Leopard wrasse declining

nine8taco · Jun 5, 2016

The leopard wrasse I picked up from sustainable aquatics while we were there is going downhill quickly. It started out of the blue about three days ago. He perches on rocks and on the sand and sometimes will slowly just layover onto his side. But he does still swim around, and still actively hunts pods. He is gasping and breathing heavily. His coloration is still very much unchanged its still dark and vibrant. He's a little thinner than I'd want him but he always has been. All of his fins are full. He can still swim fine when he wants to and still eats aggressively when I feed. He eats mysis voraciously. And will eat a pellet or two when I feed the other fish. He has been in the tank for about four months and has always done great.
-All other fish are doing great. (Midas blenny, two clowns diamond goby)
-All inverts (snails, hermits, a cleaner shrimp, and a fromia star) all doing great.
-All corals doing great (sponges , gorgonians, easy sps and lps and softies).
Parameters:
Ph 8.1-8.2
Temp 77-78
Ammonia 0
Phosphate 0
Nitrate >5
Nitrite 0
-I have checked stray voltage and have nothing abnormal. I have a ground probe in the tank, I've tried taking it out as well and no change.
-I have both returns agitating the surface heavily and alwayshave.
-Nothing has been added or taken away from the tank equipment wise since it was set up nearly a year ago.
-the fuge is crawling with pods, and the display has a heathy population that is visible at night (pod hotels in the rocks to cultivate them)
The system is a 40g display 55g system.
I'm pretty much at a loss here guys and girls. I love this little guy anddon't want to lose him. Anyone have any ideas???

Steve Dillon · Jun 5, 2016

You said he is breathing heavy. Flukes maybe?

nine8taco · Jun 5, 2016

I'm not sure what flukes is exactly.

nine8taco · Jun 5, 2016

Would you try to pull him out and treat him with something? And if so, what?

Reefrookie220 · Jun 5, 2016

I would get a black or dark colored bucket and do a freshwater dip to check for flukes, @Humblefish has an excellent write up on procedure and may be able to jump in here with more knowledgeable advice. @evolved knows his wrasses better than i dream to. Maybe we can get you some help [HASHTAG]#reefsquad[/HASHTAG] .

Reefrookie220 · Jun 5, 2016

Eating but looking skinny make me say it could be something internal, but again I am no expert.

Steve Dillon · Jun 5, 2016

All I know about flukes is they are a parasite that attacks the gills.. they are white hence the dark bucket.. freshwater dip and you'll see them pop out.. and fall to bottom.. if it's some internal parasite you need to treat with prazipro

Rob.D · Jun 5, 2016

The Sustainable meeting was a couple of months ago, no? If you got the fish then and the fish' health is just beginning to decline and you haven't added any new fish, I would be on the side of an internal parasite.

melypr1985 · Jun 5, 2016

This is Humble's write up on flukes explaining what it is and how to treat it.
Many thanks to "Newsmyrna80" for writing this. Reposted with her permission.

Some facts:
Flukes are not true flukes. They are actually parasitic flatworms belonging to the class of Monogeans.

There are 13 families of flukes. However, only three families infect saltwater fish.
1. Ancyrocephaladae – common to freshwater, brackish and marine fish. They have 14 hooks which insert into the fish’s skin to maintain contact. They are oviviparous (egg layer). They are not host specific and they prefer the fish’s gills and esophagus.
2. Gyrodactylidae – common in freshwater but can be found on saltwater fish. They have 16 hooks and are viviparous (live bearing). This family of flukes is considered “Russian dolls” meaning that a live daughter is inside the mother and the live daughter can also be carrying a live daughter.
3. Capsalidae – common in saltwater fish. They have 2 hooks and are oviviparous. The most common genus of Capsalid found in saltwater aquaria is the Neobenedenia. It is host specific, attacking angelfish, butterflyfish, and elasmobranchs, to name a few targets and location specific (face, lips, and eyes). However, if a fish has an extensive infestation the fluke will find somewhere else on the body to host.

Luckily for aquarists, the life cycle of flukes has been researched due their ill effects on aquaculture farming and the fishing industry. Extensive studies have been done on Neobenedenia, the most common in saltwater aquaria.

Life Cycle

At 78-79° F eggs hatch within 4-6 days. Once the egg hatches the oncomiridium (ciliated larva) finds a host and crawls on the body to their preferred site. Once they dig their hooks into the fish’s flesh they feed on it for 17-19 days. At that point it has matured to an adult and it begins to lay eggs. The cycle starts over. At lower water temperatures, 34-36°F the timeline can extend to 5-6 months.

Symptoms

Fish can become lethargic, swim near the water surface, develop clamped fins, hide in the corner of the aquarium or behind rocks, lose appetite, shake the head, flash, or scratch. They may exhibit yawning, cloudy eyes and loss of color at the insertion site. For example, Neobenedenia prefers the face, lips and eyes; therefore you may notice the skin color faded in those areas. If flukes are present in the gills they may be swollen and pale, increase respiration, and begin piping (gulping air at the water surface). Fish generally become less tolerant of low oxygen conditions. Secondary infections are also very common. Some fish may not show any symptoms at all which is why quarantining is so important.

Treatments

Because flukes are naturally clear a visual confirmation is nearly impossible. Confirmation of flukes can be obtained via a freshwater dip. After 3-5 minutes the fluke will become opaque and dislodge from the fish. Although helpful, it is not a necessity, to identify the fluke’s family to aid in treatment. A microscope can confirm a species, however, Neobenedenia, can be seen with the naked eye.

