FW Anthelminthics F

FAQs on Freshwater Anthelminthics: Anti-Parasitic Worm Medications, Use

Camallanus worms and Flubendazole question 7/25/19
Hi Crew, :)
<Hello Kate,>
I have a 130 litre tank with 3 adult platies, 12 2 month old platies and about 40 1 month old platy fry. Recently lost 3 adult platies to wasting - assume as a result of Camallanus worms.
<Could be, but farmed livebearers are, I believe, prone to wasting. Whether it's exposure to worms on the fish farm, or latent Mycobacteria or even viral infections, I cannot say. It's often the same process though: loses weight, shimmying, off-white colouration on the body, and eventually death. I'm going to further suggest that the environment is often a causative factor because you often see so-called 'wasting disease' in tanks that aren't quite right for the livebearers in question. High nitrate levels (anything above 20 mg/l) seems to be one major factor, and I'd place farmed or fancy livebearers in the same nitrate-sensitive category as cichlids. So while most community catfish and characins will handle skipped water changes without problems provided nitrite and ammonia are zero, extended gaps between water changes do seem stressful to livebearers. Other factors include, of course, water chemistry (hard and alkaline for most livebearers) and with Platies and Swordtails especially, high temperatures. Platies are subtropical to tropical depending on the species, Variatus doing best at 18 C/64 F, while fancy Platies, which are mostly Common Platyfish genetically, should be kept around 22-25 C/72-77 F, with the lower end of that range being best. Continual exposure to high temperatures will dramatically shorten their lives, especially if oxygen is low. I mention this because -- as you realise, I'm sure -- the UK is basking in extreme heat, well above what Platies would enjoy. Increase aeration and/or floating blocks of ice can be useful.>
I also have 10 neon and cardinal tetras in the tank who seem well and healthy. The tank has enough filtration for about 300 litres. Shrimp and zebra snails were moved to a second tank for now.
<Sounds good.>
My diagnosis of Camallanus worms is based in the red thread-like worms protruding from one of the adult platy’s vent.
<Good call.>
I assume the others have it, too,
<Almost certainly true, but likely true for most farmed livebearers.>
so I have treated the whole tank with Flubendazole 48 hours ago and a small amount of Epsom salt to ease passing the worms.
My questions are as follows:
1. As far as I can tell, the worms are still visible protruding from the adult platy’s vent. Is this normal after 48 hours of Flubendazole? Should I try something else?
<Multiple attempts are often required, with a decent (say, 50%) water change before the second set of doses. Do also remember to remove carbon from the filter, if used. If after 3-4 rounds the worms are still present, switching to an alternative medication may be necessary, the worms being resistant to the drug used.>
2. Also, some pest snails appear alive and well. I understand the Flubendazole is toxic to snails, so is it normal the pest snails are unaffected?
<Does depend on the snails. Might also indicate the dosage was wrong (too low) or carbon was used in the filter (removing the medication so quickly it didn't do anything).>
3. Finally, one of the 2 month old fry, who is very small for his age, has a 3 mm long thick white wormlike thing permanently protruding from his vent.
<Oops!>
It’s perpendicular to his belly and definitely not poop. It (the white thing) appears permanent day to day, growing week to week. What could it be? A nematode? If so, why is the Flubendazole not affecting it? Should I try something else?
<Might well be infected with worms, but could be something else, even a prolapse.>
I have attached a bad picture of the fry. Sorry it’s so low quality. Very hard to photograph the fry.
<Understood, and alas, the image isn't clear enough to be useful.>
Many thanks,
Kate from the UK
<Hope this helps, Neale.>

Re: Camallanus worms and Flubendazole question 7/26/19
Hi Neale,
Many thanks for your reply. Very much appreciated. I have to say I’m 150% impressed with the quality of information on your site and of the advice. I have an environmental science degree and I find the information available on many other fish forums very ‘anecdotal’ and low quality. So thank you!
<Most welcome, and thanks for kind words.>
About the environmental factors in the tanks, The ammonia and nitrites are 0, nitrates are 10. GH and KH is around 13 deg (I have naturally hard tap water). PH is around 7.5. So that should be both hard and alkaline - ok for platies, right? Or does this need adjusting?
<Nope, sounds fine. But if you struggle with livebearers, adding a little non-iodised salt, maybe 2-3 gram/litre, can help.>
About the temperature - normally I keep it at 24 C. Assume that’s ok based on your description?
