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Persistent Flashing


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#1 malawiman85

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Posted 05 February 2017 - 08:25 AM

Hi Guys,

I need some help.
I've got two tanks of fish that are flashing and have been for a few weeks.
I believe the problem was brought about by live feeders.
As I normally use live feeders I occasionally have to treat for flukes. Normally a week of praziquantel does the trick.
But this time the prazi has not worked. This lead me to try Internal Parasite Clear... And that didn't work. But was followed by a small ammo spike in one of the tanks. Not sure if it was the IPC or something else tanks are super clean.
Ammo: 0 other than small spike detected about a week back.
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 10 - 40

There are no other signs of illness.

#2 Hood

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Posted 05 February 2017 - 08:34 AM

I find you have to be careful with treating for parasites as it can in some instances damage the good bacteria in the tank. If your sure it's flukes I'd be like to think that would have cleared up after 2 dosings. Sometimes however I do find it works better to mix a small dose of prazi or the like in a glass, then dump in a bunch of food which your fish enjoy, till it starts to gelatinize and leave it to sink into the food for 20mins or so, then feed this to your fish in small bunches over the next hour or so. I find this treats the fish dirrectly into their guts and is sometimes more effective than dosing the whole tank.
Maybe also try raising the tempt to 30 for a week and add some salt to see weather the stress has brought on some early ich or the like.
I'm sure you already knew all this but thought it worth covering the bases anyway. Best of luck with it.

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Edited by Hood, 05 February 2017 - 08:36 AM.


#3 Ageofaquariums

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Posted 05 February 2017 - 09:20 AM

Flashing is often seen in rift lake cichlids whenever GH is low (or even when its changing) and/or nitrates are high. It is of course also a good sign of flukes. Due to their macro nature flukes are an excellent candidate for a cheap clip on phone microscope ID. if Prazi isnt getting the job done, consider hitting them with some trichlorfon based meds. Just be sure to keep oxygenation high, especially if any bristlenose in tank.



#4 malawiman85

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Posted 05 February 2017 - 09:22 AM

Thanks Hood,

Ich is something I'm a bit suspicious of but there are no other signs of it... I'll up temp to 30 and see what happens over the next few days.
I also wonder if the ammo has irritated gills... Could have been a spike in other tank that I didn't see... No sign of ammo burns though.

#5 malawiman85

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Posted 05 February 2017 - 11:00 AM

AoA,

Thanks, I'll try the trichlorfon today too.

#6 Delapool

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Posted 05 February 2017 - 12:34 PM

Are they flashing just on the gills? I've heard of a few cases of velvet as well (more over east and SA though) - just a thought to tick off.


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#7 malawiman85

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Posted 05 February 2017 - 01:40 PM

Thanks Delapool,

Definitely targeting gills.

#8 bigjohnnofish

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Posted 05 February 2017 - 11:26 PM

one other you can try is the external parasite clear from aquotix... i had a persistent case of what i thought was gill flukes too... external parasite clear seemed to finish off the job.... 

 

also if your "DOCS" dissolved organic compounds are high this could irritate the fish also.... has your filter not been cleaned for some time ???



#9 Chopstick_mike

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Posted 06 February 2017 - 05:35 AM

Ich away is good to for whitespot if it is Morley aquariums sell it

#10 malawiman85

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Posted 06 February 2017 - 08:20 AM

Johnno,

Ok external parasite clear is going on the list.
The filters are sponges so get a squeeze every week. Nitrate isn't getting above 40 ever and usually reads 10 - 20 so I don't think anything is building up.

Chopstick,

Thanks mate. Best way I know of to get rid of ich is just up the temp. I'm considering chucking a blue & green based multi cure in the tanks. But I don't think that's the answer... Not yet anyway.

#11 Ageofaquariums

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Posted 08 February 2017 - 09:09 AM

Highly reccomend getting a cheap phone microscope to ID diseases in cases like this.

eg http://www.ebay.com....a-/272501800453

 

Less than $5 and yer away!

Very cool to be able to get close up shots on live fish.



#12 malawiman85

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Posted 08 February 2017 - 01:18 PM

Thanks. Ordered.

#13 malawiman85

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Posted 18 February 2017 - 06:09 PM

No more flashing... 31 degrees seems to have put a stop to it.

Really surprised me... I guess it might have been ich after all :blink:






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