Do fishes really live long?

[GaryE]

Your source can be important. A reason why 'earth' as a location doesn't help a lot is that we can't know stores, etc. I know for me, buying from box chain stores often gives me diseased fish. They tend to have more tb because it thrives in bad conditions, just like human tb. The big chains drive farm prices down, the farms cut corners, and diseases flourish. The cheapest sources are not always the best...

 

[Jinx_]

Yeah, it's why I'm thinking of deworming my guppies with API powder thing for parasites. Better to be safe..

 

[Essjay]

If you want to deworm guppies with shrimps in the tank look at the eSHa products, they say they are shrimps and snail safe.
eSHa ndx for round worms such as camallanus (contains levamisole)
eSHa gdex for tapeworms (contains praziquantel)

There is also NT Labs Anti Fluke and Wormer, and Maidenheads Aquatic AquaCare Anti Fluke and Wormer (probably the same products) which kills both types of worms but it contains flubendazole which is not safe for inverts.

 

[MaloK]

The sad part of this hobby is that you are plunged in problems...

...As soon as you dip a toe, you must be ready to dive in.

In my personal experience. Today, bringing a tank to heaven is no fancy feast.

If you don't have at least healthy viable fish in the beginning, it's pure torture.

And the number of peoples that feel "really bad" because their fish died, and it's not "really" their fault imo.

I'm always very worried, just adding a plant to any of my tanks.

 

[GaryE]

A simple deworming would be a product with praziquantel. Nematodes have 3 main ones, often flubendazole. Nematodes aren't really worms even if we think of them as such, and survive dewormers.

Depending on your country, you could use a variety of products. Look to the ingredients list in the small print.

 

[Jinx_]

If you want to deworm guppies with shrimps in the tank look at the eSHa products, they say they are shrimps and snail safe.
eSHa ndx for round worms such as camallanus (contains levamisole)
eSHa gdex for tapeworms (contains praziquantel)

There is also NT Labs Anti Fluke and Wormer, and Maidenheads Aquatic AquaCare Anti Fluke and Wormer (probably the same products) which kills both types of worms but it contains flubendazole which is not safe for inverts.

I don't feel like the eSHa range is effective. I've used one of theirs for gill flukes. They accelerated rather than go down over time

But the flubendazole ones are better to have food dipped in them then eaten by fish for some weeks time. That would help the fish go over killing worms in them and any that'd hatch over time. Is this a good plan?

I've introduced some random tiny wiggly white swimming worms into the tank after I got hornwort. I've dipped it in water, washed it but still had the worms in. Parasites or just random pond thingys? But fish parasites aren't seen with naked eye so I doubt. My betta used to eat them. They live in the gravel.

 

[MaloK]

Whatever anyone says, Edible internal parasites food.


Will always be.

Far beyond any water dissolved medicine. no matter what...

We are talking internal parasites here.

The risk of over dosing are far less than under dosing.

So everyone should have a bite on them and the unused will dissolve in the water.

Any company making any medicine that has an oral way of administration are in line with my way of administration.

If i doesn't exist... I might try to create it myself.

 

[Jinx_]

Whatever anyone says, Edible internal parasites food.


Will always be.

Far beyond any water dissolved medicine. no matter what...

We are talking internal parasites here.

The risk of over dosing are far less than under dosing.

So everyone should have a bite on them and the unused will dissolve in the water.

Any company making any medicine that has an oral way of administration are in line with my way of administration.

If i doesn't exist... I might try to create it myself.

Yeah, that's a fair point. With water based meds, eggs are near impossible to destroy. It's like dealing with cat fleas, their eggs are impossible to kill. And they will keep hatching, so it's better to kill off the adults then keep dosing the meds so the eventual young will get killed as well.

I'm gonna go with the NT Labs one Essjay suggested. I just don't know what kind of food to choose to dip in the meds for such young guppies, they still choke on pellets.

 

[MaloK]

In most infections the young's are on your glass and in your substrate. That's why a good cleanup is good before medicating.

But... My father always repeated "You are not going to ruin this tank for that" ???

While I'm a computer analyst on the professional side, I'm a simple guy in action on the personal side, I try not messing long with things. (this has proven good with anything and fish) for the major part...

I went trough to the "Making of home made medicated fish food". And today, I would make it stronger.

Not really because I'm not sure of my dose... But I think what we are buying is getting weaker everyday.

If you need proof PM me anytime I have plenty stories even on malachite green alone if you want.

Anyway I will conclude with: I used 30 years old stuff and it did better.

 

[fishorama]

The benefit of flubendazole over fenbendazole is that it works in the water column & doesn't have to be eaten like fenbendazole. Similar names can be confusing but if you can get flubendazole, that's what I'd choose.

 

[Jinx_]

Yep, I got flubendonzole based one from NT Labs.. micro pellets.. I hope my shrimps won't get any medicated ones cause jesus christ I don't wanna deal with dead shrimps, and I can't move them (space and money issue).

 

[Jinx_]

And omg I can't spell... it is flubendazole.

How should even baby fish poo look like? I don't remember, had youngsters back then. Whitish looking stringy? It wasn't very brown, quite possibly I'm blind and it was thin brown stringy? I don't see them poo a lot. At what age can females be pregnant already? Got one big, males chase.

 

[MaloK]

both can be orally administered.

 

[fishorama]

Both can be oral, but flubendazole doesn't have to be. That's the advantage, if fish are not eating, it can still help. It's not available everywhere, many drugs are not.

I don't know if either are safe for shrimp. I mostly treat in QT without other fish or inverts.

Different drugs treat different suspected internal parasites. In desperation, I have used prazi only once. It didn't help my fish. I have used levamisole several times as a preventative quarantine treatment for loaches. It may have helped, or maybe they didn't need it. It seemed safe for them. I went with better safe than very sorry.

If we could tell what internal parasites we suspect, I think we could make better drug treatment choices, depending on country laws. It can be very hard to say. By the time we have a good idea what may be the problem the fish may be beyond help.

 

[MaloK]

What would bring me to buy medication before the fish.

That is not a good introduction to the hobby.