Medication queries

[Flowerfairy13]

Hi everyone
I have a few questions on medications that I am struggling to find answers to - hoping someone might be able to help.
I started treating my tank with eSHa 2000 and GDX on Saturday. I dosed as per instructions on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Tomorrow I will do a 50% water change again as per instructions.
If I was to test my water using the API master test kit, will the medications interfere with the readings or will they still be accurate?
Also - I need to treat my tank with -NDeX next. How long after using 2000 and GDX do I need to wait to begin treatment?
Thank you so much in advance!

 

[Lcc86]

I'm not sure if they would interfere with your test results, but if you're doing a big water change anyway then that would help deal with any potential water quality concerns.

You could try contacting the manufacturer/seller to ask about waiting times, I did that recently with a different medication and got a very quick response from the manufacturer.

 

[Colin_T]

What are you treating the fish for?

 

[Flowerfairy13]

I'm not sure if they would interfere with your test results, but if you're doing a big water change anyway then that would help deal with any potential water quality concerns.

You could try contacting the manufacturer/seller to ask about waiting times, I did that recently with a different medication and got a very quick response from the manufacturer.

Thank you so much

 

[Flowerfairy13]

What are you treating the fish for?

Hi Colin, treating for suspected worms and infection. It was one of the suggestions on my last post, I know you had commented on that too. Thanks

 

[Colin_T]

If you are using deworming medications, you dose once a week for 3-4 weeks. The medications kill, stun or paralyze intestinal worms and they let go of the fish's intestine and get pooped out within a few hours of the medication being added. Adding the medication for 3 days in a row isn't going to make this any better or worse. You only need to dose once a week for 3-4 weeks.

You do a big (75-90%) water change and gravel clean the substrate 24-48 hours after treatment. clean the filter too.

Repeat treatment and water changes, gravel cleaning once a week for 3 to 4 weeks. Normally 3 doses (I prefer 4 treatments done once a week) will treat tropical fishes and 4 or 5 doses do cold water fishes in winter. The worm eggs develop slower in cold water, which is why you treat cold water fishes (living in cold water) for longer. If it's warm and the water has a similar temperature to a tropical aquarium, you can treat them for 3-4 treatments as well.

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Deworming medications should not affect test kit readings.

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You can do a couple of big (75-90%) water changes and then switch to the other medication.

You can treat the fish with both medications in the same week but you have to do a lot more water changes. You treat with Levamisole first, wait 24 hours and do a big water change each day for a couple of days. Then treat with Praziquantel, wait 24 hours and do a big water change each day for a couple of days. Then repeat the treatment and water changes each week for 3-4 weeks.

eg:
Sunday - treat fish with Levamisole
Monday - do a 75% water change and gravel clean, and clean the filter.
Tuesday - do a 75% water change and gravel clean
Wednesday - treat fish with Praziquantel
Thursday - do a 75% water change and gravel clean, and clean the filter.
Friday - do a 75% water change and gravel clean
Saturday - do a 75% water change and gravel clean
Sunday - repeat the above process.

 

[Flowerfairy13]

If you are using deworming medications, you dose once a week for 3-4 weeks. The medications kill, stun or paralyze intestinal worms and they let go of the fish's intestine and get pooped out within a few hours of the medication being added. Adding the medication for 3 days in a row isn't going to make this any better or worse. You only need to dose once a week for 3-4 weeks.

You do a big (75-90%) water change and gravel clean the substrate 24-48 hours after treatment. clean the filter too.

Repeat treatment and water changes, gravel cleaning once a week for 3 to 4 weeks. Normally 3 doses (I prefer 4 treatments done once a week) will treat tropical fishes and 4 or 5 doses do cold water fishes in winter. The worm eggs develop slower in cold water, which is why you treat cold water fishes (living in cold water) for longer. If it's warm and the water has a similar temperature to a tropical aquarium, you can treat them for 3-4 treatments as well.

----------------------

Deworming medications should not affect test kit readings.

----------------------

You can do a couple of big (75-90%) water changes and then switch to the other medication.

