Random breathing problems

[taybelS]

I suspect my discus have gill fluke, but it doesn't breathe through one gill for the whole day. It seems to do it randomly. Eg one minute it looks fine, then I come back and its breathing through the one gill.

Should i treat it?
(and has anyone used trichlorafon b4)

Thanks
David

[jim_shedden]

David: Is this one discus or a group? Is it an adult?
Whenever I run into this I start with salt (non-iodized sea salt). Use 2 tablespoons per 10 gallons. Ususally you will start to see the other gill ease up within an hour or so. Adults can usually handle flukes. Its the youngsters that can have a very serious problem with them. If you are going to treat for flukes I would suggest that you try formaldyhyde (37%). I use 10 ml per 10 gallons. Then do a 50% water change after 8 hours. Make sure you have lots of air because the "hyde" sucks it out. You can usually find "hyde" at the drug store.
I have not tried trichlorafon b4 so I am not aware of it effects.

Jim

[jim_shedden]

By the way.............welcome to Simply

Jim

[Jeckel]

I think trichorofon is one of the ingredients in Fluke-Tabs, which I used a few years ago. When the discus were on the medication, they turned dark and became very panicky whenever they saw movement outside the tank. They also developed white erosion on their fins. These symptoms resolved after the course of medication was finished. The breathing problems cleared up, but always returned after a week or so. Despite repeated treatments, I assume there were fluke eggs in the tank that kept hatching.

I think someone here once said Fluke-Tabs work best when you reduce the water temperature to the upper 70s.

Other suggested fluke treatments are potassium permanganate and praziquantel (available as PraziPro). I've used PraziPro with my current crop of discus several times. As usual, each treatment cleared up the symptoms but then they returned. But now the discus are have been breathing OK for months. I suspect treatments for flukes basically alleviate but don't eradicate the infection. Then when the discus near maturity they have enough resistence to tolerate the low-level infection they are left with. I've heard it's rare to find any discus that doesn't have a fluke or two, but adults aren't bothered much by them.

[White Worm]

Check this site, most cures on here are consistant with advice on simply for the most part. Click on treatments
http://www.aquaworldnet.com/dbws/symtreat.shtml

[Carol_Roberts]

I like formalin or parasite clear. I use fluke tabs on adults at normal temps.

[crash]

Does QuikCure contain formalin?

[Carol_Roberts]

I think so - look t the bottle and read the ingredients . . .