Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
sherryazure

Nematode / Woesome

sherryazure
16 years ago

Seems like I have to unfortunately treat everything, nasty.

I just redid that tank as well. No idea where this came from but original rainbow fish were sickly. Here is link for future reference for any one who needs the information. Sherry

http://inkmkr.com/Fish/CamallanusTreatment/experience.html

Comments (2)

  • woeisme
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Maybe it is the snails. Sometimes live food is best. I have had problems with frozen foods before. I don't use them anymore.

  • sherryazure
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Well, maybe the brine shrimp was the host between fish and larvae. Who knows really, snails I've had for ages.

    But, just heard back from api said as did my vet "not supposed to be mentioning this" in other words the meds that work best are illegal, unless you have a sheep or pig that needs deworming. The good news is that some guy from a guppy forum has already sent some out to me even before getting my payment. The AP guy said he had treated his with this, very harmless to all else, even bio cultures, and everything must be treated as GET THIS, they have evolved in the home aquarium to skip the intermediate step ie no copepod in between host(sp) but straight to the fish. IKES!

    Good news is I had completely change entire tank ie hot water hydrogen peroxide cleaning, used alum to kill any snails per plant soak, and no sand, snails, so maybe just maybe none were left (ok I can hope can't I, lol)

    But fortunate that I did that in both tanks. And I used the diatom filter on both tanks when I re-added part of old water and new, both prior to adding back wood and plants and post, prior to adding fish...... Maybe stalled enough until meds arrive sometime next week. Problem is if they are killed (they at mature stages are a ball mass in intestines, filling poor fishes gut) they often rot inside fish, and he dies anyway. I my self think all is well, but all and literature say must treat any thing that has come in contact with that fish... even nets (which I don't cross ref tanks anyway) I wash all including my hands at every step.

    I fed live foods, (stopped tubifex a real host for the larvae) such as brine shrimp which turns out to be a main carrier unless the breeder is super clean (most are not)...some vet research states they can live in frozen foods as well (this I knew was possible for many sub critters)

    My snails I have had for extreme generations (years).

    Doesn't matter now, apparently I must treat entire tanks. But apparently extremely gentle on all else, but not on worms. I am hoping none are large if any in the gutt as when they die hard to expell. So will feed roughage. No one has shown any symptoms like the first guy, but doesn't mean they aren't there.

    It took some doing to find the proper med. Will keep it post marked for future reference.

    If one lives in a rural area, pretty easy to get (farm vet). Simple dewormer for pigs/sheep so on. I just have to figure out the math per the Ax guy per the dosage, I am crax for math. Treat twice one week apart and apparently that does it... Hope so. Best and hope this info helps any one who has the misfortune of having a fish with this thing! Sherry (thanks Woeisome)

    Basic info for anyone who may need this in future:


    Camallanus is an intestinal parasitic infection. This malady is due to a nematode or parasitic
    worm which is found in wild fresh and salt water fishes throughout the world . The infestation is characterized
    by, among other things, the presence of tiny red thread structures protruding from the anus of
    the infected host fish.

    Close inspection of the victim shows a swollen and irritated vent area. The worms
    actually protrude 1/3 to 1/2 inch from the anus of the infected fish. This is about one fourth to one third
    of the worms length. The worms are red from the victimÂs blood in their gut.

    AND THE SOLUTION:

    Hi, Charles,

    Here as promised is the recipe for Camallanus treatment.
    1. Add 1.5 milliliter per 7.5 liter of 7.5% Levacide (levamisole hydrochloride) to each tanks to be treated.
    Mix the drug in a liter of water before pouring over the tank surface. If you obtain another strength of
    the drug (e.g. 1.5%, 3%) then just adjust dosage as required. For 1.5% add 1 ml in 1.5l of tank water.
    2. After 24 hours perform 100% (as much as possible) water change whilst vacuuming the gravel.

    The
    water change is not required due to toxicity but to remove the possibility any offspring in the gravel.
    3. No further treatments should be necessary.
    Good luck and please let me know how you get on. Feel free to pass this information to whoever you
    like.

    Regards, Ken L"

    Well, I went to work to find the medicine. Actually as a chemist, I went to work to find the
    compound which Ken talked about, and I did. One of our dog friends is a Vet tech, and has been active
    enough with her group to be able through networking to come up with several large pills (3 grams)
    about the size of the end of your thumb.

    The pills weighed 3000 mg each. The activity of each was stated
    at 185 mg per pill. This didnÂt sound very logical, but I went on this assumption for dosage in my tanks.
    One and a half pill per 4 gallons of water. You couldnÂt see through the tank! Egad, What a mess.
    The evening of the next day the worms protruding from a trio of Gularis were over half gone.

    I netted out one of the females and examined her vent for the pests. The worms fell out into the net. The
    individual worm was about 1 cm long, red and transparent. The head end was somewhat bigger around
    than the rest of the body. The gut was red and visible with simple hand lens magnification.

    I was elated. These fish had come through a lot and they were some of the nicest Blue Gularis I
    have had in several years. I really wanted to see them survive. We had success. This was not the first
    time I had come across this parasite. A couple of years ago I got some fish from a local fish store which
    had come in with a bunch of plants from Florida. The little fish gave this parasite to my fish room and
    in a matter of a week. I wound up flushing three 30 gallon tanks of various Tetras and Killies. I am very
    glad to have found a cure.

0