Itchy Fish, No Spots!

[lisa2701]

Understood.  You are going to want to complete water changes to eliminate the salinity before starting the meds.
Just add the freshwater back into the tank SLOWLY, and the fish will be fine adjusting to the salinity drop...
 
I'd suggest doing a 50% water change, and refilling it with temp matched (as best you can) dechlorinated water, and take an hour or two to completely refill the water....  Do it in short additions.  If you can attach a hose to your faucet and run that at a trickle into your tank, that would be better.  If not, then just slowly adding the new water in will do it fine. 

Thank you so much for all your advice, I am greatly appreciative of it! I am hoping the fluke solve will be dispatched today as its coming first class so should be here in a day or two, so I should have that time to return the water to normal again...

So do I do a 50% water change today and again tomorrow to lower the salinity or is one 50% change enough?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I'd say one 50% water change first, then a 75% water change after that.
 
If your salinity was 1%, doing a 50% water change will lower the salinity to about 0.5%.
 
Another 75% would lower it to 0.125%.  
 
Another 75% would lower it to where you really should prefer it - ~0.03%.
 
 
I'm suggesting the first change as only 50% so that the shock of the change in salinity is smaller.  The larger ones later are designed to really drop the salinity the most.
 
 
Another option is 50%, 50% then 75%.  That would lower the salinity to: 0.5, 0.25, then 0.0625, which should be fine as well.
 
 
 
 
Out of curiousity, what are your ammonia, nitrite, pH, nitrate stats?

 

[lisa2701]

I'd say one 50% water change first, then a 75% water change after that.
 
If your salinity was 1%, doing a 50% water change will lower the salinity to about 0.5%.
 
Another 75% would lower it to 0.125%.  
 
Another 75% would lower it to where you really should prefer it - ~0.03%.
 
 
I'm suggesting the first change as only 50% so that the shock of the change in salinity is smaller.  The larger ones later are designed to really drop the salinity the most.
 
 
Another option is 50%, 50% then 75%.  That would lower the salinity to: 0.5, 0.25, then 0.0625, which should be fine as well.
 
 
 
 
Out of curiousity, what are your ammonia, nitrite, pH, nitrate stats?

Ok great thanks

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate-20-40
PH: 7.6

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Ok, all good there.  Thanks.  Just good to double check these things from time to time.  At times we can get so caught up with one emergency, we lose sight of other issues.  With the meds, be careful with the filter bacteria.  You want to watch the ammonia/nitrite carefully, as its possible that it could affect the beneficial bacteria.  Just be ready for a quick change.  

 

[lisa2701]

Ok, all good there.  Thanks.  Just good to double check these things from time to time.  At times we can get so caught up with one emergency, we lose sight of other issues.  With the meds, be careful with the filter bacteria.  You want to watch the ammonia/nitrite carefully, as its possible that it could affect the beneficial bacteria.  Just be ready for a quick change.  

Thanks. The fluke solve claims to be filter safe but I will definitely keep a close eye on everything going on! Will update once I have the mess and added them! Have read comments that people have seen noticeable differences in their fish in as little as 24 hours! Got my fingers firmly crossed!

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I truly hope it works for your problem.

 

[OptimusPrime]

Ok, all good there.  Thanks.  Just good to double check these things from time to time.

 At times we can get so caught up with one emergency, we lose sight of other issues.  With the meds, be careful with the filter bacteria.  You want to watch the ammonia/nitrite carefully, as its possible that it could affect the beneficial bacteria.  Just be ready for a quick change.  

Thanks. The fluke solve claims to be filter safe but I will definitely keep a close eye on everything going on! Will update once I have the mess and added them! Have read comments that people have seen noticeable differences in their fish in as little as 24 hours! Got my fingers firmly crossed!

If your filter has carbon in it you may need to remove it or it could render your meds useless.  

 

[eaglesaquarium]

 I can't believe I never mentioned that!  Good spot O.P.

 

[lisa2701]

I truly hope it works for your problem.

 
Thanks, so do I! I have added the treatment to the tank and the fish are coping well with it. The particularly ill endler however is in extremely bad shape i noticed he wasn't even able to keep himself upright on the bottom of the tank and I just in the last hour decided to put him out of his misery!

 

 

Ok, all good there.  Thanks.  Just good to double check these things from time to time.

 At times we can get so caught up with one emergency, we lose sight of other issues.  With the meds, be careful with the filter bacteria.  You want to watch the ammonia/nitrite carefully, as its possible that it could affect the beneficial bacteria.  Just be ready for a quick change.  

Thanks. The fluke solve claims to be filter safe but I will definitely keep a close eye on everything going on! Will update once I have the mess and added them! Have read comments that people have seen noticeable differences in their fish in as little as 24 hours! Got my fingers firmly crossed!

If your filter has carbon in it you may need to remove it or it could render your meds useless.  

 
I 'almost' forgot to remove the carbon but thankfully did remember before I put the medication in. How quickly will the carbon neutralise medication once its put back in the tank?  The packaging says the minimum treatment time is 24 hours so I was thinking to leave it until sunday morning and pop some activated carbon in. the packaging doesn't mention a repeat dose but I know flukes are on a cycle so I am thinking to re-dose in 4-7 days? Is that safe? 
 
 

 I can't believe I never mentioned that!  Good spot O.P.

 
 
 Haha, not a problem at all! I am new to fish but I did know that ;-)
 
really appreciate the advice from everyone! 

 

[lisa2701]

So the little endler that was extremely ill was worse than I thought. By the time I caught him he couldn't even keep himself upright. Anyway by use of clove oil he can now R.I.P.

All others are doing well and I've noticed a definite reduction in the flashing! Not completely away yet though still the rare occasion I see them doing it but I'm not fearful of them rubbing themselves raw and ending up with a secondary infection anymore! . I will update once I have put the carbon in my filter and removed the medication.

 

[lisa2701]

Update- fluke solve has been in the tank since yesterday afternoon, after carefully watching the fish for a while I haven't seen one instance of flashing!! Will pop te carbon back into the filter tomorrow and treat again in 4/5 days to deal with any larvae.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I'm so glad to hear that it seems to be working.  Congrats.

 

[lisa2701]

Thanks

 

[OptimusPrime]

Glad that it seems to be working.  frustrating when you lose one but hopefully all the rest will now be ok.

 

[lisa2701]

All else doing well, plan to re-dose on the fluke solve tomorrow to be extra sure none of the larve/eggs are surving as I am actually re homing the fish next week to a friend whom I've been completely honest with about the gill fluke break out. I am getting a bigger tank next week and plan to stock differently, although unsure of hw yet.