Fish Lice (argulus)

[Otterdance]

Hi Everyone,

I've found what looks to be a fish louse (argulus) on my blue gourami (in between his head and dorsal fin).
I've only seen one and none of his tanks mates seem to have signs of them.

I've heard that I should either try to remove it with tweezers (sounds hard as he's a small fish) or try a salt bath to shift it.
Are there any medications that you could recommend that are available in the UK?
Any other tips I should take into consideration?

Thanks,

Matt.

 

[Spooky76]

Ewww - sounds a bit grim

I had a read up and removal sounds the best method. Keep the fish moist and pluck it with tweezers

I found this "Chemical treatments recommended to eradicate these parasites are either Dimilin or Paradex. As the parasite is easy to spot with the naked eye, physical removal is suggested before chemical treatment to remove as many as possible from affected area"

However - it does seem to be only Koi that are talked about.....

Can you post a pic ?

 

[The-Wolf]

ok
as one fish has an adult argulus the tank will be infected will the egg/larval stage so it needs to be treated.

remove the louse from the fish with either tweezers or your fingernail
(by gently holding, preferably still in the water, the fish and sliding the louse forwards [ie push it from its' rear] until it becomes clear from the body.
dispose of in the same manner as a cat/dog flea; crush and twist between the thumb/forefinger, then flush or put in bin.

treat the tank with PARAZIN P by Waterlife (found in the pond section of your LFS)
1 tablet will treat 115ltr but the smallest bottle is 20 tablets

1 treatment will be sufficient to kill any eggs/larvae and adults for 6 months, which is plenty in an aquarium
and you shouldn't get any reinfections unless you purchase another infected fish/plant etc

HTH

 

[WILDER]

Fish Lice (QUARANTINE)
Parasitic crustaceans that crawl on the body off Tropical Fish including Goldfish. They pierce the skin and suck blood.
Symptoms: Round flat shells with eight feather-like legs that range from 8mm to 12mm (0.3in to 0.5in) in diameter. Colours vary from light green to brown. Secondary Fungal and/or Bacterial Infections are in occurrence from Lice damage.
Treatment: Easily removable from the fish using a 3% salt dip and tweezers. Treatment for secondary diseases should be considered.

 

[Otterdance]

Thanks for the advice. Tweezer and treatment planned for tonight.

Any idea if the Parazin P will have an adverse effect on clown loaches or a BN Pleco?

 

[The-Wolf]

I've personally used Parazin P with clowns and an L200 (which is less hardy that a bristlenose)
and neither showed any adverse effects from the medication.