Copper and Gill Flukes

[Flameangel]

I am like a mother with a new baby since I have not purchased a fish in over 3 years. However, I am setting up a new reef and I have purchased a Powder Blue Tang. I need a little help with the Q-tank procedures. I went to the search feature and I could not find the exact answer I needed, so hear it goes..............

I purchased this fish about 10 days ago. He is in a 37 gallon Q-tank with a neon goby, which I purchased as his cleaner fish. The tang is doing pretty well, eating, gaining weight, color improving, etc. He does not have any spots however, I catching him shaking and scratching from time to time. Since I did not have an accurate way to measure the hyposaline treatment, I went the way of cleaner fish, copper and garlic feedings. My copper level is at 0.3 and stable.

I am assuming that the shaking and scratching might be from gill flukes and not ick or velvet. Will the copper be effective against the gill flukes? Will I need to do the three formalin dips? Can I add the formalin to water which has copper in it? Do I need to dip the goby, as well? (He is not showing any signs of scratching, etc.)

Thank you in advance for you help.

Connie

[TerryB]

Connie,
Why are you treating with copper, do you see spots? Copper will not cure gill flukes. You can add formalin to copper but never put formalin in your tank. It should only be used in a dip.
Terry B

[Flameangel]

Thank you for your response. I will start the three dips tonight.

The LFS manager told me he had had whitespot and they had him in copper. He did have two small white spots. I had thought about doing only garlic but became concerned as the itching got worse. The fish then got a little dar/dusty patch on the top of his head that started to spread to his fin. I thought it could be velvet, (I had had a fish with this before). I also thought it could be related to his scratching, so to be careful, I started the copper. The dark area has gone away.

That is what is now leading me to assume that he must have gill flukes.

I am unsure how quickly these flukes spread from host to host.........Do I need to dip the neon goby at the same time?

Thanks,
Connie