Treating Internal Parasites

[SLIM]

Hi everyone i need urgent advice

Let me start at the beginning with some tank stats

TANK
260L filtered by a Fluval 305 Fully cycled using the fishless method.
Planted with cory cats, plecs, tetras, neon rainbowfish angels and pearl gouramis.
Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 20 PH 7.6 Temp 25.5c

About a week n a half ago i noticed one of my angelfish had become very shy latharic and stopped eating.
He hid behind the plants and stayed there all the time
Showed no other symptoms.
No flashing, no spots, no gasping for air, no pinecone effect, no loss of colour, no swollen gills, healthy fins, they look very healthy!
I put him in my hospital tank and treated with Maracyn Two as i believed it was bacterial.
Unfortunately the med had no effect!
I then dosed the hospital tank with salt, 3 teaspoons for 10 gallon approx. I dosed 1st teaspoon of salt on the first day and 2 teaspoons on the 2nd. I also raised the temp to 27.5c
This also had no effect.
Then afew days later i noticed a second angelfish in my main tank showing the exact same symptoms, shyness lathargicness and not eating. Except this fish had an added symptom, he had a tiny bit of brilliant white poo hanging from him which iv never seen before.

So i did a 30% water change in my main tank and a 100% water change in my hospital tank and put him in there with the other sick angelfish.
I still believed it was bacterial as they had no physical symptoms so i went out and bought Interpets Anti Internal Bacteria meds. Iv only been treating for a couple of days but neither of them are showing signs of improvmentend, they still wont eat.
The first angel that fell ill hasnt eaten now for alomost 2 weeks!
Interpets anti internal bacteria contains Bronopol, Formaldeyde and Benzalkonium just so you know.

And now again today when i fed my fish in my main tank, i noticed another angel acting funny.
(this will be the 3rd angel)
This one isnt really lathargic or shy yet and he did eat but he kept spitting his food out everytime.
I dont think he actually swollowed anything

As its spreading now fish to fish im starting to believe this maybe parasites, internal parasites maybe as they isnt any flashing, spots or swollen gills.

If it is parasites and i successfully treat my fish in my hospital tank, how do i treat my main tank for this without harming my plants, corys, plecs and most important of all... my bio filter.

Any thought, suggestions or comments are most welcome. What would you do if you was me?
Does this sound like internal parasites to you??
Iv called my LFS and they are just baffled and said they aint got a clue.
Please help me crack this before it gets out of hand and i lose all my fish

THANK YOU!!!

PS im in the UK

 

[fishchick]

it sounds like Hexamita..My tank just recently fell ill with the same thing..have you noticed if their poop is white and stringy, instead of food colored..Here is a copy and paste for you to better explain it..

Weak or stressed fishes seem to be most susceptible to heavy infestation. Physical signs of hexamitiasis include weight loss, decreased activity and refusal of food. Angel fish which are severely infected with hexamita may lie horizontally on the surface of the water with the abdomen visibly distended. Angel fish may remain in this condition for several days. These severely infested fish often recover following treatment with metronidazole. Infestations in adult breeding angel fish may be associated with decreased hatchability of eggs or death of young fry

There is two different ways to treat:

1.) feeding an anti-parasite food containing metronidazole

2.) If fish won't feed a, medicated metronidazole bath, the medication comes in liquid form..

As to if it will affect your plant's I am not sure..sorry. I would say remove and treat the angels with a medicated bath in a seperate tank, and feed the food to the healthier fish that still have an appetite.

Hope this helps

 

[SLIM]

it sounds like Hexamita..My tank just recently fell ill with the same thing..have you noticed if their poop is white and stringy, instead of food colored..Here is a copy and paste for you to better explain it..

