Treated tank for Camallanus Worm outbreak, after treatment Krib still wont eat help.

[2epicfish]

Hi im new to the forum and I've made a account as im trying all i can to remedy the situation as best i can and any advice would be great.

Basically, over the last 6 months and lockdowns, i got back into fishkeeping. Everything was going very well i had a happy 130 litre/35 US gallon tank with black neon tetras, kribensis and amano shrimp.
About 3 weeks ago i had one of my female krib start acting weird, was hiding all the time and not eating. Then she started to have weird white poop, rapid breathing and within a day of being moved to a isolation tank died. At the time i didnt see it but my housemate mentioned red things coming out of her anus which i should really have made note of as it got worse as soon after my other female krib started acting the same way.

This time, i actually saw what my housemate could see and sure enough it was (as far as i know to 90% certainty) classic Camallanus Worms hanging out of her. She died after trying all the parasite/salt i could but thankfully i had some levamisole on the way and treated my tank as soon as it arrived. Well i followed the instructions and did probably a 70% water change afterwards and while im a few fish down i hoped id be on the way to ending this issue.
Well for the last 3 days since i did the water change to remove the medication, i havent seen my single remaining male krib eat once. Maybe he eats when im not looking but once food sunk to the bottom he used to go crazy for it now he ignores it, seems a bit shy and ive noticed he sometimes gulps at times (although no where near as bad the as dying females). Ive put some salt in the tank to help with recovery but its only him not eating im not sure what else i can do?


Any solutions? Was the levamisole i got useless, its hard to get in the UK. Tank parameters seemed fine. I really like him i dont want him to die as well. Thanks.

 

[Sgooosh]

maybe get some really tasty food?

 

[mbsqw1d]

Try soaking food in Seachem's garlic guard

 

[Lajos_Detari]

I think by right Levamisole should work for internal worms.
Treating fish for disease is not easy as I explained below:

Take note of a few things:
1)How long did you treat the fish?
2)Sometimes there are multiple infections and not just one.
There could be gill flukes that caused the fish to have rapid breathing.
There could also be internal bacteria infection besides the internal worms.
3)If you treat the fish too late, you might not be able to save it.
4)Some medications are no longer effective due to being overused. And the worms or parasites may have built immunity to the medications.
There are other medications such as Flubendazole, Praziquantel, etc.

Prevention is always better than cure. And it can cost you a lot to treat the fish.
And with the fish stores that keep changing and adding new fish to their tanks, the risks are high.

I listed some info for you:

SimplyDiscus.com: Tapeworm Experience by Al Sabetta

I recently bought enough Praziquantel to treat all my fish in the fishroom. I have not done this before, except when I first get the fish in or if they are sick. I was interested to see how many of my fish had tapeworms or other worms they would pass.

www.simplydiscus.com

SimplyDiscus.com: Emaciated Discus and Capillaria Worms by Ardan Huck

When a fish exhibits signs of emaciation, (i.e. caved in sides, eyes sunken in) it is possibly being starved by intestinal flagellates (a protozoa such as Spironucleus or Hexamita) or intestinal worms (tapeworm, nematode, capillaria, oxyuridia).

www.simplydiscus.com

Metro Discus Medication (metronidazole) - Wattley Discus

Learn how to use Metro Discus Fish Medication to treat internal parasites (Hexamita). If your discus are having symptoms Metro and this article will help.

wattleydiscus.com

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085TQ75Z5/?tag=ff0d01-20

 

[2epicfish]

Try soaking food in Seachem's garlic guard

I'll give that a go thanks.

 

[2epicfish]

I think by right Levamisole should work for internal worms.
Treating fish for disease is not easy as I explained below:

Take note of a few things:
1)How long did you treat the fish?
2)Sometimes there are multiple infections and not just one.
There could be gill flukes that caused the fish to have rapid breathing.
There could also be internal bacteria infection besides the internal worms.
3)If you treat the fish too late, you might not be able to save it.
4)Some medications are no longer effective due to being overused. And the worms or parasites may have built immunity to the medications.
There are other medications such as Flubendazole, Praziquantel, etc.

Prevention is always better than cure. And it can cost you a lot to treat the fish.
And with the fish stores that keep changing and adding new fish to their tanks, the risks are high.

