Are you looking to find out more about the Flukes parasite in fish?
In that case, you have come to the right place!
Gill fluke are parasites found in fish and are most commonly seen lodged in the gills of Goldfish. These parasites are dangerous, but the good news is that they are different for specific fish species.
Fish develop Flukes due to various causes.
Let’s get started.
So, What are flukes anyway?
Flukes are one of the most common types of aquarium and pond parasites, and one of the largest too, which can be seen with a very low magnification but still, not with the naked eye.
While there are two different types of fluke parasite- gill flukes and body flukes- treating them and eradicating them is undertaken in the same way.
What causes flukes in goldfish?
If you have a long-established goldfish tank that is stable and has not had any new fish introduced into it for some time, then congratulations, you do not need to worry about flukes!
Flukes are almost exclusively introduced into an established fish tank with the transfer of a new fish and the water that surrounds them, and flukes are often rife in pet stores and other aquatic retailers that keep large tanks of fish together and do not have the means to quarantine new stock arrivals.
Transferring flukes from tank to tank can be prevented by isolating and quarantining any new fish that you buy for at least 30 days after purchase, and ensuring that any equipment used for more than one tank is sterilized before sharing it between tanks.
What are the symptoms of flukes in goldfish?
For the inexperienced goldfish keeper, it can be hard to identify the presence of flukes, or rather, the warning signals that flukes are present within the tank. Often, losing a large number of the residents of the tank within a short period of time is the first indicator that something is amiss to the novice goldfish keeper.
However, there are various signs and symptoms to be on the lookout for, and being vigilant can help you to identify the onset of flukes before they begin to decimate your fish stocks. Be on the lookout for:
Split fins
Clamped fins
Disinterest in food
Less activity than normal
A goldfish isolating itself from the others
A goldfish rubbing or scratching itself against tank furniture, which is known as “flashing"
Treating flukes in goldfish
If you suspect the presence of flukes in your tank, in order to get a definitive diagnosis you will have to take a gill scraping from an affected fish, and examine this under a microscope.
Now if this is a process that you are not familiar with or you do not have the equipment to do it with, then follow the treatment steps as below:
Make a 50% water change. Also clean your filter and filter media in the siphoned out aquarium water.
Add prime and stress guard to the water.
PART 1: BROAD SPECTRUM TREATMENT
Begin your treatment first with a broad spectrum antibiotic like "Seachem Paraguard". Dose as recommended.
Remember we do not want to stress the fish out by dosing multiple medications at one go. It would do more harm than any good.
The treatment should continue at least for 2 weeks
You can include 30% water change in between the doses
If your fish is eating,
Refrain from feeding live food as they could be carriers of flukes or bacterias themselves
Feed you fish sinking pellets pre-soaked in garlic water in the morning and blanched broccoli, spinach, kale, etc in the evening.
Now, if the fish shows no signs of stress is a good indication that the treatment is working. It is good to continue the dosage of Paraguard even after the treatment course is over as flukes tend to have a lifecycle. The antibiotics are not effective on flukes that are at egg stage. Once they hatch they become the target.
If the treatment shows no improvement, then follow Part 2
PART 2: SEACHEM POLYGUARD
Before Treating
Remove all invertebrates - these are extremely sensitive to medication
Turn off UV filters, ozone filters, and remove chemical filtration
Ensure that your tank is fully cycled and stable; poor water quality is the root cause of most fish diseases, and adding medication will do no good if the water chemistry is still bad.
Dosing
Use 1 measure (included) per every 40 L (10 US gallons) of water
Repeat this dose every 72 hours for a maximum of 2 weeks
You can include 30% water change in between the doses
Repeat every 3 days for up to 2 weeks or until symptoms disappear
If your fish is eating,
Refrain from feeding live food as they could be carriers of flukes or bacterias themselves
Feed you fish sinking pellets pre-soaked in garlic water in the morning and blanched broccoli, spinach, kale, etc in the evening.
After Treatment
When the treatment period is over, make 80% water change
PolyGuard can easily be removed using activated filter carbon. It does not linger in the substrate or filter media of the tank
Summing Things Up: All You Need To Know About The Flukes Parasite In Fish
It is common for the Flukes parasite to be present in aquariums.However, undesirable environmental conditions such as overcrowding, stress due to incompatible species, and poor water quality are the biggest contributing factors.
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