on hand, but like I said, that did nothing for me when I used it before and that is why I still have the bottle left over. I did another water change and added Formalin/malachite green treatment at about 1.5x the dose last night and was going to give it a day and see what happens. I have 2 options at this point: If the formalin/malachite green seems to be working, I have some straight 37% formalin that I can go with starting tonight...or I could try the prazi-pro again and see what happens. I know that Formalin can be hard on fish and not all take well to it, plus it can damage the biofilter. But, it can be effective with flukes from what people have reported. I know the Prazi is safe and gentle (mine is in a liquid formula and seems to disperse in the water well), but I just don't know if it will influence these resilient flukes. I wasn't convinced after treating with it before, but maybe if these flukes are resistant to trifon, they won't be resistant to the prazi? I can't imagine that they would be resistant to everything. But, they say with different strains of them out there, one medication can't possibly work all the time. Too many tough choices. I have read that salt won't touch gill flukes either. I do like salt for ich and chilodonella treatments though. So, will it be Prazi-Pro or Formalin that I try tonight??? I will have to do some more internet research before I decide for sure. I am sterilizing everything also to avoid reintroduction. Any advice or other recommendations?
By the way, I am in the process of buying a UV sterilizer for my tank. I think that after the 5 years that I have had the tank and ended up treating for just about everything possible, that it is finally time. Hopefully it will help to eliminate bad bacteria or possible free floating parasites and reduce my need to medicate down the road.
1) My first choice for external parasites is heat and salt if the fish can handle it. Temps elevated to 87'-90'f and salt dosed at just below brackish salinity, i.e. below 1.002 SG ,and held for atleast 3 weeks so as to kill newly hatched flukes.
2) Second choice is a salt bath/dip, I have done one and two together.
3) Third and last is medication.
My first choice is Clout, if your gonna hit it...hit it hard.
Other med choices...
The easy to find and fairly effective Jungle Parasite Clear.
The popular, somtimes hard to find, kind'a slow acting but fairly effective PraziPro.
Here is a article on Gill Flukes, http://www.fishpalace.org/danscomments.html#Flukes
2) Second choice is a salt bath/dip, I have done one and two together.
3) Third and last is medication.
My first choice is Clout, if your gonna hit it...hit it hard.
Other med choices...
The easy to find and fairly effective Jungle Parasite Clear.
The popular, somtimes hard to find, kind'a slow acting but fairly effective PraziPro.
Here is a article on Gill Flukes, http://www.fishpalace.org/danscomments.html#Flukes
I think that I will try the Prazi-Pro first tonight in case it will work this time around because it is gentler than formalin. If the Prazi doesn't work after a couple days, I think it is on to trying the formalin and if it wrecks the bio filter, then it does. I don't think that I have much of a choice at this point. That is a risk I will have to take I guess.