You can treat the fish with both medications in the same week but you have to do a lot more water changes. You treat with Levamisole first, wait 24 hours and do a big water change each day for a couple of days. Then treat with Praziquantel, wait 24 hours and do a big water change each day for a couple of days. Then repeat the treatment and water changes each week for 3-4 weeks.

eg:
Sunday - treat fish with Levamisole
Monday - do a 75% water change and gravel clean, and clean the filter.
Tuesday - do a 75% water change and gravel clean
Wednesday - treat fish with Praziquantel
Thursday - do a 75% water change and gravel clean, and clean the filter.
Friday - do a 75% water change and gravel clean
Saturday - do a 75% water change and gravel clean
Sunday - repeat the above process.

Hi Colin,

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond I really appreciate it.

So the medications I used were eSHa 2000 and eSHa Gdex. I have attached the instructions for them both but basically both said to treat on day 1, 2 and 3. Then on day 5 do a 50% waterchange.
So would you recommend I still dose next week? I had planned to use Ndx next week and that treatment instruction is much the same, dose for 3 days and then wc after 5 days.

Thank you SO much again.

 

[Colin_T]

Esha 2000 ingredients
eSHa 2000 Composition 1 ml of solution contains: ethacridine lactate 6.3 mg, copper 2+ 3.2 mg, methyl orange 0.26 mg, proflavine 1 mg.

Esha 2000 isn't going to do anything to intestinal worms.
The ethacridine lactate is an antiseptic.
The copper in it will kill external protozoan parasites.
The methyl orange is a pH indicator.
The proflavine will kill gram positive bacteria.

---------------------

Esha GDEX should contain Praziquantel, which treats tapeworm and gill flukes.

Esha NDX contains Levamisole, which treats round/ thread worms. These are the most common intestinal worms found in fish, birds and animals.

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I don't know why the company is saying to use Esha GDEX for 3 days in a row. A single dose of medication is normally adequate to kill or paralyse intestinal worms and gill flukes. The follow up doses done once a week after that are to kill any baby worms that hatch from eggs.

You can follow the directions on the packet but make sure you do a couple of follow up treatments one and two weeks later to kill any baby worms that hatch during that time. Worm eggs are not affected by the medication.

 

[Flowerfairy13]

Esha 2000 ingredients
eSHa 2000 Composition 1 ml of solution contains: ethacridine lactate 6.3 mg, copper 2+ 3.2 mg, methyl orange 0.26 mg, proflavine 1 mg.

Esha 2000 isn't going to do anything to intestinal worms.
The ethacridine lactate is an antiseptic.
The copper in it will kill external protozoan parasites.
The methyl orange is a pH indicator.
The proflavine will kill gram positive bacteria.

---------------------

Esha GDEX should contain Praziquantel, which treats tapeworm and gill flukes.

Esha NDX contains Levamisole, which treats round/ thread worms. These are the most common intestinal worms found in fish, birds and animals.

---------------------

I don't know why the company is saying to use Esha GDEX for 3 days in a row. A single dose of medication is normally adequate to kill or paralyse intestinal worms and gill flukes. The follow up doses done once a week after that are to kill any baby worms that hatch from eggs.

You can follow the directions on the packet but make sure you do a couple of follow up treatments one and two weeks later to kill any baby worms that hatch during that time. Worm eggs are not affected by the medication.

Wow thank you so much Colin! You are super knowledgeable on medications! Thank you so much for your help here. All really good to know!

 

[Essjay]

I had planned to use Ndx next week and that treatment instruction is much the same, dose for 3 days and then wc after 5 days.

The eSHa-ndx leaflet I have a copy of states:
Add on day 1 and do a 50% water change 24 hours later. It adds that in the case of oviporous nematodes, the treatment should be repeated after 14 days.
The ingredients are

Composition/ml Active ingredients: 54 mg Levamisoli hydrochloridum (Levamisole hydrochloride). Other ingredients: 0.85 mg Methylis parahydroxybenzoas, 1.4 mg Natrii metabisulfis, aqua.

(ie levamisole hydrochloride, methyl parahydroxybenzoate, sodium metabisulfite, water)