# internal parasite??



## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

Recently my N Corica loach started to get thin behind his head and act strangely. For 3 years he had been a night fish but latley had started coming out in the day swimming wildly around the tank and crashing into the glass. He seemed hungry but once he had the food in his mmouth he spit it out. I crushed baby snails for him and tried him with live white worms.
I did euthanize him 2 days ago as I concluded that he was dying. Ribs were sticking out and at times he would lay gasping on his back.
The SAE in the same tank has also been slowly losing weight over the last 6 months. Has a lack of appetite and is also getting thin behind his head and his belly is curving upwards.
I initially thought he was losing weight because the other SAE was bullying him. I rehoused her about a month ago so for a while he seemed a bit brighter. No longer! I have been throwing in anti parasitic food as well as antibacterial but none of the fish in the tank eat it. I vaccummed out a huge amount of the food this morning.
Needless to say My Sae is looking pretty thin and shows no indication of even trying to eat.
Iam thinking that perhaps both fish had the same condition but it is difficult to say.
The Sae is only 3-4 years old. The loach was about the same age so to me thye are dying before their time. Any advice what i should treat for?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Most internal parasites get the same treatment(s). Either medicated food (Metronidazole) or water (Praziquantel or Metronidazole) or both. Jungle sells medicated food with Metronidazole, but sick fish tend not to eat it. You can sprinkle Metronidazole (SeaChem) powder on frozen food and refreeze it. You can also use the powder in the water or use PraziPro. I bought some jungle fizzy-tabs that have Praziquantel, Metronidazole, and acriflavin in them. Since I put them in 3 days ago, my yellow labs have stopped dying. TOS recommended PraziPro a while back and it looks like you can use it in the food and water, but I couldn't find it and didn't want to wait for mail order. The concave sunken-belly look in a fish is diagnostic for internal parasites. Some of my labs have it, but I didn't notice because the dead ones seemed plump, almost bloated. 

I think you should try medicating this tank. The previous time I had a tank with internal parasites, I lost a fish every month or two with no obvious cause of death. I lost no fish in any other tank.


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## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

I was able to get a small bottle of Prazipro at Big Al's this morning. Looks like it will last me a lifetime!
I added it to my tank around lunch time and believe it or not the male SAE actually tried to eat some white worms. he was a bit too slow tho with the other fish in there but at least he made an attempt.
it is hard to believe the medication would work that quickly!
yes I know what you mean about losing a fish here and there for no good reason. It has been like that in that particualr tank ever since I had some gourami's. This is going back 3 years but I have had odd little problems ever since.
My livebearer tanks seem a bit easier than egglayers as far as treating with medicated food. i did have a 'wormy' fish in the livebearer tank once but since the platies and guppies are pigs they eat the medicated food.
I find tetras are really fussy about food.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

glad to hear you have improviment. The thing thats still not clear to me is how many doses, how often are needed to be sure its gone. Does the Prazipro have good instructions?


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## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

I dunno how old you are but trying to read the instructions for me are a nightmare! I got out a cheap magnifying glass and was still barely able to read the info.
However it indicates that 1 treatment is supposed to be adequate and then promptly says not to use it any closer together than 5-7 days!
I am wondering the same thing as you- Should I do another treatment "just in case".
I found this article-- darn IE 7 does not allow to copy and paste internet adresses very well.
www.rockymountaindiscus.com/prazipro.htm 
It indicates that Prazipro is not all that effective against internal parasites and we should use another product with it.
Hopefully someone else has some input.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

My labs are now eating frozen brine shrimp laced with Metronidazole, but since the tabs had the same med in it, now I'm worried about overdose in the water. My meds are similarly vague in the instructions. It says after 48hrs, you can redose after a 25% water change, but it doesn't say its necessary.


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## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

if you do a search back in the archives here there was a previous post I made and got info from TOS. It may be helpful although it talks about using the metronidazole or jungle fizz tabs as a followup.
Do you have the metronidazole as a pure tablet or does it come in a formula for fish?
I have tabs from the pharmacy and they are devils to get to dissolve in the water.
Not sure that the SAe is going to make it. The weather has switched so the fish are wild in that tank.
The SAe is ripping about in bursts too and is trying to jump but only succeeds in whirling downward in the water.He looks to have lost his balance.
May have to euthanize.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

metronidazole is in the tabs and I have a powder that I can sprinkle on food or use in the water.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Ok, I found the thread. I think that TOS said 1 week on prazipro then switch to metronidazole for a week with a water change in between. http://www.fishforums.com/forum/dis...tes-best-med.html?highlight=internal+paraiste


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