Pure Metronidazole?

[fry_forever!]

Hey guys. Wow. Such a long story. It all started months and months ago, when I noticed that my livebearers began to get skinny and stop having fry. I let these symptoms get worse and worse, until finally I had no idea what to do or what it was that they had. This was the first question I asked on the forums about it, and all of them following, as we figured out it was an internal parasite, and I should treat with medicated food.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=286949&st=0&p=2370342&fromsearch=1&#entry2370342
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=291594&st=0&p=2407291&fromsearch=1&#entry2407291
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=298479&st=0&p=2467680&fromsearch=1&#entry2467680

Eventually, the fish got better after many medicated food treatments, but after not treating for a couple weeks, they got worse again. I was soon pointed toward pure medication.
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=295293&st=0&p=2439497&fromsearch=1&#entry2439497

Well, now I have it, (pure 100% metronidazole) and it was very expensive. Has anyone used this before, and if so, did it work? I'm really hoping I will finally be able to see the light at the end of this very long tunnel. It says on the container to put in one level scoop per every 10 gallons, and repeat every two days until symptoms disappear. Okay, here's a question. How long will it take for the symptoms to disappear, if they ever? And will I have to do water changes in between treatments?
http/www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/Metronidazole.html

Please, SOMEONE help me! Answer my questions, please! My fish have been battling with internal parasites for what seems like ages now, and they seem to become sick one by one, and I just want healthy fish.

I will post some pictures of how skinny my fish are very soon. Thanks a bunch!

 

[fry_forever!]

bump

 

[WILDER]

You have to retreat so many weeks later with internal parasites.

Which internal parasites did the medicated food treat.
Not sure if metronidazole treats camallanous worms.
The best med for camallanous worms is levaimsole.

 

[fry_forever!]

You have to retreat so many weeks later with internal parasites.

Which internal parasites did the medicated food treat.
Not sure if metronidazole treats camallanous worms.
The best med for camallanous worms is levaimsole.

My fish actually have hexamita. I have figured it out, because their symptoms (skinniness, protruding lateral lines, clear/stringy poo) match the description for hexamita. I was told to treat w/ metronidazole, so that's what I'm doing. Thanks!

 

[WILDER]

Ok. But not sure if guppys can get hole in the head more prone to camallanous worms.

 

[tgo]

I was battling a similar plight to yours that eventually wiped-out my whole tank. I did try Metronidazole, which didn't work for me altough I treated for 12 days, maybe not long enough. My fish had similar symptoms to yours, except nothing visibl on head or lateral line so probably not hexamita.

I've heard that it is better to soak in frozen food and garlic guard, so that's how I dosed. I fed twice a day for 12 days. I heard that dosing the water column is not recommended with metro because it dissolves poorly and is better absorbed by eating, if the fish is still eating. At least thats what the guy at the lfs told me.

Good luck, I hope things work out better for you. It took a long time for all the fish to eventually die for me and it sounds like that's what you are dealing with too. I actually just finished disinfecting my tank and filters and hopefully set it up again in a month. Good luck.

 

[fry_forever!]

I was battling a similar plight to yours that eventually wiped-out my whole tank. I did try Metronidazole, which didn't work for me altough I treated for 12 days, maybe not long enough. My fish had similar symptoms to yours, except nothing visibl on head or lateral line so probably not hexamita.

I've heard that it is better to soak in frozen food and garlic guard, so that's how I dosed. I fed twice a day for 12 days. I heard that dosing the water column is not recommended with metro because it dissolves poorly and is better absorbed by eating, if the fish is still eating. At least thats what the guy at the lfs told me.

Good luck, I hope things work out better for you. It took a long time for all the fish to eventually die for me and it sounds like that's what you are dealing with too. I actually just finished disinfecting my tank and filters and hopefully set it up again in a month. Good luck.

Thank you very much. Did you do water changes in between treatments? Or just kept treating and just did weekly 25% water changes?

Thanks!

 

[Tolak]

The Seachem instructions medicate at 10mg-20mg/gallon. I have been using 40mg/gallon, advice from others who have been using it long before I.

Metro was originally designed for humans, who have a body temperature of 98.6. You want to have the fish in as warm of water as is safe, at the upper end of their limit, or even a bit higher. I’ve had platys in the upper 80’sF, to give you some idea of the range for livebearers. Cichlids just hitting 90F, angels can handle the mid 90’s. Corys & plecs do fine in the mid-upper 80’s. In all cases, make sure there is plenty of aeration, warmer water holds less O2.

