# HELP: Flatworm fell out of hippo tang!??



## duckhams (Oct 13, 2009)

My 2/5" hippo tang had a little white mark on him under his gill on one side. He's been flashing on the rocks and scratched himself up a bit.

After a few seconds in a freshwater dip the white mark inflated and then dropped off him. It was a 2-3mm long white flatworm. The freshwater dip lasted about 6 minutes, the flatworm came out of him after 3-4min. Once it came off he swam around wanting to flash on a rock, he looked itchy like there could be another one coming out, but I didn't see another after a minute of that, so I put him back in the tank and he seems upset, but 

Does anyone know what this was? causes/effects/cures etc?? Any help would be really appreciated. (im so grossed out right now).

In the first 2 pics you can see the white mark inflated. In the 3rd its gone, after it dropped out. I draw a pic of what it looked like under the flashlight, very distinct shape and 2 little dots in the middle. 

Thanks! I don't want to lose this little guy!


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

No idea dude but now you have me creeped out as well!!!! Hope he's alright


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## duckhams (Oct 13, 2009)

altcharacter said:


> No idea dude but now you have me creeped out as well!!!! Hope he's alright


Thanks, me too. He seems better, but it's still very early. I want to say he seems less 'twitchy' but it's too soon to say for sure. I'll see if he's still itchy and flashing tomorrow. I gave him a 2nd dip in the freshwater just now, for 5 minutes, nothing else came out of him or reacted. He swims around in the freshwater all calm and curious. (I wonder if that's because he know's it makes him feel better?)

Anyway, he's swimming around in the tank quite happily with no signs of stress which is reassuring. He still has the little white mark on him, but now that the flatworm is out im assuming its just an entry/exit wound and will heal up. Im dosing Vitamin-C to help him heal. (hopefully this it and he'll be ok).


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

There are parasitic flatworms that host on fish. It's one of many issues one may have to deal with for ANY wild caught fish.

Just be glad that you caught it and will no longer be a problem for the tang.


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## duckhams (Oct 13, 2009)

I just got back from vacation and the little guy looks even worse. I spoke to Mark at CRS and he's pretty sure its Flukes (Please note, I did not buy this fish from CRS, the store I bought it from didn't call me back, as they promised they would. The guys at CRS are so reliable, I dont know why I go anywhere else). So I setup a 10 gallon hospital tank and started treating it with PraziPro. Hopefully the display tank isn't infected and the hippo tang recovers. I also bought Melafix and Vitamin-C to add to his food to help him recover.


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## Steel_Wind (Oct 26, 2013)

How's your fish?

I thought that flukes are more circular than the worm you have described here. Whatever the case, I'm curious as to how your hippo tang is holding up.


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## Rigio (Jul 23, 2013)

I'm not a saltie but I'm quite curious on reading the updates as they come,

Also, I hope he recovers.


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## duckhams (Oct 13, 2009)

Thanks guys. I dosed PraziPro on day-1 then did a 50% water change and double dose on day-5. This is day-9 and the dark scratches/marks on his head are almost completely gone! I have been 1/4 dosing Melafix on the 2nd of each PraziPro treatment, which really seems to have helped. The dark raised spots/marks where the flukes/parasites were have really healed up and look more like very light brown smudges. Hardly noticeable unless you look for them. I'v very pleased and will put him back in the display tank tomorrow. (unless I see reason not to between now and then).


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## Steel_Wind (Oct 26, 2013)

Nicely done then. "All's well that ends well" is a great result whenever there is a hospital tank involved.


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## duckhams (Oct 13, 2009)

Steel_Wind said:


> Nicely done then. "All's well that ends well" is a great result whenever there is a hospital tank involved.


True that. Although he's going back in the main tank tomorrow, im still prepared to see them come back, so im going to keep the hospital tank setup just in case. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.


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## rickcasa (Dec 7, 2011)

Hope he makes it through. In my experience, survivors of any diseases, (i've had them all in my first tank) seem to bounce back even stronger. My 2 hippos (ich, velvet, pop eye) is now bulletproof.


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## duckhams (Oct 13, 2009)

rickcasa said:


> Hope he makes it through. In my experience, survivors of any diseases, (i've had them all in my first tank) seem to bounce back even stronger. My 2 hippos (ich, velvet, pop eye) is now bulletproof.


I hope that's the case here. He is back in the display tank and swimming well with the other fish, he didn't go and hide for even a second. He's eating lots and looks almost perfect. He's healed really well. Im very confident that he will be ok now. But im going to keep an eye on him just to make sure over the next few days/weeks.


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## duckhams (Oct 13, 2009)

1 day back in the tank and I want to say I can see new marks on him of the flukes coming back . . . .maybe its just that im getting a look at him properly for the first day, but im very very nervous. QT is getting set back up in preparation, this time im running hypo-salinity (1.021) instead of PraziPro. I'll see how he's doing tomorrow and take it from there, tangs are little hypochondriacs so im not going to panic just yet. I have seen hmi flash on the rocks once or twice though . . . . . .


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## TankCla (Dec 31, 2010)

You have to treat the DT too, or keep it fishless for about 1+ month.


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## duckhams (Oct 13, 2009)

TankCla said:


> You have to treat the DT too, or keep it fishless for about 1+ month.


Im just realizing that today. Im going to pull than tang out tomorrow and see how things go from there. If I have to put all them (2 clowns, 2 anthias, 1 jawfish and the tang) in a QT tank, I will have to get something bigger than my 10 gallon.


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## Steel_Wind (Oct 26, 2013)

If you put him in for another freshwater 5 minute dip, can you see anything come off? Answer change if you use a 20x jeweler's loop or magnifying glass?

Not as dramatic an exit as last time I hope, but is there any further shedding, you should be able to see it.


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## duckhams (Oct 13, 2009)

Steel_Wind said:


> If you put him in for another freshwater 5 minute dip, can you see anything come off? Answer change if you use a 20x jeweler's loop or magnifying glass?
> 
> Not as dramatic an exit as last time I hope, but is there any further shedding, you should be able to see it.


I will try that tomorrow and let you know. I didn't see anything come off him in the QT tank, but he healed up well. I think im going to go pickup a 20 gallon and just put them all in there.


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

Have you considered trying clout?

Since you have a QT set up its worth a shot. It's really strong and people swear it works.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## duckhams (Oct 13, 2009)

Jackson said:


> Have you considered trying clout?
> 
> Since you have a QT set up its worth a shot. It's really strong and people swear it works.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Im going to run hyposalinity for a 3-4 weeks and see if that clears it up. If that doesn't work, then I will put them back in the tank with a medication. Im not looking for a quick fix for this, I want a long term solution that ensure the health of all my fish and I dont like medicating them unless its necessary. Im going to pick up a 20 gallon tomorrow and set that up as the QT. This stuff is a real PITA but what can you do.


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## Taipan (Feb 12, 2012)

Prazipro is GREAT. You can literally watch the flukes drop off during a dip.

That's wonderful it's bounced back. Cheers.

P.S. - Mark's great to chat with.


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## duckhams (Oct 13, 2009)

Just a final update. The PraziPro seems to have done the trick. The little tang is happy, healthy and eating voraciously. A good product in my books.


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## Steel_Wind (Oct 26, 2013)

duckhams said:


> Just a final update. The PraziPro seems to have done the trick. The little tang is happy, healthy and eating voraciously. A good product in my books.


A happy ending. Good, glad to hear it.


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