<Yep. Unless you have Variatus Platies or some 'breed' based largely on them.>
Yes, we have a heat wave at the moment tank temp is up to 27 C during the day... I keep putting ice blocks in the tank, although that only lowers the temp by 1 degree C.
<Overall, yes, but the fish will swim in and out of the cold water sinking down from the ice block if they want to, so the effect is rather better than you might think.>
Is there any more efficient way of lowering the tank temperature for large (130 litre) tanks? Do I just need *a lot more* ice blocks?
<Increasing evaporation will help, i.e., opening the tank and placing a fan nearby to blow air across the water. Keep things safe though, and don't put the fan somewhere it could fall into the tank! Don't do this if you have 'jumpy' fish though. If the tank receives direct sunlight, that can cause real problems, so avoid that by drawing curtains or even placing foil on the surface of the tank exposed to the light.>
Thanks for advice on anti-worm drug. I’ll do 4-5 more weekly treatments with the Flubendazole. What other anti-worm drugs (active ingredient) would you recommend if this doesn’t work?
< Medications that treat worms include Levamisole, Piperazine, Praziquantel, Fenbendazole and flubendazole. Of these, only Praziquantel and flubendazole are available as over-the-counter medications in the UK.>
Also, if I do a mid-week water change, do I have to redose with the Flubendazole? Or just once a week is enough regardless of how many water changes in between?
<As a rule, wait 24 hours after adding medicine before doing a water change, and then dose as per the whole tank, not just the new water, when you need to add more medicine. Why? Because after 24 hours the chances are good that most, if not all, of the medicine will have been absorbed and/or broken down by the biological filter. The exception here is where inorganic chemicals, such as aquarium salt or Epsom salt, are used.>
Finally, the white growth on the fry is probably a prolapse. I have read up about it on you wonderful site. I take it there is no treatment? I intend to let him live out his natural life as long as not suffering. Is this what you recommend? Or some other action I can take?
<In theory, a prolapse will heal itself in time. There's nothing you can really do about the prolapse itself, but if the cause is a parasite load, then treating for the parasites will speed things along. If worms are the issue here, then you should see some recovery as you medicate for the other fish in the tank.>
Many thanks and kind regards,
Kate
<And to you, too. Cheers, Neale.>

Have treated for Camallanus but still have signs 12/12/16
HI crew, I am very frustrated one of my platys presented with obvious Camallanus worms, red protruding worms that went in and out. I treated with Levamisole, the worms dropped quickly, for the stated amount of time then one week later and then two weeks after that. My platys were still pooping white stringy poop on and off in their poop and I was noticing floating poop as well. I did the treatment again seeing as how I was still seeing symptoms. As of now I am still having the same problem. My LFS said to treat again since I am still seeing symptoms, i.e. the poop, should I do this, or should I be doing something else, could it be something new?
<I too suggest another treatment>
Thank you in advance for your help. Jenny
<Glad to assist you. Bob Fenner>
Re: Have treated for Camallanus but still have signs 12/13/16
Sorry to bother you again.
<Not a bother>
I am supposed to do my last Levamisole treatment of this treatment cycle on Friday, this is actually my third try. However, one of my platys has ich now, I spotted it yesterday. I got the tank temp up to 84.5 (high as it'll go) but now I am unsure on how to proceed. I know I need salt, but I also need to do the Levamisole.
<The temperature alone will cure the Ich; I would leave out the salt, add the Levamisole. Bob Fenner>

Fenbendazole Dosage Clarification (/ non-cysted intestinal nematodes) 12/12/16
Hello Team,
<Joe>
Dr. Fenner
<Just Bob please. I have no doctorate>
gave someone a dosage for Fenbendazole a while back for deworming. He said when feeding the medication directly to dose "50 mg/kg ( 23 mg/pound) of body weight once/week for 2 weeks." I was wondering if that included a third and final dosage at the end of the two weeks. I believe his reference was Edward J Noga's "Fish Disease: Diagnosis and Treatment."
<Am looking at/up the stmt. in Noga's second ed. and see the ref. to the second recorded trtmt. regimen. My take is that there are a total of just two (2) administrations here. I'd like to cite the first regimen listed (accorded to Gratzek and Blasiola 1992) of feeding 25 mg/kg for three days (every day, once) instead... resulting in the same dosage (1% of body weight per day)>
Thank you!
