worms

[lpiasente]

I put some big l in the tank after a water change yesterday as I noticed one of the discus doing a white poo. ewwwwww now there is another one with worms hanging out. Makes me really know that regular worming is a good thing. (The not so nice side of discus keeping.) The worms look like 3 pieces of 1.5cm course hairs hanging out. Is the big L enough of a treatment for these?? I have never had them before well I mean my fish haven't had them before.

[boxters]

white poo is something more problamatic than worms. i hate to say its a sure sign of hex, of which metronidazole in the food is the best cure if the fish is still eating. Discus should be wormed once every 8 weeks. i have a great product on my website for this. www.marlonsdiscus.com.au

If you need any further help please feel free to contact me

[lpiasente]

I can see the worm eggs in the poop well poop casing...little round white balls

[boxters]

well white poop is caused by hexamita. left untreated your fish will eventualy stop eating and die

[Merrilyn]

Levamisole will also cause the poop to turn white, so wait and finish the treatment first (second dose due after 7 days).

Two weeks after that, I'd treat them for tape worms using something good like the stuff Marlon Discus sell.

If you've got segments, and eggs, as well as worms hanging out, then I think your fish are infested with both threadworm and tapeworm. You're on the right track with Levaisole for the threadworm but you will also need something to move the tapeworm.

You'll find their appetite will greatly improve after worming.

Once you've finished both treatments, if your fish is still pooping white or clear droppings, then we need to look at the situation again. As boxters suggested, it could be hex, but if it's just started, it could well be caused by the worm treatment.

Keep us posted.

[Hollowman]

. Discus should be wormed once every 8 weeks.

Bad advice imo, and something not to be taken as gospel by noobs. :roll:

You should only worm your fish when you see signs of problems, do it as often as that and you end up getting worms with an immunity to the med. Once every six months is more than enough, unles you are feeding unsafe foods like Tubifex (which you should never do)

H

[boxters]

We are all in titled to our opinions

[Hollowman]

Of course, but noobs will end up nuking their fish because of that advice. We know that the worming process quite often makes the fish starve themselves for a time, so worming so often will not be good for the fish. So, ime and that of many respected keepers, worming for prophylactic purposes should not be done. Like I said, it leads to worms with immunity to the med. Fact

[BigDaddyAdo]

Hey Steve, I just took some Panadol just in case i was going to get a headache later today.

I completely agree. I was chatting with a guy recently that had been worming his fish every six weeks just because he was told it was the right thing to do. When his fish do need to be wormed he will have a much harder time curing them now.

[lpiasente]

so why the worms???? I know thay they are carried by fish and when they get stressed the worms take over. I am a good fish mum the tank is cleaned and water changed twice a week sometmes 3 with aged treated and heated water. No new additions. The only live food I feed is brine shrimp and that's not very often.


I will order some of Marlons worming stuff
thanks guys

[Hollowman]

Hey Steve, I just took some Panadol just in case i was going to get a headache later today.
.
ha ha, yes, I feel one coming on next tuesday, better take one now lol :lol:

[m.ingram]

Hey biggdaddy and hollowman everyone is entitled to an opinion right or wrong .The best thing about these forums that people can help correct the wrongs of others ,but no need to take the piss out of others while doing so.

[BigDaddyAdo]

I wasn't taking the piss out of anyone. I was taking the piss out of the idea of the preemptive strike.

[Hollowman]

We like to have a joke also you know.

BUT, mis-imformation should be corrected for the sake of everyone here and noobs reading this and thinking they should nuke their fish with meds.
And that is not a joke!!

[BigDaddyAdo]

Geeez Steve. You really opened up a can of worms mate. ;)

[Merrilyn]

Okay folks, let's all take a moment to relax :wink:

When someone offers advice, they are usually calling on their past experience. If someone is an importer and retailer, with new fish coming into his fishroom all the time, then it makes sense that he would need to worm his fish frequently.

On the other hand, I have wild caught discus. I believe all fish in the wild have some kind of parasite burden, and even the best treatments will not eradicate worms 100% therefore I regularly worm my fish each 6 months.

However if you had a static population of fish in your tank for say, 2 or 3 years, and you didn't add any more fish during that time, not even a neon tetra, and there were no signs of worms, then there's no need to do anything.

