# possible gill flukes?



## oceansize (Apr 25, 2006)

my dwarf gourami had been sick about a month ago. total loss of apatite, staying on the bottom, hiding, very thin, and developed a small bulge on one side that caused maybe two scales to fall of. I treated him with pimafix and salt, doing water changes every 3 days as I thought it might be some kind of internal bacterial infection. He seemed cured. (ha!)

Now his color is very washed out and he occasionally goes to the surface to breathe. His gills look feathery, or like they are protruding from their covering (?).or it looks like a fungus. He is eating and behaving normal with no "flashing" or itching. about 40% of the time he just hangs in the water or near the surface. There could be possible black spots or small "pores" on his back half...but this could be normal and just appearing because his coloring is so poor. 

My other fish are normal. ammonia and nitrites are 0. nitrates once and a while creep up to 40 (is this super bad?) pH is 7.6
should I continue with the salt and water changes or try something else?

--i apologize for the novel... it's my first post ever!


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## darkfalz (May 7, 2006)

I suspected gill flukes on a Betta, but he most likely never had them. Unlike some other parasites, they really have come on the fish or a fish that you take home from the pet store. Gill problems have many causes, from water quality to lack of oxygen to a general illness of your fish. It's probably not flukes, but I don't know what else it would be. Could be gill disease?


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Not bad at all for a first post ever, and I wish they all had this much info. 
Try metronidazole. It sounds more like hexamita to me than flukes, but why you're at it, 

No, wait. nevermind.

CLOUT is what you want. Clout will be a big help for pretty much any of the things on the most-likely list of suspects.


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## oceansize (Apr 25, 2006)

Thanks guys! I was unable to find Clout so I picked up some Jungle Parasite Clear. Is this any good? My dwarf gourami definitely has tiny black specks (which would be??..)
I set up a hospital tank, but I'm thinking I should treat my whole tank if it's parasites, right?
Also, is this safe for my otto?

hopefully on the road to recovery....


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Parasite Clear works fairly well, yes. Black spots disease is caused by tiny little ectoparasitic worms, which are normally fairly harmless unless in high number.


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