Best treatment for flukes?

[addict]

Well, the tank teardown is looming on the horizon, and I'm using this opportunity to catch and treat a couple fish that have had some diseases starting to show up.
One is my Copperband Butterfly, which has been suffering from what I have identified as flukes for a little over a month now.
It's gills are red and swollen, with white blotches on them, and it's breathing rapidly. I don't think it's ich, since there are no white spots anywhere on its body, or on any other fish in the tank... I suspect the copperband picked up the flukes while picking either on the live rock or sandbed.
It's still eating and swimming around like normal, so I haven't been too worried about it's health otherwise.
Anyway, what is the best treatment for this problem? I've seen several different options, from freshwater dips, to formalin, to copper sulphate or fluke-tabs... I'd just like to know which will cause the least stress to the fish (it's my favorite so I really don't want it to croak).

Thanks.

 

[Montanareefer]

Dave I don't know the best treatment for flukes but wish you well in getting the copperband healthy again. I love my copperband alot as well and will miss it when I return it to the LFS. I am hoping they will hold on to it until my new tank is set up.

 

[BoomerD]

From Bob Fenner's WetWebMedia:
"Methylene blue and fresh water! What? Disappointed? Hear me out, this stuff works! And it's very safe. Methylene blue and fresh water is useful for both marine fishes and many invertebrates against ich, skin and gill flukes, funguses, velvet (Amyloodinium) and most other external parasitic and infectious diseases. It has several other added benefits. It's a good oxygenating dye, sort of like our blood's hemoglobin, aiding in keeping oxygen concentration high. It also is helpful in reducing light penetration, soothing frightened livestock."
From this page:

WWM/Dips & Baths

 

[addict]

Thanks BoomerD! I'll go take a look at WWM.
Any idea how long I should treat for?

Oh yeah... and karma to ya!

 

[BoomerD]

Really not sure, I haven't dealt with gill flukes in nearly 20 yrs. I'd do some research on the WWM site. I'm sure you'll find what you need to know. IF you don't find it, you can always write to them directly and ask questions. (Tht's where FAQ'S come from!)
Go here and follow the links to ask the crew a question:
WWM/Ask A Question

Questions are usually answered by return e-mail within 24 to 48 hours, depending on how many requests they get, and how many staff (volunteers) are on duty at the time.

 

[addict]

Right on!
I appreciate all your help.
Thanks again.

 

[Maxx]

I would definately second the hyposaline water and methylene blue. Inverts cannot handle lower salinity, it kills them. However fish are much more tolerant of salinity changes and shouldnt be affected. The methylene blue will help kill fungus' that might be present and will also probably have an effect on any other parasites.....(been a while since I used M.blue so I'm not 100% sure of what all it affects...).
I would just set up a Q-tank w/ a HOB filter and go w/ salinity of 1.010 for 3 weeks to a month.
HTH,
Nick

 

[BoomerD]

IF you go to the hyposalinity route, it takes about 5 days to bring a fish from "regular" salinity of 1.02? down to the 1.009--.010 Doing it faster creates a stressful condition for the fish. A 5 minute freshwater dip with temperature & pH matched water & methylene blue would be easier on the fish, then into the q.t. for the reducing salinity to hyposalinity.