Weak or stressed fishes seem to be most susceptible to heavy infestation. Physical signs of hexamitiasis include weight loss, decreased activity and refusal of food. Angel fish which are severely infected with hexamita may lie horizontally on the surface of the water with the abdomen visibly distended. Angel fish may remain in this condition for several days. These severely infested fish often recover following treatment with metronidazole. Infestations in adult breeding angel fish may be associated with decreased hatchability of eggs or death of young fry

There is two different ways to treat:

1.) feeding an anti-parasite food containing metronidazole

2.) If fish won't feed a, medicated metronidazole bath, the medication comes in liquid form..

As to if it will affect your plant's I am not sure..sorry. I would say remove and treat the angels with a medicated bath in a seperate tank, and feed the food to the healthier fish that still have an appetite.

Hope this helps

That does help thank you.

Iv only seen the white poo on one fish, it wasnt really stringy just white.
They have never layed horizontally on the surface of the water either, but they have lost weight, decreased activity and refuse food.

Is Hexamita bacterial or a parasite???

Also i did remove the fish to a hospital tank but another angel got the same symptoms a week later, which makes me think its something spreading in my main tanks water.

Thanx for the great advise. Did you have success with treatment?

 

[SLIM]

Im having trouble finding metronidazole fish meds in the uk. Iv found it on ebay for £50 plus £20 shipping from the US.
Thats abit steep. Can anyone advise a metronidazole fish med product in the UK?

 

[fishchick]

it sounds like Hexamita..My tank just recently fell ill with the same thing..have you noticed if their poop is white and stringy, instead of food colored..Here is a copy and paste for you to better explain it..

Weak or stressed fishes seem to be most susceptible to heavy infestation. Physical signs of hexamitiasis include weight loss, decreased activity and refusal of food. Angel fish which are severely infected with hexamita may lie horizontally on the surface of the water with the abdomen visibly distended. Angel fish may remain in this condition for several days. These severely infested fish often recover following treatment with metronidazole. Infestations in adult breeding angel fish may be associated with decreased hatchability of eggs or death of young fry

There is two different ways to treat:

1.) feeding an anti-parasite food containing metronidazole

2.) If fish won't feed a, medicated metronidazole bath, the medication comes in liquid form..

As to if it will affect your plant's I am not sure..sorry. I would say remove and treat the angels with a medicated bath in a seperate tank, and feed the food to the healthier fish that still have an appetite.

Hope this helps

That does help thank you.

Iv only seen the white poo on one fish, it wasnt really stringy just white.
They have never layed horizontally on the surface of the water either, but they have lost weight, decreased activity and refuse food.

Is Hexamita bacterial or a parasite???

Also i did remove the fish to a hospital tank but another angel got the same symptoms a week later, which makes me think its something spreading in my main tanks water.

Thanx for the great advise. Did you have success with treatment?

Hexamita is an internal parasite..and it can be contagious due to the fact that it is spread through infected poop. I have been treating (by means of the food) for five of the seven days and yes it has seemed to help tremendously. The product that I got is made by Tetra and it's medicated fish food sticks containing that medicine..straight metronidazol is by prescription only, but a lot of times you can find products at your lfs containing it that should do the job..I would treat both tanks just to protect it from potentially spreading...

 

[SLIM]

Well im convinced now that it is hexamita.

My problem now is I cant find anti parasite medicated fish food or a water treatment containing metronidzole anywhere in the uk.

Iv been driving around all day and cant find either.
Iv even been online for the past 3 hours and cant find either in the uk. I can find both in the usa but im looking at stupidly high shipping prices.

I spoke to a fish specialist today and all he was able to offer me was frozen fish food. One lot containing garlic and the other lot containing aloe vera. My sick fish was not interested but my non infected fish ate it up.

I think my rainbows are infected now too.
Im noticing more and more white poop on fish.

Please can anybody help me with a link or a name of a product in the uk that contains metronidzole?
I need medicated fish food containing this and a water treatment.
Please anybody? This really is urgent.

Thank you

 

[SLIM]

it sounds like Hexamita..My tank just recently fell ill with the same thing..have you noticed if their poop is white and stringy, instead of food colored..Here is a copy and paste for you to better explain it..

