Gill flukes are only visible under a microscope. You would need to clip aa tiny bit of gill tissue, which depending on the size of the fish could be a rather delicate to almost impossible task. But prazi is so safe that imo it's worth using if you even merely suspect flukes.
I dont know if this will help in the future but check attached. Pardon sloppy handwriting.
You can modify even futher to make it better or even to use as pressure adjusting chamber when introducing new fish to deep tank. For this all you need is bunch of holes by using hot screwdriver tip with no big opening on the jar. Use the opening with lid to put or release the fish.
I even used large containers to introduce new fish. I would attach fishing line to lid for easy retrieval.
Let them see each other without any physical contact. This gives new fish a enough time to adjust to new water thus giving higher chance new fish has ability to defend themselves during new turf war. LOL!
Ok Cer's contraption is done...i just used the clips from the breeding trap
He's in there...doesn't look very happy but meh
I looked through the list of diseases and the only one that is remotely close to what I'm experiencing is number 18
Dropsy / bloating
Says usually caused by poor water quality...which is not possible
So I'm like 95% sure it's constipation
I fed them some sinking pellets called Frog Bites yesterday and this morning I wake up and he's laying on the substrate
He might have gone a little overboard on the pellets and since they soak up water and almost double in size once they saturate...this is the only conclusion that makes sense at this point
I feel so sorry for you I hope it doesn't happen again
see before they had this extreme unknown thing what were they like normal or maybe looking drowsy and dropsy
I think it could be dropsy/malawi boat but its very unlikly constepation is probably the cause
I'm not sure that this is the problem with him. Protein is not usually a problem for CLs, unless he swallowed a pellet or piece of pellet that had not absobed water. If it was dry when he swallowed it, then it may have gotten in his stomach or gut and has not softened, theorectically. (this did happen to me with an ADF)
This may help if it is truly an intestinal blockage or constipation issue:
Make an epsom salt bath. Get a container that will hold one gallon of his tank water. Add 1 teaspoon of epsom salts, stir and dissolve, then place him in it and leave him there for 5 to 15 minutes or up to half an hour. Then return him to his tank.
(if you don't have a gallon container, then use a half gallon and half teaspoon of epsom salts, or dose proportionally if smaller container is used.)
I feel so sorry for you I hope it doesn't happen again