-Joe
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>

I accidentally left the frozen Praziquantel food out of the freezer for an hour...is it still usable, or should I toss it? 8/24/15
<Still fine. B>

Rosy Barb stringy droppings again (and weird male guppies) 7/28/15
Hi Crew! I've had some adventures in my aquariums since I last wrote, either the new beacon tetras, or the guppies I got a bit later (or perhaps some plant-borne copepods) brought in Camallanus worms which I did not notice during quarantine. It probably would have gotten a lot worse if not for one of the guppy fry getting infested. Because she was so small the worms became obvious a lot sooner, so I was able to treat the fish sooner.
I knew what I was seeing straight away thanks to info I'd read on Wet Web Media. Praziquantel had no effect on its own, but I had success with Levamisole.
<Correct. Prazi is rather less effective than people think.>
All the beacon tetras and all the female guppies shed dead worms, although sadly the guppy fry was too small and weakened to pass the worms and didn't survive. I saw no further sign of infestation even after the second dose a
couple of weeks later. To my surprise, throughout the infestation the rosy barbs never showed signs that they had worms, and never shed any dead ones while everyone else was passing them. I would have thought they would
easily get infected due to their habits of eating anything off the bottom of the tank and taste testing every dropping in
case it's food in disguise.
<Fish are believed to be able to develop some resistance to parasites, including worms.>
Anyway it has been a couple of weeks since the last worming and the affected fish are looking much better. However this week I noticed a couple of the smaller rosy barbs with long white streamers of droppings, much like
what caused me to write my original email. It's been a long time since I've seen the rosy barbs with this issue and I had thought whatever the cause, it had long passed by itself.
This time I was better prepared, and the streamers were longer and easier to catch than last time. I'd bought myself a student microscope during the Camallanus incident, very handy to identify a pink worm I had found in my
snail tank as being a ribbon worm, not a Camallanus worm. So tonight I had some fun searching through the stringy poo looking for anything suspicious.
Once out of the bright lighting of the tank, the droppings do appear to be coloured not white, but they seem to be coated in mucous. Mostly it looks like plant matter with the occasional piece of insect-like particle, which
I am guessing might be pieces of brine shrimp, but in a piece that was mostly mucous I spotted something moving. It looks very much like something wiggling inside an egg. By eye I thought I saw eyespots, but then I wasn't sure any more. Even zoomed in to x100 it's very hard to work out what is what, but I took a picture (see attached) and managed to take a couple of videos, one in focus where the critter doesn't move much, and one where I was trying to adjust the focus and lighting, which makes for an awful video, but the critter moves a lot more so maybe its easier to get an idea of what shape it is (this video gets a bit better at the end).
https://www.youtube.com/v/fZ9F2_KeypM&vq=hd720
https://www.youtube.com/v/m07g3xHKV9U&vq=hd720
Any idea if this fellow or more likely, its parent, could be the cause of the stringy poo in some of the rosy barbs? Whatever it is, it's survived the two courses of Levamisole dosing (and I was soaking the food as well as treating the tank water). If it's something that doesn't belong in the gut
of a fish, how do I treat it?
<The multiple eyes are curious, and suggest to me a Platyhelminth of some sort. I don't see any hooks (typically seen among Cestoda) or suckers (Digenea, Monogenea). So some sort of Trematoda seems probable to me. But really, this is something you need to show a parasitologist. Multiple rounds of anti-helminthic drugs should fix the problem, but at the same time, if the fish are otherwise healthy, you might not need to worry about.
It's probably pretty common for wild-caught fish to have low level parasite infections, and if other environmental and dietary parameters are good, these parasites cause no harm.>
Now, on to the guppies. After 4 + 6 + 11 + 13 guppy fry I have separated the females from the males; I have ended up with 3 female and 8 male adult guppies so the poor females needed some respite. They aren't fancy guppies, they are feral guppies collected from waterways around Darwin, NT and have reverted to a mostly wild look after surviving predation from the local gudgeons, grunters and Pest Management Department.
<Sounds like lovely fish, and I'm glad you could provide a nice home for them.>
Anyway, since the females have been removed, some of the male guppies have taken to shooting up and down from the bottom to the surface in the corners of the tank. I had thought they were evading each other or perhaps the
larger fish, but after watching it doesn't seem like they are reacting to a threat inside the tank. Any idea why they're behaving like this? Perhaps looking for an adjacent tank full of females to leap in to?
