The Planted Tank Forum banner

Callamanus WORMS... updated 2/5/2013

9K views 56 replies 18 participants last post by  Bettatail 
#1 · (Edited)
For the last 6 months.. i have been periodically losing bolivian rams for no reason.

After having another issue in the tank this week where i lost half of the inhabitants to a stupid error, read here (but this has nothing to do with the worms) http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=214570&highlight=

I realized this morning that one of my small angels had a vent that was huge and that a worm was sticking out. I had not noticed this prior. I had just fed the others, when I noticed that they ALSO had small pink thread like things sticking out of their vents. I lost the small angels tonight. He had been eating, but stopped yesterday and then sucumbed today. Are these Callamanus worms?

I have no idea how to treat these things. The entire tank has to be infected at this point so i would need to dose the entire column. I have Quick cure (formalin and malchite green) and prazipro (praziquantel) on hand, but dont know if either will work

HELP!!!!!
 
#2 ·
Prazi pro is for internal parasites, I am looking now to see if it is specific for Camillanus.
... seems it is not.

Levamisole will work.

http://www.inkmkr.com/Fish/CamellanusTreatment.pdf

Fenbendazole will work.

"Camillanus is easily recognized as a small thread-like worm protruding from the anus of the fish. Control of this nematode in non-food fish is with fenbendazole, a common antihelminthic. Fenbendazole can be mixed with fish food (using gelatin as a binder) at a rate of 0.25% for treatment. It should be fed for three days, and repeated in three weeks."
 
#3 ·
ya... that was where i found my information earlier. Both drugs seem to be semi hard to obtain and even harder to determine what to dose in an aquarium. I don't know what to do. Upon further inspection of other fish in tank, they all have it. This hit quick and hit hard.

Any idea on where I can obtain this that isnt sketchy? (ie i wouldnt feel weird putting my credit card number into some crazy website)
 
#8 ·
ya... that was where i found my information earlier. Both drugs seem to be semi hard to obtain and even harder to determine what to dose in an aquarium. ****
Any idea on where I can obtain this that isnt sketchy? (ie i wouldnt feel weird putting my credit card number into some crazy website)
Charles Harrison (owner of the referenced website) happens to hold a Ph.D.

I've purchased from Doc several times without complaint.
Flubendazole and Levaisole hcl are water column dosed.
http://www.inkmkr.com/Fish/ItemsForSale.html
 
#4 ·
#19 ·
Agreed and you gotta get the real deal. I got a strait bag if powder from some place that supplies farms for deworming goats. No joke it was fine in 2 days and never came back. Coat me a pretty penny but I saved all my fish. They all had them from one new fish that didn't show them while in QT.
 
#6 ·
I ordered from angels plus this morning.... the only thing i am worried about is that the eggs are in the water column. I am extremely leery putting a medication that is meant for something else into a tank. Just worried about poisoning them in some other way.
 
#7 ·
I am really curious if anyone else has had this issue lately. I went and talked to my LFS that I buy from and they did admit that they had a batch of Angels come through about 6 months ago (i bought 2) that supposedly had the worms.

After days of research on these horrible creatures, it sounds like they are becoming more and more common among aquariums and causing major issues for keepers.
 
#9 ·
I had camallanus worms that came in with an infected celebes rainbow and spread to the rest of my fish. They really suck. Prazipro won't work, but I was able to get rid of them using fenbendazole. You can buy it at petsmart in the dog section. It's sold as safe-guard and is used as a dog dewormer. It does not mix with water well, so soaking the fish food in it won't work (I tried). I ended up mixing it with unflavored gelatin and pellet food that I'd ground up in my coffee grinder. After it had solidified, I cut it into tiny pieces and the fish gobbled it up. Fed it that way for around a week and it took care of the adult worms. You do have to retreat after 3 weeks (I think) to take care of the eggs that have reinfected the fish. I did treat the tank with the prazipro in that time, just in case it was able to help with the eggs. Don't know if it helped at all, but I had it on hand and figured it couldn't hurt.
 
#10 ·
I used a dog dewormer I bought at petsmart. Since it doesn't dissolve in water very well, I crushed it, mixed it with water and let some bloodworms soak for half an hour. Fed it once a day for a week and did a huge water change.

