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Hello all!
I need a little advice on this situation. So one of my PB discus has gill flukes and I’m treating the whole tank with Flubendazole. Just how long does it take for gill flukes to be killed and for fish to start using a gill again?
I know it is gill flukes because my fish was taken to the vet and swab was evaluated under microscope. Then they gave me a flubendazole powder to disolve in aquarium water.
Thank You!
I usually use Prazi or Formalin. Flubendazole is kind of an all in one treatment - flukes, nematodes, round worms, etc.. Also, it's very toxic so make sure you follow directions precisely! I recommend using a weight rather than a spoon but the directions should have come with the med. There are reported side effects with Flubendazole like tail standing, so again, follow the directions precisely! Flubendazole should be dissolved with a little vodka or acetone and mix thoroughly before pouring in the tank.
You should see positive results within a few days, but you must repeat the dose several times for a total of 21 days to fully eradicate the live flukes and their eggs.
Thanks Brian! I used Flubendazole because I was never really successful with Prazi, so gill flukes always came back or was not eradicated at all. My vet who specializes in reptiles and fish calculated and precisely wheighted the amount I needed for 450 litres using pharmaceutical grade scales. It gives me a dose of 0.3g/100l of active Flubendazole.
She also mentioned that I need second treatment after 7 days and again 3rd treatment after 14 days. In addition she said that gill flukes will be starved to death and it could take linger for positive results than with Prazi
I've not been successful using either Flubendazole or Praziquantal to treat for gill flukes. Not suggesting that your vet is not knowledgeable here, but I think multiple treatments with these medication have produce resistance in discus from grow out facilities. Both treatments are toxic and knock back the fish's development. Over time, I've turned to formalin instead. Sorry not to be of more help.
I agree that formalin is the best way to go, or even a salt dip. I've also read flukes are becoming resistant to prazi. Not sure about flubendazole but it sounds reasonable...
Are you using 37% formalin? Years ago I used fluke tab but it's off the market, not sure the fluke tab for gold fish has the same ingredients.
Cliff
Yes, 37%. I still have some fluke tabs from years ago but don't know where it is. It was scary stuff to watch in action because it made discus look like zombies, but I've used it on fry as young as 2 weeks old with no ill effects. I can't remember the active ingredient but it was actually a pesticide and flukes were also becoming immune to it, or so I heard.
I think Fluke Tabs by Aquarium product (USA) active ingredients]- Trichlorfon and mebendazole. Treats: tapeworms, copepods, flukes, fish lice, and vapillaria.
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