<Seems sensible... finding ways to move to somewhere with female fish. I have some surplus male Limia (a close relation to Poecilia) in a catfish tank and they often exhibit this sort of behaviour.>
My tank is fully covered so I'm not worried that I'll lose any, but I am worried that they're acting a bit demented compared to usual. Is this behaviour indicative that something could be wrong? Or are they just confused by the corner and can't work out where to go?
<Well, yes, Guppies are pretty stupid.>
Thanks once again for providing such a great resource and so much good advice.
Cheers,
Bronwen
<Thanks for the kind words. Neale.>

Cycle lost fish still need treatment, FW Anthelminthics 3/20/13
First, thanks again for all of the shared information on your site, and your personal attention to my questions. This will probably be my last question due to the seriousness of my problems. As I've stated in previous questions, I have a 26 gallon tank which currently has 3 very young( raised from fry) platys, two Cory catfish, one red wag platy( mommy to the three young), and three tequila sunrise guppies.
<Tank size is good, and the variety of fish you chosen should be okay, assuming medium hard, slightly alkaline water. Neither Platies nor Guppies will do well in soft water, so do check your water chemistry.>
Unfortunately, I've lost 5 platy with what I now know are Camallanus worms. I tried to find the Prazi medication recommended but PetSmart was out of it, or any of the medications for internal parasites that you stated have been successful for this type of infestation but they had SafeGuard dog wormer and with time against me I tried it.
<Has been done this way, using dog medications, but not a fan… dosing correctly is complicated.>
I had just prior to this, cured Popeye and the fish were doing better already after a Maracyn and Maracyn 2 treatment so I was cautiously optimistic. Now I have ruined my cycle with medication and my Corys are acting almost dead and my young Platys are looking like they are shimmying. Did a very large water change, a complete substrate vacuuming and added SafeStart, Prime and a small amount of aquarium salt. Even after 70 percent water change I still have a small amount of ammonia, probably really high because the fish weren't eating the medicated brine shrimp concoction and a lot of it was under the tank decor when I took it all out this morning. I added Ammoniasafe hoping this helps till I am able to re-establish my cycle but I am wondering if I should wait before treating my tank with Levamisole HCL until my water issues subside because I am afraid everyday I wait is everyday they are closer to dying from the worms!
<Indeed…>
Would a couple of days of water changes make a difference and give them a better shot for withstanding the medication and will my tank recycling be affected?
<Worming medications should have little/no impact on the filter cycling process. However, the Maracyn drugs may, as will any antibiotic or antibacterial medication. Normally, if used correctly these medications are "safe" but if your biological filter is still not firmly established, there may be problems.>
I have read it won't affect the bio filter but, they are talking about established cycles.
<Quite so.>
My plan is to treat my 26 gallon with 1/4 teaspoon dissolved in tank water since they are a bit weak. If this doesn't work I am at a loss and will probably choose clove oil and the freezer to end their suffering.
<No need to freeze fish; 30 drops of clove oil in 1 litre of aquarium water makes a very effective killing bath… sedates any immersed small fish very quickly, and left for 20, 30 minutes the fish will be dead.>
These worms are a beginners nightmare but I don't want to give up on them if you think they have a chance. I just am sick that they are suffering after all the time I spent to do a fish-less cycle to prevent this very thing. Thanks for your input, and if this is it, for all of the time you spent helping me and my fish.
