Dinoflagelate identification

[corlis]

I have posted several threads regarding a problem with my fish. Photos show problem. I originally proposed disease to be Hexamita and treated appropriately with 10 day dosage of Metronidazole (600mg/20litres) every second day. 50% wc before redose. I was only able to do a stool sample examination after this treatment (lack of equipment) and I identified a number of protozoans. Protoopalina was present in low numbers (six specimens observed). The second species still not identified was pesent in the hundreds. Clearly unidentified protozoan is not Hexamita. Tw http://www.discusforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=19298 had a problem with an unidentified intestinal disease which was never cured. Metro dosing was unsuccessful as well. In that thread it was suggested the culprit may be cryptobia. In my stool samples no cryptobia were present. Can any one identify dinoflagelate as can anyone suggest a possible cure. I had suggested the use of dimmitrol to cure Hexamita But have not tested this approach as yet.

[ILLUSN]

fantasic photos mate very impressed, I saw very similar protozoa in TW's fish, metro was ineffective at 25mg/L, dimetrozole was also ineffective, both were administered as baths, if you could force feed the drugs to the fish you might have a chance. Andrew Soh suggested to me to use metro in food at 2g/100g feed daily up to 3x. i would suggest this is your fish are still eating.

epson salts at concentrations over 70ppm have also been shown to inhibit the growth of flagellets but the test species was spironucleus, which are much smaller then your organisum.

there are other drugs that can kill protozoa but their effect on fish is porly documented
Sulfadiazine/Pyrimethamine (stops folic acid production, second drug is used in malaria treatment)
Diclazuril
Toltrazuril
Nitozoxamide (dissolves porly mainly used for beef and fish tape worm does have anti protozoan properties)

if you can get these drugs use them at your own risk, i have no idea how fish will react to them in a bath treatment) I'd sugest dosing orally in food or in a suspension with a crop needle dosed down the throat.

my best advice is mix metro with food @2g/100g isolate the fish and raise temp to 30C add epson salt at 70mg/L maintain excellent water quality.

[corlis]

Hi Illusn

Photos from my Olympus CH30 Microscope and 4mpixel digital occular camera. I have started a program of 600mg metro/dose in 20litres with 50%wc every 12 hrs. temperature is 31c and empsom salts have been used. I will be doing faecal examinations every day to see if drugs are working. Fishh are not eating so only possible alternative is oral injection. What dose of metro can be suggested/ 100gram fish weight and how often and how long . Fish are 120-130cm tl.

[corlis]

Update

tarted new metro dosage schedule last night. This morning faecal samples showed 100s of cysts. Not many dinoflagelates. pictures of other protozoans in faecal squash. Many sp3 in sample this time

[ILLUSN]

oral dosage i used was 0.8-1ml of flagyl solution adminstered orally to the discus, i repeated every 2 days, flagyl liquid has sugar in it so dont dose your tank with it.

SP3 seems immune to metro, i have it in the stools of one of my peppermints, treating them with excellent water quality epson salt and garlic, they're eating well and the stools are changing from jelly to "normal" brown.

sp2 should be responsive to metro I've treated similar organisums before.

[corlis]

hi illusn

I have plenty of metro tablets so I dont really want to purchase more metro. Can you give me a mg/ml concl

[ILLUSN]

no problem
flagyl liquid
Metronidazole Benzoate 320mg/5ml
Equivalent to Metronidazole 200mg/5mL