Also, it's not safe if you have snails in your tank. Forgot the name of the medicine but it was fenbendazole based I think
 
#18 ·
Exactly. So you don't kill them with the Levamisole. Instead you have to manually remove the worms/ larvae/ eggs so it's very difficult with substrate in the tank. Better off moving the fish to a bare bottom, treating them there a few times and removing the worms/ larvae or even better, move the fish again. I had to throw out the substrate to get rid of mine. If you don't, you will often relapse after a good long time. It took about eight months for me to get re-infested after the first treatment. Second time I treated the tank, then moved the fish (after the medication would be effective) to a bare bottom. I then treated again and then moved them back to the now freshly cleaned original tank. Problem solved.
 
#20 ·
I totally disagree with this. I'm sorry if you actually had to do this but if you get pure levamisole I put in just the front part of a teaspoon for 55 gallons and they were gone in two days never to return. I tried all kinds of these other treatments. Even lost fish due to crazy treatments that didn't do jack.

I did a good vacuum then treated a week later as directed and I've never had an issue again. With any worm for that matter.
 
#25 ·
You guys are right, I'm not saying you have to get rid of the substrate, or go bare bottom, but treatment is easy with bare bottom and hard with substrate. It depends on the degree of the outbreak as well. I hardly had an inch of substrate visible with the amount of hardscape and plants so I would've had to do some serious work to vacuum everywhere. A relatively bare tank may be fine with a good vacuum.

Like I said, a relapse can take a long time so it's nice to be sure. You don't want a relapse to find out you've sold or moved some fish in the mean time.

I don't know how one would do a decent vacuum unless you are sparsely planted.
 
#29 ·
Ask Sewingalot about mistaking Fenbendazole for Flubendazole.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showpost.php?p=1342425&postcount=1341

and there are a few others that have confused ratios when making conversions among other things when reading web advice. Less fillers and inerts in a compound I'm adding to one of my tanks is something I consider a good thing.

I'll say it again and again,
Know what you are dumping in your tank.
Know you tanks actual water volume when dosing via solution.
 
#31 ·
Yup! something for everybody. (including snake oil & lemon drops for the kiddies)

A source most would blindly trust. There is absolutely no proof that any treatment will work and all research data to date states nothing effectively eliminates it in fish. Kanamycin specifically has been tested at several dosage levels without evidence of any effect on Mycobacteriosis infected fish. Study proven in laboratory conditions NOT to work.
Kanamycin Sulfate Powder
USE: Gram-negative bacteria and resistant strains of tuberculosis.
Works especially well in salt water aquariums.
DOSAGE: 1/4 teaspoon per 20 gallons of water.
Treat every 24 hours with a 25% water change before each treatment.
Treat for 10 days.
For tuberculosis, use for up to 30 days.
http://www.fishyfarmacy.com/products2.html
Why? Why treat a fish that cannot be cured?

fact: Myco is considered non-treatable.
Research paper after research paper and study after study stating there is no treatment that works and here's someone selling what is proven not to work in lab study. Can you say "let’s make money"?

Do your own due diligence.
Know what you are dumping in your tank.
Know you tanks actual water volume when dosing via solution.
 
#33 ·
one thing i will say as of this morning, which is the final day of the dosage, is that this stuff will kill fish. Essentially, it is a poison to all living organisms in the tank. Most of the fish are holding strong and I will do a big water change tonight
 
#35 · (Edited)
had cardinal and a big school of rummynose, plus some other different kind of fish in the tank at the time, about over 100 spirits but only 11 angelfish(the treatment subject), non of them acting weird or died from the levasole(levamisole) treatment, the tank is 168G.

Go Charles, his levasole is pure for sure, and it is really hard to find pure levasole in the States now, no more production. No confident on imported fish med that contains Levasole, been diluted too much.
 
#34 ·
I had the worms in the fall of last year. Golden Wonder Killifish had stopped eating and noticed a while later red worms coming from the vent.

Charles got me the levamisol in very good time. First dose went well and I lost no fish. Re-dosed later as supposed to, lost the killi and 5 neons in a matter of an hour or so. All the other fish seemed to take it a lot harder than the first dose.

I'm assuming they are gone, altho last week I lost a sunset honey gourami out of the blue. Water parameters all in check. The gourami had not been eating any fish food since the last dose, nearly 4 months. Never saw the clear/stringy poo that I have heard can be related to the worms. Don't think it was related to the worms but it has me a little worried. Maybe it was just his/her time to go.
 
