Nok, flukes show up right away, not 6 weeks after introduction. The fast breathing start pretty much right away as well. Ich or marine velvet can show up like 4 to 5 weeks later due to the parasites live cycle. This can also cause fast breathing and scratching.
What do you mean he shakes and shakes until the rock fall off? does he scratch itself on the rock? If he scratch his body on the rock or gill on the rock then it is definitly some parasites and must be taken care of as soon as possible. It could also be that the white stuff on the fin is some infection after a bad scratch on the rock?
Any excessive scratching on the rock is not a good sign. A little bit here and there is not necessary sign of parasite, just like us have a little ich here and there. Like once a day or so is not necessary a sign of parasite but 30 time per day scratching on the rock would be a bad sign.
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Originally Posted by jassz
What I was told was that it is almost always strikes newly added fish, and shows up about 6wks after introduction. That also fits. Now someone else has told me it is not likely lymphocystis as it is not at the edge of the fin.  Has anyone seen it before? How could I differentiate it from flukes, or even a bacterial infection?
On the upside, he tried a bit of prawn last night, and has now moved his excavation of the aptisia to the gravel at the bottom. He shakes and shakes until the rocks fall off. I wonder if I could squirt some vitamins on to them?
I should also mention that he has fairly liquidy poo (which the puffer ate  ). But then again, he has a pretty limited diet (the butterfly I mean, not the puffer).
His improved appetite gives me hope. And he doesn't seem at all stressed. Even when I was doing the water change and cleaning the walls of the tank yesterday, he didnt' particularly shy away from me. He seemed rather curious, just like the rest of them. |