I listed some info for you:

SimplyDiscus.com: Tapeworm Experience by Al Sabetta

I recently bought enough Praziquantel to treat all my fish in the fishroom. I have not done this before, except when I first get the fish in or if they are sick. I was interested to see how many of my fish had tapeworms or other worms they would pass.

www.simplydiscus.com

SimplyDiscus.com: Emaciated Discus and Capillaria Worms by Ardan Huck

When a fish exhibits signs of emaciation, (i.e. caved in sides, eyes sunken in) it is possibly being starved by intestinal flagellates (a protozoa such as Spironucleus or Hexamita) or intestinal worms (tapeworm, nematode, capillaria, oxyuridia).

www.simplydiscus.com

Metro Discus Medication (metronidazole) - Wattley Discus

Learn how to use Metro Discus Fish Medication to treat internal parasites (Hexamita). If your discus are having symptoms Metro and this article will help.

wattleydiscus.com

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085TQ75Z5/?tag=ff0d01-20

I left it in the tank for 3 days, i heard from others who had treated camallanus worms that makes the medication more effective. Then I did the large water change. I was going to repeat it again in a week or so (it recommends to do so on the instructions).

I did try some anti bacterial in the tank alongside salt before i tried levamisole. Cant see anything wrong with his gills, they would be red right for flukes?

Not sure if i can get Flubendazole or Praziquantel easily in the UK without a vet, only product i could find with levamisole was 'NDX Parasitic Nematodes Treatment'. Haven't add any new fish since end of december (and it was the current krib i still have left thats not eating). I have no idea how the parasite got in the tank honestly.

I have a 8 gallon tank i could use for treating fish if i need to.

 

[Lajos_Detari]

3 days is too short.
You need to treat for at least 1-2 weeks continuosly.
The eggs of the worms won't hatch immediately.
And when the worms or parasites are in eggs/cysts form, no medication can kill them.
The medication can only kill the swimming worms or parasites.
By the way, did you read the links tht I posted especially the one by Wattley Discus?

Check this link

Metro Discus Medication (metronidazole) - Wattley Discus

Learn how to use Metro Discus Fish Medication to treat internal parasites (Hexamita). If your discus are having symptoms Metro and this article will help.

wattleydiscus.com

Btw, API General cure contains Metrodinazole and Praziquantel.
Anyway, you can continue Levamisole for longer period first.

"API® | GENERAL CURE™" https://apifishcare.com/product/general-cure

 

[2epicfish]

3 days is too short.
You need to treat for at least 1-2 weeks continuosly.
The eggs of the worms won't hatch immediately.
And when the worms or parasites are in eggs/cysts form, no medication can kill them.
The medication can only kill the swimming worms or parasites.
By the way, did you read the links tht I posted especially the one by Wattley Discus?

Check this link

Metro Discus Medication (metronidazole) - Wattley Discus

Learn how to use Metro Discus Fish Medication to treat internal parasites (Hexamita). If your discus are having symptoms Metro and this article will help.

wattleydiscus.com

Btw, API General cure contains Metrodinazole and Praziquantel.
Anyway, you can continue Levamisole for longer period first.

"API® | GENERAL CURE™" https://apifishcare.com/product/general-cure

3 days is too short? for what medication? the levamisole? the instructions said to leave it in for 24 hrs then do a 50% water change after 24hrs, and repeat the medication 14 days later. I left it in for much longer (3 days) per reading it was more effective.

 

[Colin_T]

Read section 3 of the following link for treating intestinal worms in fish.

What to do if your fish has Stringy White Poop.

Fish do a stringy white poop for several reasons. 1) Internal Bacterial Infections causes the fish to stop eating, swell up like a balloon, breath heavily at the surface or near a filter outlet, do stringy white poop, and die within 24-48 hours of showing these symptoms. This cannot normally be...

www.fishforums.net

 

[jonny-5]

Flubendazole is available in the U.K
Add to tank once a week for 4 weeks, Easy to use & dose
NT Labs Anti Fluke & Wormer

It will kill Snails, I learned that after dosing ?

 

[jonny-5]

Yes it does state on instructions "Will kill Snails" but who reads instructions ?
............Me now obviously ?

 

[Essjay]

For UK members:

Levamisole - eSHa ndx
Praziquantel - eSHa gdex
Flubendazole - NT Labs Anti Fluke & Wormer; AquaCare Anti Fluke & Wormer (Maidenhead Aquatics own brand) and Wormer Plus (powder).

 

[2epicfish]

Flubendazole is available in the U.K
Add to tank once a week for 4 weeks, Easy to use & dose
NT Labs Anti Fluke & Wormer

It will kill Snails, I learned that after dosing ?

Oh thanks i might try that, think i should add it to the main tank or isolate him in the hospital tank i have? I was going to repeat the original treatment this weekend anyway.

 

[2epicfish]

For UK members:

Levamisole - eSHa ndx
Praziquantel - eSHa gdex
Flubendazole - NT Labs Anti Fluke & Wormer; AquaCare Anti Fluke & Wormer (Maidenhead Aquatics own brand) and Wormer Plus (powder).

Thanks.

Would it be safe to give them all a try? I have already tried eSHa ndx for Levamisole.

He still isnt eating today from what i can tell.

 

[jonny-5]

Dont use both treatments together.
I would add it to the main tank, if 1 fish has it, Chances are they all have it