Sterazin for flukes and Elephant noses

[mystic_beth]

Hi

Has anyone used sterazin on E/noses..? .. if so..what dose and how did they cope.

As someone else already mentioned on here..they do not take too well to many usual meds...and Salt dosing the tank will kill them too.

Looking forward to replies. I have tried Trich..2 months in an I spot a few again.. Now trying Prazi..not too sure if this is working. May need to move on to Sterazin.

Poor fish.

[taksan]

Pretty easy way to kill them.
Do not use Sterizin on Elephent noses

[mystic_beth]

What is in sterazin ?

If this is not good..can anyone suggest a better solution please. I would dearly love to get rid of the flukes without fish losses.

What about Dimlin? And is Dimlin available in Australia?

(Learning as I go ..treading with care...) Thanks guys and gals.

[samir]

you cannot get rid of the flukes, trichlorfon and prazi willl get most of them, if they've come back in numbers then its probably because of neglect.
use the prazi, keep things clean and don't introduce new fish all the time. you can control it but its very hard to completely eradicate.
waterlife paragon may be okay for elephant nose but its pretty mild on flukes too ? matter of fact so is sterazin.

[mystic_beth]

Thanks again :)

Yeah the numbers are not great but annoying. These things are white, appear thin and rod like and can be but a spec to a mm or slightly more long. My tanks have only been set up 5 months, and are still establishing..though I am very much on to tank maintenance and water testing weekly aswell. All parameters good.

I originally thight these things were anchor worms..but can see no two egg sacks.

I have been able to get the occasional one off an e/nose using a wet cotton bud.

Not easy tho :?

I have a good selection of Qtine tanks now so the final new additions I am waiting on can be treated proactively before introduction and after a suitable Q Tine.

Aside from me hating the sight of these things..everyone seems healthy and glowing.

[sammigold]

your descriptions does not sound like flukes to me. flukes are microscopic from what I have seen. (under a microscope that is)

Sounds like maybe something else. Do you find them only on your fish or do you find them elsewhere around the tank? Do they wiggle around or sit stationary?
Have you every been able to get a photo of them. like in macro or something?

Maybe somebody with more veterinary knowledge may be able to suggest a more likely possibility than flukes.

You could always go straight to the manufacturer and ask if their medications are ok to use with elephant noses. email them and I am sure they will get back to you. I have done this in the past with the waterlife people asking about sterazin with catfish and loaches. and was able to safely use it on both.
hth abit

[mystic_beth]

Hi Sami

They seem pretty limited to their host and do not wriggle.

I have photos..Will post some up over the weekend.

[mystic_beth]

This is quite a small e/nose.

Follow it's fin up to it's gill and you will see a white rod like thing.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g230/mystic_beth/AWhitething3.jpg

And on it's back..here in the tank.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g230/mystic_beth/AWhitething1.jpg

If not flukes...then what?

[sammigold]

MysticBeth, I honestly dont know what it is but I am pretty sure that it is not flukes.

Hopefully somebody else here will be able to identify it for you.

I will see if I can find out or find someone who will know.

great photos! and he/she is a very nice fish.

cheers
sammi

[mystic_beth]

Hi Sammi

Thanks for helping me with the brainstorming!

I have spent days on the net and in books trying to sort this one :?

The next fish with a bigger infestation is going to have to be sent to a vet specialising in fish I reckon :(

Yes the E/Noses are a nice very smart fish..but hard to keep in some ways.

Liz

[samir]

The next fish with a bigger infestation is going to have to be sent to a vet specialising in fish I reckon :(


most of the good fish vets are in Tas, so that way you're lucky.

[mystic_beth]

:)

Well I know of one in Launceston..just need to locate his contact details again...Don't know of any near me. Still the trip would be worth it.

Well after fishing out my fish, and dislodging what I could see after the prazi treatment...all "seems" quiet in the tank......but we will have to wait and see.

[Merrilyn]

That's definately not flukes. It MAY be anchor worms, but the pic is too small to tell.

Hope your vet can give you some answers.

In the meantime, if you can remove them with a wet cotton wool swab, I'd be doing that. It's pretty harmless to the fish and a fairly easy way to eradicate the parasite, whatever it is.

I might also suggest that your tank would benefit from having a UV added to your system. It will keep water born parasites under control.

[mistakes r crucial]

Looks like Planaria to me but I've never seen one take hold of a fish.
MAC

[mystic_beth]

http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/management/Ali_Planaria_Worms.html

M.R.C

Maybey you have the nail on the head. The link above says these can connect to gills..interesting. Will look into this further!

Thanks for the new lead :)

[mystic_beth]

http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/nematodesandplanaria.html

So far have not found any other reference but the first on them attaching to fish.

[sammigold]

If it is planaria, it may indicate overfeeding? maybe cut down on the feeding and some thorough gravel vacs and if they disappear that may have been the answer.
I sort of thought planaria when you first described them but I didnt know if they would attach to fish. I only thought they went on the glass, but if you think about it, why would they be choosy? Its not as if they are human and know that glass is glass and a fish is a fish. (I hope I am not being to derogatory toward the intellect of planaria. LOL)

[mistakes r crucial]

Planaria have got me stuffed! Iv'e read all the stuff you have Sammi, over feed, dirty tanks = Planaria. Yet, the vast majority of the time, my tanks would be as clean as, 20-30 tanks on the same system, same water, roughly the same amount of fish per tank, same feed regime, same W/C, the works, but I've had one or 2 tanks chockers full of Planaria. Someone please tell me why?
MAC

[sammigold]

big shrug of the shoulders from this part of town! lol

[mystic_beth]

Yup..min was planaria!

My poor fishies and all the treatments the went through :(

In my main tanks there must have only been a few..must have come in on the bloodworm and plants..but enough other fishies to eat the surplus.

My AR380 recently housed a q/tined e/nose ..one bit of driftwood and no gravel. He she was in there for three weeks and a water change each week. Well after being put on the track of Planaria I suddenly realised that what I though were little bits of filter wool in my aquarium were larger planaria adrift in the current. Smaller ones were all over the glass. The longer the lights were on the more set adrift and the small ones were not so small when they stretched out. YUCKKY!

Q/tine over and I have an empty tank..experiment time..Hit with ich treatment..they laugh at me! Hit with fluke treatment ..they laugh harder...hit with trichlorfon..they seem all gon in an hour.

The tank has been chlorinated out now and left dry.

This tank has only known bloodworm and the driftwood was bought new and shrink wrapped..so it must come in in frozen foods.

But thanks to you guys :D I know what I am dealing with.