Just wanted to share my experience recently with Camallanus worms, so that maybe my info will help some other people in the future.
Brief background. I have had a 29 gallon tank set up for 3 years now. Over the years I have never dealt with any parasites or really any sickness, that I know of. Within this last year, I finally got my tank planted and scaped to my satisfaction ( I need to do a journal on this thing). Also, I finally got it stocked with what I feel is a good mix of fish, some might say overstocked. lol The stock has changed a few times. Gave some fish to friends, moved some to another tank, some died of old age, and some died from a heater malfunction, but nothing to disease.... at least to my knowledge, nothing has died of a disease.
So to get the with the story. I have had my bristlenose pleco that I got from a member on here (toddnbecka for a year, my school of cardinal tetras for almost a year, some hatchet fish and bolivan rams for about 6 months and a marbled angelfish for a few months.
I noticed when I added the bolivian rams that one had something weird by it's vent, but thought maybe it was part of the fish. You'd have to see it to understand. Anyways, after several months I came to realize that it wasn't natural, and indeed was camallanus worms.
I had purchased some pancur with fenbendazole a while back and after consulting another member on here for dosing size, decided to try it out on the camallanus worms.
To prepare I did a large water change and removed my nerite snails to my 10 gallon tank. I had read that nerites would die from fenbendazole, so I took them out. I left in my amano shrimp. Next I took a water bottle and put in some tank water, and poured in the fenbedazole. I next mixed in some freezed dried bloodworms, flake, and an algae wafer. I let them soak in there for several hours.
After the food and fenbendazole had mixed together I poured it slowly into the tank. Every fish in there ate as usual. I left the lights out and tank undisturbed for 48 hours after they ate. After 48 hours I turned on the lights and inspected the tank. All fish were alive and well, along with my amano shrimp and mts, but the bolivian ram showing the camallanus worm was still there. I fed the fish and they ate as normal. Did a huge water change and observed for the next several days. All fish remained normal acting, but the worms never did pass.
So I decided to order some Levamisole. I dosed it directly in the tank on monday. Today, 48 hours later.... NO MORE WORMS!!! It's also worth mentioning the lights were left off the whole time as well, as I have read that levamisole is light sensitive. No ill effects on the plants from lack of light I might add.
I will follow up with a treatment again in 3 weeks, incase there were any eggs that hatched between now and then.
I have read on the net that some people had the opposite luck from me. They used levamisole and it didn't work, so they then used fenbedazole.
By the way, I purchased the levamisole from this site. http://www.inkmkr.com/Fish/ItemsForSale.html The guy was quick to respond and answer my questions and shipped the stuff out on the same day.
*And for the record. If anyone reading this just purchased plants from me, don't worry. I don't sell any plants from this tank. All the plants I have sold come from my shrimp tank and I don't share water jugs, siphons, or anything between the two tanks.
Brief background. I have had a 29 gallon tank set up for 3 years now. Over the years I have never dealt with any parasites or really any sickness, that I know of. Within this last year, I finally got my tank planted and scaped to my satisfaction ( I need to do a journal on this thing). Also, I finally got it stocked with what I feel is a good mix of fish, some might say overstocked. lol The stock has changed a few times. Gave some fish to friends, moved some to another tank, some died of old age, and some died from a heater malfunction, but nothing to disease.... at least to my knowledge, nothing has died of a disease.
So to get the with the story. I have had my bristlenose pleco that I got from a member on here (toddnbecka for a year, my school of cardinal tetras for almost a year, some hatchet fish and bolivan rams for about 6 months and a marbled angelfish for a few months.
I noticed when I added the bolivian rams that one had something weird by it's vent, but thought maybe it was part of the fish. You'd have to see it to understand. Anyways, after several months I came to realize that it wasn't natural, and indeed was camallanus worms.
I had purchased some pancur with fenbendazole a while back and after consulting another member on here for dosing size, decided to try it out on the camallanus worms.
To prepare I did a large water change and removed my nerite snails to my 10 gallon tank. I had read that nerites would die from fenbendazole, so I took them out. I left in my amano shrimp. Next I took a water bottle and put in some tank water, and poured in the fenbedazole. I next mixed in some freezed dried bloodworms, flake, and an algae wafer. I let them soak in there for several hours.
After the food and fenbendazole had mixed together I poured it slowly into the tank. Every fish in there ate as usual. I left the lights out and tank undisturbed for 48 hours after they ate. After 48 hours I turned on the lights and inspected the tank. All fish were alive and well, along with my amano shrimp and mts, but the bolivian ram showing the camallanus worm was still there. I fed the fish and they ate as normal. Did a huge water change and observed for the next several days. All fish remained normal acting, but the worms never did pass.
So I decided to order some Levamisole. I dosed it directly in the tank on monday. Today, 48 hours later.... NO MORE WORMS!!! It's also worth mentioning the lights were left off the whole time as well, as I have read that levamisole is light sensitive. No ill effects on the plants from lack of light I might add.
I will follow up with a treatment again in 3 weeks, incase there were any eggs that hatched between now and then.
I have read on the net that some people had the opposite luck from me. They used levamisole and it didn't work, so they then used fenbedazole.
By the way, I purchased the levamisole from this site. http://www.inkmkr.com/Fish/ItemsForSale.html The guy was quick to respond and answer my questions and shipped the stuff out on the same day.
*And for the record. If anyone reading this just purchased plants from me, don't worry. I don't sell any plants from this tank. All the plants I have sold come from my shrimp tank and I don't share water jugs, siphons, or anything between the two tanks.
