Parasite Treatments

[Barracuda518]

I need some help. I plan on getting some more loaches in the future. After this last major problem I had with my clown loaches, Im definately going to pre-treat any new loach I get for parasites and what ever else I need to treat them for. I cant get Levasmole (sp?) and was trying to find something to treat them with. Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks

[wasserscheu]

I can not help too much, and don´t know wether I´m doing things right all the time, but I for my personal use have decided only to medicate in case I have a good amonut of data to know the root-cause for any trouble.

About Quarantine I have not developed a very clear decision yet ... would about 4 weeks quarantine be an option in your setup or philosophy?

Cheers

Wolfram

[mikev]

I need some help. I plan on getting some more loaches in the future. After this last major problem I had with my clown loaches, Im definately going to pre-treat any new loach I get for parasites and what ever else I need to treat them for. I cant get Levasmole (sp?) and was trying to find something to treat them with. Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks

Yes, get Levamisole.

You are in the US, you can order by mail, it is worth it.
an older post tells you where.

[Barracuda518]

I need some help. I plan on getting some more loaches in the future. After this last major problem I had with my clown loaches, Im definately going to pre-treat any new loach I get for parasites and what ever else I need to treat them for. I cant get Levasmole (sp?) and was trying to find something to treat them with. Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks

Yes, get Levamisole.

You are in the US, you can order by mail, it is worth it.
an older post tells you where.

Thanks Mike. So this Levamisole is a powder and its used for pigs?

[mikev]

I need some help. I plan on getting some more loaches in the future. After this last major problem I had with my clown loaches, Im definately going to pre-treat any new loach I get for parasites and what ever else I need to treat them for. I cant get Levasmole (sp?) and was trying to find something to treat them with. Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks

Yes, get Levamisole.

You are in the US, you can order by mail, it is worth it.
an older post tells you where.

Thanks Mike. So this Levamisole is a powder and its used for pigs?

You dissolve powder in the supplied bottle and use the solution, and it is designed for pigs, but works equally well on dogs, sheep, people, birds, fish.. any vertebrates. For most animals other than pigs, there are newer (and allegedly better) drugs, but those are risky since we don't know of side effects on fish. We do know that levamisole is very safe and all worms you are likely to encounter are killed by it.

Note that the solution is supposed to be good for only 3 months, I used it for longer, but I have no idea just how long it remains potent.

If you still interested in alternatives, see the entire thread I linked, it describes what I achieved with UltraCarePX. Not useless, but no point to use anything else when Levamisole is available.

[shari2]

here's a suggestion:

Since the levamisole comes in a powdered form, in a bottle designed to be mixed with water (usually 500ml), one way to go is to:

1. remove the powder from the bottle onto a glass surface
2. take a razor blade, eyeball it carefully and cut it in half, or quarter, or even 8ths sized piles, depending on the amount of water you have to treat and the length of treatment you plan to make. You will only need a small amount to treat alot of water.
3. mix ONE pile (in the bottle) with the appropriate half or quarter (or whatever sized piles you made) amount of declorinated water.
4. package the remaining piles individually in opaque containers (washed, used pill bottles are good) with directions for how much water to add next time you need it, and the date.
5. Store the powder bottles/containers in the refrigerator (or even freezer) and they will keep for months.

[Barracuda518]

Thanks for the help everyone. I will get some the next time I buy some loaches, which will be soon

[wasserscheu]

... have to keep that in mind in case I have a worm - alarm in my tank ...

Wolfram

[mikev]

... have to keep that in mind in case I have a worm - alarm in my tank ...

Wolfram

It is MUCH BETTER to deworm every incoming loach immediately, then wait for a worm-alarm which may come in as a wipeout...

[wasserscheu]

Hi Mike,

... seems to make sense, did not run across anybody, who actually did that. I am starting to disinfect incoming PLANTS with "potassium permanganate", due to quite a risk of all kind. Fish, I did not, so far...did not even quarantine due to stress...

Is there any sideeffects to Levamisol? ... looks like it´s an easy to take medication for loaches... gets me really curious... as you say, rather treat in early stage... will check availability in Germany...

Do you know by chance wether dealers or importers do any preventive treatment allready ... like Emma keeps them a while before selling... most likely depends on local habits...

Thanks, allways something to learn here...

Wolfram

[mikev]

Wolfram,

Hi Mike,

... seems to make sense, did not run across anybody, who actually did that. I am starting to disinfect incoming PLANTS with "potassium permanganate", due to quite a risk of all kind. Fish, I did not, so far...did not even quarantine due to stress...

It is just a matter of time before you bring in a fish with something nasty, and it does not have to be worms.

I generally quarantine, even if my source quarantines and treats himself. Better to lose new fish than the old... and in some cases, having fish in a small tank allows me to see who is eating and who is not, I then can at least try to make it eat.

Is there any sideeffects to Levamisol? ... looks like it´s an easy to take medication for loaches... gets me really curious... as you say, rather treat in early stage... will check availability in Germany...

I've seen claims that high doses of Levamisole may hurts reproductive ability of livebearers.

Do you know by chance wether dealers or importers do any preventive treatment allready ... like Emma keeps them a while before selling... most likely depends on local habits...

All depends on a particular vendor. Emma does, Frank here does, most don't. IMHO, unless you are 100% sure that your vendor does, better do it yourself too.

Thanks, allways something to learn here...

Wolfram