I’ll tell you exactly what I would do if they were my fish, I’m assuming they are the livebearers in your profile. A clean bare 10 gallon tank, 87F, 40mg per gallon with daily 50% water changes & remed. A bit sprinkled on some frozen brine shrimp if they are eating, fed this only once daily. Mature sponge filter with plenty of aeration, continue for 10-14 days.

The connection with heximita & HITH has not been directly proven, just implicated, the same as running carbon with HITH. Hexamita, and/or spironucleus are often a common protozoan normally found in the digestive system of many fish. When the immune response of a fish is compromised these protizoans reproduce faster than the natural immunity can keep at a safe level. Some of the biggest contributors to HITH are poor water conditions and poor diet. The outbreak of protizoans is a secondary issue, as many fish with HITH have been cured with large water changes, and a vitamin enriched diet. While metro helps the protizoal issue in these cases, this by itself is by no means a thorough treatment. The protizoans affect the digestive system, creating problems with the intake of nutrients.

Water changes are easy, how do we get a vitamin enriched diet? Liquid vitamins, found in the child or infant care section of most any drug store. I have a small bottle that I use about once weekly with nearly all my fish, a few drops a week means it lasts a long time. Put it on near anything, let it soak in for a bit, and feed. Of course starting with a quality food helps. It won’t hurt to try this with your fish as well.

 

[fry_forever!]

The Seachem instructions medicate at 10mg-20mg/gallon. I have been using 40mg/gallon, advice from others who have been using it long before I.

Metro was originally designed for humans, who have a body temperature of 98.6. You want to have the fish in as warm of water as is safe, at the upper end of their limit, or even a bit higher. I’ve had platys in the upper 80’sF, to give you some idea of the range for livebearers. Cichlids just hitting 90F, angels can handle the mid 90’s. Corys & plecs do fine in the mid-upper 80’s. In all cases, make sure there is plenty of aeration, warmer water holds less O2.

I’ll tell you exactly what I would do if they were my fish, I’m assuming they are the livebearers in your profile. A clean bare 10 gallon tank, 87F, 40mg per gallon with daily 50% water changes & remed. A bit sprinkled on some frozen brine shrimp if they are eating, fed this only once daily. Mature sponge filter with plenty of aeration, continue for 10-14 days.

The connection with heximita & HITH has not been directly proven, just implicated, the same as running carbon with HITH. Hexamita, and/or spironucleus are often a common protozoan normally found in the digestive system of many fish. When the immune response of a fish is compromised these protizoans reproduce faster than the natural immunity can keep at a safe level. Some of the biggest contributors to HITH are poor water conditions and poor diet. The outbreak of protizoans is a secondary issue, as many fish with HITH have been cured with large water changes, and a vitamin enriched diet. While metro helps the protizoal issue in these cases, this by itself is by no means a thorough treatment. The protizoans affect the digestive system, creating problems with the intake of nutrients.

Water changes are easy, how do we get a vitamin enriched diet? Liquid vitamins, found in the child or infant care section of most any drug store. I have a small bottle that I use about once weekly with nearly all my fish, a few drops a week means it lasts a long time. Put it on near anything, let it soak in for a bit, and feed. Of course starting with a quality food helps. It won’t hurt to try this with your fish as well.

Thank you very much for all the info. Yes, my fish definitely show sypmtoms of hexamita, but some of them also have slightly sunken in stomachs....? (And one fish has a super sunken in stomach)

I will try all that you have said, but one question - Instead of putting the med on top of frozen brine shrimp, can I put it on top of frozen flake food? Because I am allergic to most frozen foods, such as bloodworms and brine shrimp, so anything that has been in the freezer w/ bloodworms is a no no for me. (Like, severely allergic. I can't even feed using gloves. I have an epipen for it.)

Thanks a bunch. Hope this is slightly worked out. Even if it doesn't treat it all the way, will my fish be able to survive w/ a little bit of internal parasites, as long as I feed them a quality diet and such?

Cheers,
-f_f!

 

[Tolak]

You need a bit of moisture to get the metro to soak in. You could actually kill two birds with one stone; moisten the flake food with a bit of liquid vitamin, sprinkle on the metro, let both soak onto the flake.

 

[fry_forever!]

You need a bit of moisture to get the metro to soak in. You could actually kill two birds with one stone; moisten the flake food with a bit of liquid vitamin, sprinkle on the metro, let both soak onto the flake.

Thank you. I used a tiny bit of water to mix in w/ the flakes.