GBR is flashing! please help

loveflying · 06-12-2012, 04:49 AM

Ok, so a couple of days ago, I had the suspicion that one of my GBRs had some sort of internal parasite because he looked to have a caving stomach and a red spot near his anus. So, I decided to treat the whole tank with flubendazole (not fenbendazole). After treating the water, all the fish looked normal and have been eating well. However, one of the rams--not the one that I thought was sick-- seems to be persistently scratching against anything that she can find. So, my first thought was naturally ich, because every onset of the disease that I have previously encountered began with flashing, itching fish. However, I am also aware if I am not mistaken that flubendazole will kill both internal parasites and external ones like ich and velvet. Therefore, shouldn't any ich if there had been any in my tank have been knocked out with the flubendazole treatment? So, if the flashing is not caused by ich, then what is causing it? For some background on my tank, the ammonia is 0, nitrite is 0, nitrate is like 5, and ph is 7.6. If anyone has any ideas on what may be stressing my ram out that would be really appreciated. This one happens to be a female I found locally, which is a first for me, and I would hate to lose her. Thanks everyone.

Scottso · 06-18-2012, 07:03 AM

It might be flukes or flatworms. When they are too small to see they will make the fish flash. You can treat that easily with prazipro, which is safe for snails and shrimp too if you have any in there. Within 20 minutes of dosing they'll stop flashing if that's what it is. Do you have ramshorn snails in the tank? They can be hosts for flukes as well.

06-12-2012, 04:49 AM	#1
loveflying Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (11/100%) Join Date: May 2011 Location: rancho palos verdes, california Posts: 337	GBR is flashing! please help Ok, so a couple of days ago, I had the suspicion that one of my GBRs had some sort of internal parasite because he looked to have a caving stomach and a red spot near his anus. So, I decided to treat the whole tank with flubendazole (not fenbendazole). After treating the water, all the fish looked normal and have been eating well. However, one of the rams--not the one that I thought was sick-- seems to be persistently scratching against anything that she can find. So, my first thought was naturally ich, because every onset of the disease that I have previously encountered began with flashing, itching fish. However, I am also aware if I am not mistaken that flubendazole will kill both internal parasites and external ones like ich and velvet. Therefore, shouldn't any ich if there had been any in my tank have been knocked out with the flubendazole treatment? So, if the flashing is not caused by ich, then what is causing it? For some background on my tank, the ammonia is 0, nitrite is 0, nitrate is like 5, and ph is 7.6. If anyone has any ideas on what may be stressing my ram out that would be really appreciated. This one happens to be a female I found locally, which is a first for me, and I would hate to lose her. Thanks everyone.

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06-18-2012, 07:03 AM	#2
Scottso Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (4/100%) Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: California Posts: 74	It might be flukes or flatworms. When they are too small to see they will make the fish flash. You can treat that easily with prazipro, which is safe for snails and shrimp too if you have any in there. Within 20 minutes of dosing they'll stop flashing if that's what it is. Do you have ramshorn snails in the tank? They can be hosts for flukes as well.