Loaches Online Forum

I have purchased some Wormer Plus from Plymouth Discus thanks to a reference from tender - thanks.

The shop's website suggests using the product every month for discus. It says it can be added to tanks with no negative consequences for filters, plants etc.

I have six healthy Clown Loaches who are feeding well and have a good shape. Is it a good idea to worm them anyway? Do they need to be wormed regularly? I'd hate to think that they might be carrying worms.

Or should I just use the wormer for when I am treating new stock in quarantine?

Thanks for any advice anyone could offer.

Mark

I treat in quarantine, a regime of several treatments with waiting periods to allow several generations of worms to reach treatable stages, hopefully reaching all the overlapping stages.
I do not treat in the main tanks.

i use it the same way as Diana, but i did treat the main tank with it as i found one of the fish had anchor worms on it.

mick

Thanks Diana and Mick.

It sounds like I should leave well alone with my existing Clowns. I intend to move them to a bigger tank and add other loaches, so with the new fish that is when I'll use the wormer, in quarantine.

Diana, I didn't realise that the worms have to be treated in stages, I assumed one treatment kills them. I will probably get Kubotai. How many treatments, over what period, do you think they would need to be sure they are clean?

Thanks again

Mark

I followed Shari's schedule, as in her article.
I think it is treat for 3 days then a 1 week break. (I run antibiotics during the week inbetween)
Repeat for a total of 3 treatments.

Follow the instructions for whatever product you are using, though.

The concept is that some worms are not susceptible to wormers in every phase of their life, so you treat to kill some, then take a break until the next group reaches the right phase. Timing varies with the parasites being treated.

Thanks, Diana.

I found Shari's article and now have a better understanding of how wormers work. I am hoping to buy some Striatas from my LFS today or tomorrow so I will need the Flubenol. By 'antibiotics' do you mean stuff like anti-velvet?

I wonder whether it would be worth having a stickie on how to quarantine and treat newly purchased loaches, in the same way there is one for Ick?

That's easy for me to say, as I wouldn't be the one gonig to the trouble of writing it! But it's could be that some people get loaches that never thrive as they should because we novices don't know about how to worm and use antibiotics effectively at the start.

Mark

no Mark, for us in the UK we have to get them from the vets, and believe me mate if you have vets like i have up here you'll be struggling to get them.
they want to know what they are going to be used for then they have to check their books And then they come and tell you what it's used for , by that time your fish has grown whiskers is using a walking stick and is ready to peg out.

mick

Sounds like a non-starter then, Mick. I guess the medications and whether you can get them are different in each country.

Go easy on the walking stick and pegging out theme ... it's a bit too close to home at my time of life!

Cheers

Mark