<I'd tend to skip livebearers if you can't get healthy stock. In the US especially Camallanus worms seem very widespread in the trade, especially at the "big box" type pet-store outlets. In any case, there are many easier species that make good beginner's fish… X-Ray Tetras and Cherry Barbs both spring to mind, as well as the usual two Danio species, Zebras and Pearls. In the short term, feed the fish very little, a tiny pinch every 2-3 days, and I'd use a nitrite (not nitrate) test kit rather than an ammonia test kit because ammonia readings can be confusing thanks to what happens when tap water ammonia and chloramine are safely neutralised by your water conditioner. Cycling with a few, hardy fish (like Peppered Corydoras or Zebra Danios) shouldn't take much more than a month, and likely less so given your tank has been running a while. Don't add ANY new fish until the cycling process is done. If fish die, don't replace. Use the minimum medication, ideally things like salt (for Whitespot) rather than more aggressive medications that may harm the bacteria. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Cycle lost fish still need treatment 3/23/13
Thanks so much Neale! I have one more question. Since I last wrote you I treated with the Levamisole HCl and have done a 75 percent water change to correct the ammonia and remove the first round of medication because as I had written, I lost my cycle due to the antibiotics prior to realizing my problem was Camallanus worms even though the antibiotics had all of my fish feeling and acting better. Since the wormer though, I have lost a young Platy and one of my peppered Cory's is laying in one of my artificial plants upside down and breathing heavy, another large Platy has clamped fins along with another young Platy. The three guppies are like tanks and swimming and eating fine along with one of the young guppies. My other peppered Cory acts very lethargic and not eating. I'm devastated and don't know what to do. Do I try another round of Maracyn 2 even though it ruins my already unstable cycle because aquarium salt isn't helping, and if I do, should I removed the filters, bio filter grids and can I place them in a large bag full of tank water with some food to keep the good bacteria alive until I'm done medicating? Do I just consider these poor fish past the point of no return and end their suffering? Also, these filters have been in during the worming process so should I throw them out and risk losing what little cycling bacteria they provide? Lastly if the guppies do okay and make it to round two and three of treatment with the Levamisole HCl, how do I clean the tank thoroughly to make sure I eradicate the worm eggs?
I am trying to keep as much cycling material in tact in my tank. I've read till my eyes hurt and there are so many conflicting suggestions from people that claim to have been successful but none of it addresses what to do with the filters. I have the drop in Aqueon, hanging filters. Is three treatments enough to make them safe without cleaning it and ruining the good bacteria? I have a migraine from reading and I'm scared to make a move without your input. Thanks again so much.
<To be honest, I'd treat the ammonia as the primary issue, and any worm infections as secondary ones. In other words, do frequent water changes to dilute the ammonia. I'd be looking at 25-50% per day. Don't feed at all.
Don't medicate at all, except possibly adding 1-2 gram salt/litre of water (about 0.3 oz/US gal) to help treat any external infections (like Whitespot) as well as for any slight supportive role that a touch of salt has when fish are stressed. At this point it may well be that some fish are goners, though I hope not, so I'd tend to focus on the big picture -- the filter and its bacteria. Keeping ammonia below 0.5 mg/l will go a LONG way towards improving the health of your fish, and if you have non-zero ammonia levels in the tank, it's more than likely the fish are being killed (or at least weakened) by that, and that any parasites are secondary and opportunistic. Do also remember to remove any carbon from the filter -- this will remove any medications (except salt) and make treating fish futile. It's quite a common mistake this, especially with filters that have filter medium modules. In any case, only once the tank has been running 4-6 weeks would I even think about medicating. Good luck, Neale.>

Camallanus, Fenbendazole 10/23/10
Hello,
And thank you for taking the time to review this inquiry. I have recently found these parasites protruding from the vent of a inch and a half Platy.
I think he has been suffering from this for awhile now, as I have noticed a slight color change over the last month.(slightly reddish orange behind his lower fins, around his tummy) The parasite recently showed up in his vent in the last two weeks. At first I just thought it was some fin coloring because it protruded to the same length as his fins. Two days ago though, he was passing a significant bowel movement when I saw more than one protruding at different lengths. For treatment I've decided to go with the Fenbendazole as safeguard dewormer 222mg/g However, all the sites I've visited vary greatly on the dosage. So will you please help?
<For long-term immersion (in the tank water treatment), 2 mg/l (7.6 mg/gal), once/week for three weeks. For feed 50 mg/kg ( 23 mg/pound) of body weight once/week for 2 weeks...>
This is what I have so far. 10 gal. 4 real plants, and a piece of driftwood. One 1 1/2" Platy, One 2" swordtail, One 2" Dwarf Gourami, One Mollie, and one 1" Oto. I also just introduced a 2 1/2" bamboo shrimp.
<I'd remove these during treatment>
I usually feed the every night little I have a Aqueon rear hanging filter that came with the tank, I have a 50 watt heater that usually maintains a temp of about 77 degrees F. I have a fifteen watt light that they usually have on about 12 hours of a day. I add 1 1/2 tsp of aquarium salt for every 2.5 gal. of tank water I change, as well as 1/4 tsp API Stress Coat+ water conditioner at the same rate. The ph of my water is about 7.2 to 7.4, no ammonia, nitrites, or nitrates.
<No, as in zip, 0.0 ppm of NO3? Unusual>
The KH is about 40-80 ppm and the GH is off the charts as a result of feeding a 7 day feeding pyramid.
