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I have had fish (two loaches in particular) that have been flashing all over for quite some time now. I have treated for ich as suggested by this site and other sites; however, this seems to not be helping at all. I looked at the disease identification thing on this site and it suggested that they may have gill flukes. The gills on the loaches pump very fast; however, none of the other fish that flash seem to be having problems with gills. Do you think gill flukes could be a possibility and if so, what should I do. I had planned to move my two dojo loaches from this tank in January, but if they are not cured of whatever they have, I'm not going to risk transferring the disease to a new tank.
It is a 29 gallon with 2 kubotai loaches, 2 dojo loaches, 4 gold barbs and 5 bloodfin tetras. Ammonia-0, nitrates-10, nitrites 0, pH 7.5.
Thanks!

If there is a chance they have gill flukes, one of the most effective, and safest, meds has just recently become available - cheaply.

Intestinal parasites, as well as gill flukes, are best treated with Praziquantel. One brand name you may recognize if you have dogs or cats is Droncit. The cost was astronomical ($80-100 for a 36 gal tank) and required a script from a vet.

There are two sources available to fish hobbyists at a reasonable cost. The first, I have only seen available at online stores. I have shopped before at goldfish connection so I know they are reputable and safe. They have the new Prazi-Pro by Hikari USA for about $14-15, plus shipping.

Here is that link:

http://www.goldfishconnection.com/shop/details.php?productId=30&parentId=21&

Don't hesitate to check with local fish stores tho.

And, here is more on Praziquantel or Droncit in aquarium parasite applications. Note that the well-known vet, Doc Johnson states that prazi is safe for fish of all species including fry. Read on for other benefits:

http://www.koivet.com/html/articles/articles_print.php?article_id=198

Now, if you simply cannot get this waterborne treatment, then consider the new Jungle Anti-Parasite medicated feed. Jungle was smart enough to add Praziquantel to this treatment and states it is effective for gill flukes. I would imagine that in the bloodstream it works like ivermectin can for external parasites in furry critters.

The only place that the new Jungle Anti-Parasite medicated feed can be found currently is PetSmart. Granted, you would need to break it up a bit to get it to sink and Jungle states crushing is fine for bottom feeders and smaller fish. If you don't have a store near you it is available on line:

Pet Smart Link



Last edited by Cory_Di at 11-Nov-2004 19:29

My cories have the gill flukes and Cory_Di suggested the new Anti-Parasite feed from Jungle. After a week the cories are looking better! I would go with the feed.