Tips on treating camallanus worms

[Magnum Man]

this has been a very informative post... & responses...

so is this something that we should assume any fish from a farmed source likely has, & everything should be treated in quarantine??? & likely every bigger community tank that has had fish from farmed sources, should be treated???

or is that only likely to build up an immunity for the treatment???

exactly how do you know if your tanks have been infected??? how visible are these parasites???

 

[Ichthys]

When you see little red ‘strings’ prodtruding from the anus you know…

If a newly acquired fish is unusually fat (lots of worms in the gut) or unusually skinny (lack of nutrition because the worms are getting it all) then that’s also a sign of possible worms.

It does seem to be a lot less common in the US. from what Gary says.

The only treatment I have experience and knowledge about is Sterazin, which contains piperazine. In 50+ years, Camallanus has not developed an immunity to it. Not in the UK anyway…

 

[Magnum Man]

thanks for the pictures

 

[Colin_T]

We’re still using it over here in the UK, and it’s still working.

Waterlife Sterazin hasn't worked here for decades.

 

[Ichthys]

Waterlife Sterazin hasn't worked here for decades.

Hmmm. Different ingredients? Piperazine banned in Oz? That’s all I can think of…

 

[Colin_T]

this has been a very informative post... & responses...

so is this something that we should assume any fish from a farmed source likely has, & everything should be treated in quarantine??? & likely every bigger community tank that has had fish from farmed sources, should be treated???

or is that only likely to build up an immunity for the treatment???

exactly how do you know if your tanks have been infected??? how visible are these parasites???

Every pet shop in the world will have these parasites in at least one tank, and if it's in one, it's in all. And any fish going into those tanks will become infested and pass the worms onto other fish.

Assume all fish have it and just deworm any fish you get and all the tanks and fish you currently have.

Fish can carry intestinal worms and not show any signs at all. A year down the track and all your fish start to appear skinny and lose condition and they are infested with worms.

 

[Colin_T]

Hmmm. Different formula?

no idea, might be

 

[Ichthys]

[Note to self… stop altering posts after I’ve posted them.]

 

[Ichthys]

Apparently so… I think…

 

[Colin_T]

Benzylpiperazine is different to piperazine, which seems to still be available in bird and animal deworming products.

They ban this stuff but leave Glyphosate and Bifenthrin in use and available for kids to buy off the shelf at any supermarket, hardware or nursery. Shows how smart the law makers are banning a dewormer but leaving carcinogenic substances (herbicide and pesticide) on the shelf at Woolworths and Coles (supermarkets).

 

[Ichthys]

It’s similar here. We’re trying to stop our government using pesticides that will kill all the bees (for example). They’re not listening. It’s all a compromise, isn’t it, between health and big business. We learn from our mistakes, even when we know enough to not make them in the first place.

Found this, covering the various piperazine compounds in Australia…

https://www.industrialchemicals.gov.au/sites/default/files/Piperazine%20salts_Human%20health%20tier%20II%20assessment.pdf

“The chemicals are listed on Schedules 2 and 5 of the SUSMP for non-industrial uses. No industrial uses are identified in Australia and currently there are no restrictions in using these chemical in domestic products in Australia.”

I can only assume your Sterazin must be different to ours in some way.

 

[Sgooosh]

this has been a very informative post... & responses...

so is this something that we should assume any fish from a farmed source likely has, & everything should be treated in quarantine??? & likely every bigger community tank that has had fish from farmed sources, should be treated???

or is that only likely to build up an immunity for the treatment???

exactly how do you know if your tanks have been infected??? how visible are these parasites???

I assume I got this not from the fish, but from some new snails and shrimp that I got. Apparently camallanus can survive a long time just hitchhiking a snail. I got nerite snails and bamboo shrimp which are basically all wild caught.

@GaryE , I treated both the tanks with this, and both have become slightly cloudy. I'm wondering if this is normal? one tank has built up a lot of biofilm as well.
I'll do a 50% or something on both to try to make the fish more comfortable

 

[Magnum Man]

to bring this back up to the top... how about any issues with the treatments... plant safe??? snail & shrimp safe??? beneficial bacteria safe??? won't make me grow hair on my palms???

my quarantine tanks will be ready soon... I'm almost thinking I should treat each of my big tanks, then quarantine any new comers, treating the quarantine tanks, before putting anybody new in the the bigger tanks... just making sure what to expect when treating...

am thinking of getting...Dr. Harrison sells Levamisole HCL. ( thanks for the link )

 

[Ichthys]

won't make me grow hair on my palms???

My doctor said that was down to the full moon…

 

[MaloK]

I found this available in Canada.

https://www.guppyfarm.ca/product/anti-parasite-flake/

It looks like a winning combination.