[vaporize]

Originally Posted by leebca

Both of the above affect the fish's gills and cause the fish to suddenly 'dash' and/or to 'scratch' (known as flashing) against tank decor/LR, and/or wag their heads, etc.

There are other conditions that affect the gills and can produce similar symptoms, like flukes, parasites, worms, etc.

Lee, how to treat "flukes, parasites, worms", any one-stop-treatment that I can use on a reef tank display?

[leebca]

It's a little like asking, "How much does a car cost?"

These groups of organisms come with their own set of medications that work specifically on them. There are some generalities, but for the most part, the organisms that would attached to gills will need treatment in a hospital tank.

I moved your post into a new thread.

[vaporize]

hmmm that's tricky, because some of my fish in my reef display do the scratch gill thing from time to time, but otherwise they still live normally and no visual signs of any kind (except scratch against rocks on the gills). One pair of clowns are even spawning constantly.

Are there anyways to determine what I am dealing with (flakes, parasite, gills) without sending it to the labs?

[leebca]

Keep in mind that some flashing is not abnormal. I'm trying to remember my 'handle' on it. . .

If the fish flashes less than once per hour of constant monitoring, it isn't a concern. If the fish flashes more than once per 10 minutes, there is a concern. In between is a grey area.

The grey area is often caused by water quality. When water is slightly wrong for the fish, one of the first organs to be affected is the gills. For instance, I've seen young Clown Tangs flash when the water quality is a bit off. Return the water to the proper quality and hold it steady, and the Tang stops flashing.