internal parisite?

[kwc1974]

I have some barbs that not well at the moment.

I have a 75 gallon Planted tank with shrimp, snails and some barbs and gobys.

the Barbs are exhibiting normal feeding behavior and are active.
Their anal area is swollen and well looks blown up.
one of the barbs was on the bottom and it looked like the stomach was gutted and I saw what looked like bloodworms so I am assuming internal worms.
the gobys have not shown any of these symptoms but one is very emaciated.

Is there any medications that will not affect my shrimp and snails;more importantly my Plants?

[eklikewhoa]

I think your best bet is to lower the co2 injection and dose with something like Jungle Parasite Clear.

The ingredients shouldn't harm the inverts nor plants but with medicating sometimes it's best to increase the o2 content of the water and being in your planted tank that can be accomplished by removing some co2.

[kwc1974]

was reading about that product and found this
"Caution: Harmful to snails and crustaceans"

any other meds?

and I thought you ek would make a joke about the anus blown up

[eklikewhoa]

I was but it's kinda disgusting.

most all meds will have some side effects towards Inverts... pick the lesser of evils.

[Zulaab]

Get a second tank. Put all snails and inverts into it.
Medicate in the main tank, and medicate with something that is not going to hurt the inverts and snails in the second tank. This will ensure that any parasite that might be still in the tank living in the snails and inverts are also killed off.

[eklikewhoa]

To completely remove all inverts from a 75g planted tank is not gonna happen.

Which is why I suggested to find the lesser of evils.

Knowing Kevin the tank will not get torn down for this and I will have to say that honestly you have to make a decision.... bait or scape.

Normally in my planted tanks I would let the bait suffer if it had to come down to it. In my fish tanks it's the other way around.

[imagirlgeek]

This sounds like Camillanus. I don't personally have experience with this, but everything I've read sounds pretty dire.

http://www.aces.edu/dept/fisheries/education/ras/publications/Update/Introduction%20to%20Freshwater%20Fish%20Parasites.pdf

Camillanus
Camillanus is easily recognized as a small thread-like worm protruding from the anus of the fish. Control of this nematode in non-food fish is with fenbendazole, a common antihelminthic.
Fenbendazole can be mixed with fish food (using gelatin as a binder) at a rate of 0.25% for treatment. It should be fed for three days, and repeated in three weeks.

I don't know what Fenbendazole is exactly, or where you would find it, OR what it would do to your tank. More reading is needed....

[imagirlgeek]

Okay, so I found that Levamisole Hydrochloride is also a killer of Camillanus. And reportedly safe for your bio, plants, inverts, fish...just kills the worm. I think Lissa (EDMLFC) had some of that...you might PM her. If it's the same stuff, she used it on her puffer.

[nacra99]

I suggest treating the fish in a seperate tank. Camallanus treatments may kill some inverts and will remain in trace amounts in any substrate for a long long time. Levamisole is sold as bird de-wormer. Alternatively you can try Panacur (Fenbendazole). I get my Panacur from www.seahorsesource.com.

good luck.

[kwc1974]

Thanks guy

Like ek said, with my scape removing the snails and srimp is not an option.
I am going to check out the Levamisole Hydrochloride, if I can not get it I guess I will putthe shrimp and snails at risk. Fell like I need to treat the whole tank. And it is only cherry & ammno shrimp and Nerite snails.

[eklikewhoa]

Let me have all your Nerites.... nuke the all the roaches when you do the treatment.

[Krisvalkyrie]

The problem with camellanus though, is that the snails and shrimp very likely are carrying earlier stages of this parasite. I read about it when my fish had been dying of it. It changes hosts as it enters different phases of its life cycle. So I would treat it with the inverts in the tank. you may lose some, but better than continually fighting it in your fish.

[kwc1974]

OK, so I looked and looked for the med referanced and could not find it. Well my vet could find it, but it was pricy. So I used Jungle and yes some of the shrimp did die. but I was left with some of the cherries and they should breed back up very quickly. Unforutunatly all of the Amano shrimp bit the dust.

No snails were lost.

It appears that the fish are healling, there is still som physical damage that need time to heal. But after a week of treatment, no more deaths. Unfortunatly for the barbs, since the school is amaller (down from 9 to 4) the are now very shy and hide where before they ruled the tank.

I will give it a few more weeks to make sure before I add any more fish.

Thanks all

[eklikewhoa]

My Ruby Tetras that I brought in probably suffered from this....


BTW... No I don't have a lux meter but I'm sure there is someone on Marsh with one.

[edmlfc]

Okay, so I found that Levamisole Hydrochloride is also a killer of Camillanus. And reportedly safe for your bio, plants, inverts, fish...just kills the worm. I think Lissa (EDMLFC) had some of that...you might PM her. If it's the same stuff, she used it on her puffer.

Not sure if you got this figured out yet or not but yes I have used Levamisole Hydrochloride (two treatments) on my puffer "Annabelle". It's been two months now with no ill effects. I also had ghost shrimp in the tank when I used the treatment, I saw one of them just yesterday. The treatment didn't seem to bother the shrimp at all. That's until Annabelle realized they were food! It took her almost 6 weeks after treatment before she started eating the shrimp.) The guy I got the Levamisole Hydrochloride from was also a great help. He even sent me an email last month to check on Annabelle. I thought that was so sweet. If you need his information let me know. When I get home I can send you a pm. Btw: It didn't do anything to my snails either. I also used it in my sw tank, the bristle worms fell like flies but the snails are still kicking.