Weak or stressed fishes seem to be most susceptible to heavy infestation. Physical signs of hexamitiasis include weight loss, decreased activity and refusal of food. Angel fish which are severely infected with hexamita may lie horizontally on the surface of the water with the abdomen visibly distended. Angel fish may remain in this condition for several days. These severely infested fish often recover following treatment with metronidazole. Infestations in adult breeding angel fish may be associated with decreased hatchability of eggs or death of young fry

There is two different ways to treat:

1.) feeding an anti-parasite food containing metronidazole

2.) If fish won't feed a, medicated metronidazole bath, the medication comes in liquid form..

As to if it will affect your plant's I am not sure..sorry. I would say remove and treat the angels with a medicated bath in a seperate tank, and feed the food to the healthier fish that still have an appetite.

Hope this helps

That does help thank you.

Iv only seen the white poo on one fish, it wasnt really stringy just white.
They have never layed horizontally on the surface of the water either, but they have lost weight, decreased activity and refuse food.

Is Hexamita bacterial or a parasite???

Also i did remove the fish to a hospital tank but another angel got the same symptoms a week later, which makes me think its something spreading in my main tanks water.

Thanx for the great advise. Did you have success with treatment?

Hexamita is an internal parasite..and it can be contagious due to the fact that it is spread through infected poop. I have been treating (by means of the food) for five of the seven days and yes it has seemed to help tremendously. The product that I got is made by Tetra and it's medicated fish food sticks containing that medicine..straight metronidazol is by prescription only, but a lot of times you can find products at your lfs containing it that should do the job..I would treat both tanks just to protect it from potentially spreading...

I cant find this Tetra anti parasite fish food. Was it prescribed to you? Or is it online? If so can you provide me a link pleeeease.
Thank you

 

[fishchick]

I got mine at my lfs but I'll look on the bottle to see if there's a website

 

[SLIM]

Well jus spent £35 on 2 ounces of jungel anti parasite fish food. Jus gotta wait for it to arrive now from america. Hope it works! All I can do whilst I wait is carry on feeding garlic and aloe vera fish food and hope they hold out.
Wish me luck

 

[Tolak]

Generally in the UK metro must be obtained through a vet. Different countries, different laws, it's a shame some of the most effective meds are easily obtainable in the US, and for all practical purposes unavailable overseas.

 

[fishchick]

Yes...GOOD LUCK!!! I really hope it works and arrives in a timely manner..Best wishes!!

 

[SLIM]

Well I never got my jungle anti parasite fishfood. Nowhere in the usa would send it to the uk. My orders kept getting cancelled.

The good news is I started treating with waterlifes protozin which contain metro and my fish have responded to the treatment brilliantly and they are eating and acting normally again.
I would definately recommend this stuff.
Safe for all fish, plants and the bio filter.
Well happy

 

[FishFriends]

Well I never got my jungle anti parasite fishfood. Nowhere in the usa would send it to the uk. My orders kept getting cancelled.

The good news is I started treating with waterlifes protozin which contain metro and my fish have responded to the treatment brilliantly and they are eating and acting normally again.
I would definately recommend this stuff.
Safe for all fish, plants and the bio filter.
Well happy

 
Hi SLIM,
 
In case you are still around (I realise your post is 3 years old!), and remember what happened, did it work?
 
I'm asking 'cause I am also in the UK (no antibiotics allowed), and I have a Honey Gourami with similar symptoms: not eating, and with that poo - thin, long, and almost transparent.
 
I can't find medicated food online for internal parasites.
 
Can anybody suggest something available in Britain please?
 
Thanks
 
Edit: Isn't this waterlifes protozin a water treatment, as opposed to food? Do they work?
 
And I can't find this "metro" as an ingredient online.
 
Thanks again,

 

[star4]

Waterlife does sterazin for internal parasites, their food additive is called vitazin, you soak normal food in it to give fish extra vitamins etc to boost their immune systems. Hope this helps