#41 ·
I changed the water last night. Luckily i only had one fish die throughout the process, but all my snails are gone (except for pond snails... .god i hate those buggers)

I will redose in 2 weeks as per Charles' instructions. But for the most part, it looks as if it WORKED
 
#42 ·
Ok, so good to know to remove my nerites before treating. I recently introduced a fish into my tank with Camallanus. But I'm wondering if I need to treat. I removed the fish within 36hrs of introducing it. I have very few snails in my actual tank, 2 nerites and maybe a few baby pond snails (though I do have pond snails growing in my filter arg!). As I understand, inverts are necessary for infection. So since I only have a few snails (and nerites don't seem to eat anything but my driftwood and algae) and since the infected fish was only in my tank for 36 hrs, would you guys say treatment is necessary? I'm more worried about the 100% water changes than the actual chemical. I'm currently treating for ick and my rummynose tetras are looking a bit raggedy.
 
#44 ·
From what I understand the Levamisole only kills the adult worm, not the free swimming larval stage so the 100% water changes are to remove those, but ya, 100% sounds really scary! I recently did a 50% when changing my substrate and my rummynose tetras went pale and wouldn't talk to me afterwards.
 
#45 ·
The large water change i assume is to remove EVERYTHING else from the tank so that its just water and Lev. Lev will kill most eggs from the research i have done depending on the stage of development, but the whole point of treatment is to do it twice. I am moving on to my second treatment tonight. Hopefully these littler buggers are completely gone after this.
 
#46 ·
I just noticed this post.. I got Camallanus worms or whatever in one of my Golden rams, and didn't know what it was til he got really bad.. I first went to Tractor supply and got Fendbendazole or whatever.. and soaked blood worms in it and then treated. Didn't work all that well.. I had to wait for a Vet to get Levamisol for me. Some tractor supplies have it apparently so if some of you guys are struggling to find it check out any tractor supply stores. My host fish died the night before i got the Levamisole.. My rams were all store bred, so idk where i got the worm from..

Anyway, i did a 24 hour treatment twice and it seemed to clear up the worms in my rams.. All of their color returned and they began scooting around the tank as usual.

I returned everything back to my 30 gallon out of the Quarantined 5 gallon.. as none of my other fish have any signs of it. But just in case i did do 1 treatment on my 30 gallon and plan to do another one probably next wk just in case..

They suggest to vacuum your gravel and drain the water because of the eggs from the worms and Levamisol doesn't necessarily kill the worms, it just stuns them then they fall into your tank.. that is why they say to vacuum.

Can't believe no one has posted this article, but you all need to read this if you have any issues with C. Worms

http://www.loaches.com/Members/shari2/levamisole-hydrochloride-1
 
#47 ·
Hi switch

I dont want to scare you, but all of the research i have seen (and yes, i came upon that article) states exactly what charles wrote about this this article.(http://www.inkmkr.com/Fish/CamellanusTreatment.pdf)

I HIGHLY doubt 24 hours of treatment was enough. These are parasites, not bacteria are are NOT easily killed. Simply dosing and then expecting just to vaccum them out are the reason we are seeing resistant strains of C worms. They are extremely hardy parasites and everything i have seen stated treatment for 3 days twice. I know the entire post is alot, but most of what you posted here is discussed within all of the posts. The Lev actually does completely kill the worm. I watched this happen over a 3 day period as my large angels got rid of them.
 
#49 ·
Sorry if I wasn't that clear in my explanation. I also contacted that Charles guy, he responded to me once, then never returned an email so I went elsewhere for my levamisole.

Anyway, I followed his instructions as well. When i mentioned 24 hours, it also depends on how strong the levamisole you are dosing as well..

Like some of the people mention, putting in more than what is called for doesn't hurt the fish.

Don't worry I did treat my Rams 3 times, I just dosed the recommended dosage and let it go in my tank for 24 hours, then did a water changed. Several days later I dosed again.

I no longer see any worms. I do understand that C. Worms are very resistant, but most become this way if they are born in fish farms where they became resistant to lots of medications.. The fish i bought were raised in a pet store and didn't have all the fish farm type meds. So far all my fish are completely fine.

Like i said i plan on treating my tank several more times to be sure. Even though I don't have any more fish showing any issues. At least I have a cure if they get it again.
 
#50 ·
The thing with buying lev and other meds meant for other animals, is many times there are other additives. Pure lev is extremly hard to find and Charles was pretty much the only source.

It did take him nearly a week to get back to me after submitting the request. I think we will need more input from other people regarding the reaction of fish to lev though. Nearly everyone of my fish became sluggish and refused to eat for 2 days following dosage. Additionally, i lost all snails
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top