1. Praziquantel or Prazipro – There have been several studies demonstrating various applications of Prazi. For practicality only a couple is listed. Prazi does not kill flukes. It induces uncontrollable spasms to where the fluke dislodges from the fish and continues to spasm. Studies have shown that after 10 hours the fluke dies. Prazi is very gentle on fish to the point it can be overdosed with no ill effects. The exception is wrasses. They are able to handle the 2.5 mg dosage but anything over that can be detrimental. It has also been reported that Prazi is safe to use in a reef aquarium with minimal casualties such as feathers and other worms. A word of caution: Prazi can act as an appetite suppressant. It also depletes the oxygen in the tank so be sure to fully aerate during treatment.
a. The most common method of dosing Prazi is dosing 2.5 mg for 5-7 days, then performing a water change, and finally redosing the full amount for another 5-7 days. A third and fourth dose may be necessary. Prazipro is reportedly (via personal communication with Hikari) “out of the water” 72 hours after the initial dose. However, once treatment is concluded it is recommended to do a large water change and add carbon to remove all traces of Prazi.
b. Another method is to do (2) 40 hour baths 48 hours apart in 5 mg/L Prazi.
NOTE: In 2013 research done, as reported in Aquaculture Volumes 404-405 Prazipro was shown to be 82% effective against Neobenedenia girallae.

2. Hyposalinity – Scientific research also showed hyposalinity at 15 ppt for 2 days eliminated juvenile and adult flukes. When maintained for 5 days, egg hatching was prevented.

3. Formalin dips – Water temp <70° 250 ppm for 30 minutes, water temp >70° or formalin sensitive fish 150 ppm for no more than 45 minutes. These dips can be repeated every 5-7 days. As always with formalin aerate for at least one hour prior to dip.

4. Freshwater dips – can be effective against skin flukes, however, it is ineffective against flukes in the gills.

Monitoring the fish for 30 days after treatment has concluded is important. Fish may continue to scratch after treatment due to their skin healing from the fluke’s hooks that were inserted into their skin. Confirmation of eradication can be confirmed by performing freshwater dips, skins scrapes and fin clipping. Obviously these should only be done by those with experience.

The lifecycle without a host can be completed within a few days. An adult can live up to 6 days without a host. After an egg hatches the oncomiridium must find a host within 36 hours or it will die. A fluke cannot attack an invertebrate or coral. There are no reports of flukes or eggs lying dormant as in Cryptocaryon. Equipment can be cleaned with hot water and bleach and thoroughly dried. As with all parasites and diseases avoid cross contamination with hands, equipment, water and food.

(prepared by Newsmyrna80)
Another good source of info on flukes can be found here: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fa033

melypr1985 · Jun 5, 2016

The best way to find out if your fish has flukes is to do a fresh water dip. I'll include pictures I took of a tang that I KNEW had flukes and the results of the freshwater dip so you know what to look for.

Freshwater Dip: Provides temporary relief for Brooklynella, Flukes & "Black Ich", Marine Velvet disease (Amyloodinium); possibly even Ich & Uronema marinum (both unproven). Can be used to confirm the presence of Flukes.

How To Treat - Fill a bucket with RODI water, and use a heater to match the temperature to the water the fish is coming from. Aerate the water heavily for at least 30 minutes prior to doing the dip, then discontinue aeration while performing the dip. Fish aren’t overly pH sensitive for short durations like this, but you can squirt a little tank water into the dip just before the fish goes in to help bring it up.

Place the fish in the freshwater (FW) dip and observe closely. It is not unusual for them to freak out a little at first. Also, tangs are notorious for “playing dead” during a FW dip. The important thing is to watch their gills; they should be breathing heavily at all times during the dip. If breathing slows, it’s time to exit the dip. Dip the fish for no longer than 5 minutes. Multiple dips may be done, but it’s important to give your fish a day to recuperate in-between dips.

For flukes, use a dark (preferably black) bucket so you can see if tiny white worms fall out of the fish (especially out of the gills) at around the 3-4 minute mark. The worms will settle to the bottom, so you can use a flashlight to look for them there as well.

Pros - Provides temporary relief for a wide range of diseases in a chemical free environment. Can “buy you more time” until a proper treatment can be done.

Cons/Side Effects - Not a permanent “fix” for any disease, as FW dips are not potent enough to eradicate all of the parasites/worms afflicting the fish. Some fish can have an adverse reaction to a FW dip by appearing unable to maintain their equilibrium once returned to the aquarium. If this happens, hold the fish upright (using latex, nitrile or rubber gloves), and gently glide him through the water (to get saltwater flowing through the gills again). It is also a good idea to place the fish in an acclimation box until he appears “normal”.

nine8taco · Jun 5, 2016

So it's sounds like the consensus is a fw dip (assuming I can catch him) to kill what's on him currently and then prazi to kill what's still in the tank?

Steve Dillon · Jun 5, 2016

Your in great hands now @melypr1985 knows her stuff. She helped me with a kole eye tang..

melypr1985 · Jun 5, 2016

nine8taco said:
So it's sounds like the consensus is a fw dip (assuming I can catch him) to kill what's on him currently and then prazi to kill what's still in the tank?

The dip would kill most of the adults on him (assuming it's flukes) but not the eggs left behind. You can dose prazi in tank and yeah, that would kill all the adults in the tank... period. The second dose is to kill the freshly hatched babies.

The freshwater dip is to confirm that flukes are what we are dealing with first along with giving him some reprieve from them. Did I show you pictures yet on what to look for? I'll post them here too just in case I'm mixing up my threads (i do that a lot).