Re: apisto with intestinal worms

["gkadar" <gkadar@idirect.ca>]

Simon,

Now you see there are several nematodes that infect fish.  Although Ken had
some quotes from a book, I tend to trust the information in a university
text book on Parasitology over a hobbyist fish book.  Even the Dwarf Cichlid
book by Richter recommends that fish with worms be destroyed.

If you use the levamisole, the tank water pH must be below 7.  Then you
leave the drug in for 24 hours after which you are supposed to do as big a
water change as possible.  I was doing 90 percent and on a 120 gallon tank,
that's an arduous chore and a half.

The drug itself is very safe.  It won't harm your otos or any other fish in
the tank.  It won't even kill snails.  It's specific to helminthic
organisms.  Levamisole is used in humans for treatment of immune compromise
in AIDS patients and it's also used to treat some cancers.  So it's not just
a veterinary medication.

Chances are your otos are already infected and being vegetarians, their
reserves are not very good.  If they go off feeding, it doesn't take all
that long for them to perish.  Corys and such are much tougher beasties and
can go for a couple of weeks without food.  Return of appetite is not an
indicator of parasite elimination.  It only indicates that there is
improvement.  Also, keep offering food to the fish.  If they take it, great.
If not, syphon it up so it won't pollute the water.

>From my own experiences, capillaria seems to be easier to erradicate than
cammallanus.  We had a dozen or so super emaciated clown loaches that the
store was going to dispose of.  Poor things looked like coathangers covered
in skin.  Really really awful.  One dose of levamisole was enough to cure
them.  However, because the capillaria does hook itself into the bowel wall,
we did have 2 deaths via perforation of the gut and abdominal wall.

Regardless, sick fish are at a disadvantage.  Using the proper medication
responsibly is still your only logical option.  I read somewhere that
feeding the fish large worms (like red wrigglers or earthworms) can help to
force parasites out of the gut.  Tried it.  Doesn't work.

When you have a community tank wherein there are fish with varied diets,
trying any diet approach, i.e. garlic, is iffy at best.  Chances are, not
all the fish will eat this and you'll be left with a reservoir of infection
in one or the other of your fish.

Seeing as how you live in Australia, the levamisole capital of the world
with all those sheep and cattle, but especially the sheep, if you can easily
obtain the drug, that's great for you and your fish.

Gabriella
p.s. The woman at the farmfeed store was convinced that I was growing out
lambs.  :):)  I didn't want to disabuse her of this notion seeing as how
she'd in all likelihood look at me majorly askance if I told her it was for
my tropical fish.

>Thanks very much Ken, and everyone else who has responded so quickly . I
>love this group !!! I do have one more question though - one of my texts
say
>that sometimes the treatment of nematodes can be worse than the disease and
>the purgative effect of the medication can cause other secondary infections
>and tissue damage ( caused by the hooked head section of the worms ( the
>scolex if I remember rightly )). When you treated your fish did they go
>straight back onto normal food or did you follow up with some antibiotic in
>case of secondaty infections ?
>
>
>Regards,
>
>Simon Voorwinde
>
>=========================================================
>svavev@hunterlink.net.au
>http://thecichlidtank.cjb.net
>=========================================================
>
>
>
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>This is the apistogramma mailing list, apisto@listbox.com.
>For instructions on how to subscribe or unsubscribe or get help,
>email apisto-request@listbox.com.
>Search http://altavista.digital.com for "Apistogramma Mailing List
Archives"!






-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the apistogramma mailing list, apisto@listbox.com.
For instructions on how to subscribe or unsubscribe or get help,
email apisto-request@listbox.com.
Search http://altavista.digital.com for "Apistogramma Mailing List Archives"!