<A bunk product. I would NOT use this/these>
I have only done one 25% water change since I got back from vacation a week and a half ago. I was gone for a week. Did a 25% right before I left.
As far as dosing with medication, I have been trying to be cautious. I mixed 2.5 oz of water from the tank with 3 - 1g packets of the Fenbendazole 222mg/g This gave me a slurry of around 9mg/ml (I think). I gave the first dose yesterday at 1:00pm. It consisted of about 1/2 ml mixed into 1/2 of a beef heart cube,
<I wouldn't feed this, beef/heart, to these fishes>
and let in soak for about a half hour. Since the fish were hungry, they ate most of it. The second dose came today at 7:00am. It consisted of 2 ml of slurry with half a beef heart cube, soaked for about a half hour then dumped it all in. They didn't eat as much the second time. I increased the tank temp to 79 and shut off the lights since yesterday. the Platy has been slow and shy since the first dosage. Hiding at the bottom or top of the tank staying stationary in the dark spots. the other fish seem okay though slightly agitated. In the past month I have noticed the following behavioral changes.(in case they are relative to this situation)The molly was flashing a bit before the first treatment. (she is not doing it now)
The swordtail has become aggressive toward my Gourami. (there are plenty of places to hide) The Gouramis pectoral fins have disintegrated at the ends and have grown back (although thin) I did have one Oto die last month.
<They can perish quite easily... esp. in small volumes as yours>
His only symptoms I noticed was lethargy. I had him a couple of weeks. I only feed them flake food with the rest of the fish. I think he starved, even though there was noticeable brown algae accumulating on the glass near the rock line.
<Might well be unpalatable>
I have since started supplementing the other Otos diet with blanched zucchini. The slurry has remained refrigerated since it was mixed yesterday.
Any thing I should change as far as water chemistry is concerned How long do you think can I reuse the refrigerated slurry?
<Long enough... next week>
Should I increase the dosages?
<I would not>
If so, At what rate, and to what end?
<Depends more on the strength, concentration of the stock material you're using>
Should I feed them in between dosages?
<Yes>
Do I remove my carbon filter the whole medication time?
<Not if the med. is being administered via food/feeding>
If so, when do I put it back in?
Do I ad Epsom salts as a laxative at a rate of 1tsp per gallon?
<Can, but not this... Read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/SaltUseFWArtNeale.htm
If so, when?
Sometimes I have heard you need to treat with antibiotics also. Do you recommend this practice?
<Not here, no>
I do have a new 20 gallon tank that I want to cycle for when I feel as if all these fish are healthy enough to move to it for display. Then I can have a 10g med/quarantine tank. I wanted to use an old filter or some gravel from my current ten gallon tank to seed the new tank with nitrifying bacteria, but now I'm afraid that I may taint my new tank with parasites.
Thank you for your time in advance. Any help would be extremely helpful!
Sincerely, Cody
<I would try Prazi... if the Fenbendazole doesn't do the job here. Please read: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/nematodesfwf.htm
Bob Fenner>
Re: Camallanus - 10/29/10
Okay, thanks for that help. Now I have another problem. I got home yesterday and noticed that my dwarf Gourami has developed pop eye in his left eye. Could be a injury.
<Very likely if just one eye has "popped". Can heal given time and good water conditions; Epsom salt also helps significantly; I'd also use antibiotics but I know others don't feel that's strictly necessary. Do read: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/fwpopeyefaqs.htm >
My swordtail and my Gourami have been picking on each other. (mainly the swordtail picking on the Gourami) anyway, that problem has since stopped after the Gourami had a bunch of scales missing from his head and a slight damage to his slime coat also had nipped and split fins (he got the worst of it) the sword just had one small spot on his tail fin.
<Male swordtails can be extremely aggressive, especially in small tanks; if they're fighting, they probably won't stop doing so, and the weaker one won't heal properly, if at all. Consider separating them.>
It has since dissolved and eaten away the damaged part of his tail...SOOoo it almost looks like fin rot..
<Yes, very likely so; will need medicating anti-Finrot.>
Could all this be an underlying infection caused by the Camallanus?
<No.>
I still haven't finished treatment for that. My water is really hard from a feeding pyramid I gave them when I was gone.
<Don't ever use these. Fish can go 2, 3 weeks without food and not come to the slightest harm. Indeed, it's by far the best way to handle fish in your absence.>
water changes haven't seemed to help reduce it yet. I do a gravel vac/ 25%water change every week.. My carbonate hardness is very low... According to my test strips it is at 0-20 ppm.