Three very different situations, three different worming routines, but each is right, or at the very least not wrong.

In Leanne's case, her fish are showing signs of worms, so it's appropriate she treat them now, and also do a follow up treatment to catch any newly hatched worms. How long before she needs to re-worm them depends on her situation, if she adds any new fish or is she wants to start breeding her pairs. In either case, I would repeat the treatment.

[boxters]

in your opinion its misinformation, in my opinion its based on research done over the last 10 years working with fish vets and marine biologists who have substantial documentation on this subject. It has been proven that some intestinal parasites that affect our fish are airborne and end up in our tanks. Now in an open system like a river i would agree that the chance of infestation would be neglageable , but in a closed box sorry these fish need regular worming. I am happy for you to disagree, but untill you come to me with documented evidence based on scientific research im going to stick with my opinion, and i think it should be upto the individuals on the forum which point of view they feel suites them. I will loose no sleep over wether people worm their fish or not

[Hollowman]

Discus should be wormed once every 8 weeks. i have a great product on my website for this.


Sorry to have upset anyone, but your statement can be read as a fact, which it isnt, and not a rule.

My concern is for the noob, who nukes his/her fish so often that the fish get damaged by the med, and the med becomes ineffective. Am I wrong?? :? That is my from my experience of being around many fish keepers over the years, and my personal experience of keeping my own fish.
I am not selling anything, only giving information. How many times do we hear of people chucking in med after med just because they have it in their cabinet. How many times do we hear from noobs who have listened to their LFS who sell them any med to throw at their fish and end up in more trouble than before.
We need to be very careful that what we say does not lead people to get in more trouble or cost them more money than they need to spend. What Merrilyn said is quite right, there are different situations, but lets not get too carried away, how many of us import on a grand scale? People who have wilds will generally not mix them with domestics. If you are a 'normal' hobby keeper, as Merrilyn and I said, once every six months is fine, unless of course you see reason to treat. Overkilling on meds is never good, that is what I am saying.

[boxters]

The problem is not what you said, but the tone in which it was said. Enough said

[BigDaddyAdo]

FS: Chill Pills

They come in a handy blister pack and are suitable for many situations..... Like this one for example..... ;)

[Hollowman]

FS: Chill Pills

They come in a handy blister pack and are suitable for many situations..... Like this one for example..... ;)

:lol: blistering away over here :lol: Chilling as we speak 8-)

[lpiasente]

I bet I know who was always in trouble at school with the teachers for stirring.....hey Ado :lol: :wink:

[Hollowman]

I bet I know who was always in trouble at school with the teachers for stirring.....hey Ado :lol: :wink:

ha ha Leanne, he has a HUGE wooden spoon :lol:

[BigDaddyAdo]

Who me ??????????

[lpiasente]

Now both worming treatments are done. The fish is not eating and treatment finished over a week ago. He did however have some food during the treatment. I have seen no poops. A bit of a white droplet hanging out but couldn't really see what it was. It wasn't jelly looking. He looks beautiful. No clamped fins beautiful big red eye not overly active though and he takes NO notice of food at all. Not even the live stuff.( I even tried live black worm) So now is it time for metro? Or any other suggestions. If I find a poop even a clear one should I take it to the vet and have it looked at? I am not going to lose this fish and I am very happy (well you know) to pay the vet bill.

[Hollowman]

Worming treatment often makes them slow to start eating again Leanne. Keep on trying to feed as normal for another week or so before thinking about nuking them again with more meds. You will find once he gets in the mood to eat again he will be fine.

[lpiasente]

ok. I have put him in a tank on his own just incase it was something a bit worse than worms...should I add him back? He certainally doesn't like being on his own. Poor fella

[lpiasente]

Thanks Steve....running late for work

[lpiasente]

He now has hex. The local vet had a look under the scope for me at a poop. They were soo interested and gave me a call this arvo to have a chat about it. I have no doubt that at the start there were worms as like I said I could see the segments but I maybe being a bit run down from them has now cause this. Metro it is. I read that alot of fish don't seem to recover from this but I hope he pulls through. He is still bright eyes, fins held high, no pinching still looks beautiful and when I go to do water changes he comes swimming over for a look and swims up and down like he wants a feed . Poor fella