<Yes, is low, too low for livebearers such as Swordtails, I'd wager.>
My general hardness is 180 ppm. My ph right now is neutral to slightly acidic.
<Which Swordtails don't like; look out for signs of Fungus or Finrot.>
When the KH is higher the ph usually stays around 7.2-7.4. No ammonia No nitrites and little to no nitrates. I plan on getting another liquid PH test kit to day so I can slowly bring up the KH without causing stress to the fish.
<Baking soda in small amounts, about one-quarter to one-half a level teaspoon per 5 US gallons should raise carbonate hardness. Don't add to the aquarium, but add an appropriate amount to each bucket of new water during water changes. That way you'll slowly fix water conditions.>
I have no hospital/quarantine tanks, so all I can do to isolate fish in another bowl of aquarium water or something if I need to. My tap water seems really good, 7.4-7.6 PH, and soft.
<Soft is good for some fish, bad for others.>
I always treat it with the appropriate amount of API stress coat+fish and tap water conditioner for the amount of water I am replacing. As well as matching temperature and adding aquarium salts in the appropriate dose recommended for general tonic and stress reducer for tropical fish. Any ideas?
<Read: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/fwh2oquality.htm
Cheers, Neale.>

Stringy poo mbu 10/17/10
Hiya
My mbu puffer is lively and fine but as soon as he eats he's still and sits at the bottom of the tank.
<Fairly normal in small tanks. In bigger tanks they're much more active.>
450litre tank on his own water parameters all clear ph 7
<Okay.>
I'm guessing it's internal parasites or tape worm? I've started to soak his food in garlic overnight. is that the right thing to do?
<The garlic is neither here nor there. Deworming pufferfish is a good idea. In the UK, that will probably require a call to your local vet, though a few deworming medications are available in some aquarium shops.>
Btw the red dot is a reflection on the pic ^_^
<Cheers, Neale.>

Prazi(quantel) and Spotted Silver Dollars 9/14/10
Hello Crew
A couple of the fish in my community tank has been flashing without any signs of Ich. While I am keeping an eye on things in case its just some water quality issue, I've got Prazi on standby.
Is Prazi safe at "standard" dosage for Spotted Silver Dollars?
Cheers
Tim
<Hello Tim. Why on Earth do you think a deworming medication will somehow cure "flashing"? Let's be clear, flashing either implies the fish is irritated by something in the water, such as ammonia, or else its gills or skin are being irritated by external parasites like Whitespot and Velvet.
Assume the problem is one or other of these and act accordingly. The standard heat/salt method is perfectly safe with characins, and a good way to treat Whitespot in situations where copper- and formalin-based medications wouldn't be appropriate. Praziquantel is safe *and* effective when used at the dosage recommended by your vet given the type and body weight of the fish in question. In the US this medication is available over the counter at some aquarium shops, but as any vet will tell you, used this way there's no guarantees at all that it will be *both* safe *and* effective. Elsewhere in the world Praziquantel is prescription-only, and your vet will tell you precisely how much to use to treat your fish, should you need to do so. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Prazi(quantel) and Spotted Silver Dollars
Hi Neale
<Tim,>
Thanks for your reply.
<Most welcome.>
Seeing that there are no signs of external parasites like Ich or velvet, I thought I should have some Prazi handy in case it was a due to flukes.
<Gill flukes you mean? Pretty rare among aquarium fish, and almost never a major cause of mortality.>
In any case, I am still monitoring the situation, as I did have a nitrate overload for some reason (I do weekly water changes, so I am not sure what caused that spike).
<Far more likely to be the problem here.>
I have reduced the nitrates substantially through water changes over consecutive days) and also used carbon
<Which will of course remove any medications.>
in case there was some toxic material inadvertently introduced, so I am still hoping it may be due to some unknown water quality issue that no longer exists.
<Indeed. Would be my hypothesis too. Do two or three 50% water changes over the next 2-3 days, and then see what happens. Also check water chemistry and temperature are in the favoured zone for the Silver Dollar species being kept. Treating with heat/salt might be worth doing as well, just in case there is Whitespot in the system at a very low intensity, something that is far from uncommon. Since salt/heat has zero impact on fish health and filtration, it's far, FAR preferable to using medications.>
Cheers
Tim

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