Battling With Camallanus Worms, Need Advice

Hello FishLore!

I recently just found out that my betta has Camallanus Worms, and they look pretty bad. I ordered some Levamisole from Amazon, and it should be coming soon.

My betta has been in a really worrying state, just laying on the bottom of the tank refusing to move, when before she used to be up and moving with her tankmates.

I just found several worms on my female guppy, and she is now acting similar to my betta, hovering by the bottom of the tank and not getting excited for food like she used to.

EDIT- My betta died, and my female guppy has gotten much worse with hiding inside caves and things she never used to do.
I will link the medication I ordered below, I ordered it quickly because it was the first thing I could find.

The product states it is powder used for goats and cattle, yet many of the reviewers of the product say they have used it in aquariums with good results.

One person stated they followed these instructions to dose the medication (Treating Your water with Levamisole) and rid the tank of the worms.

Does anyone have any suggestions on doing it? And what should I be doing for my fish in the meantime, I am beginning to worry my betta isn’t going to make it. Thank you for any help.
This is also completely off topic, but how does the member ranking system on FishLore work? I suddenly have valued member, is it because o exceeded a certain amount of posts?

 

Just give them a little higher than normal dose if you can visibally see the worms coming out its butt then its badly infected live it in there for 2 days lights off use x2 the reccomended dose and then do huge water change and vacum and kill any weak fish.
Reccomended Dose 1/4 teaspoon per 100 gallons
Use twice that much.

 

Just give them a little higher than normal dose if you can visibally see the worms coming out its butt then its badly infected live it in there for 2 days lights off use x2 the reccomended dose and then do huge water change and vacum and kill any weak fish.
Reccomended Dose 1/4 teaspoon per 100 gallons
Use twice that much.

Ok, the normal dose for a 10 gallon tank is .3 grams. So do I put in .6 grams instead? I should put it in and leave it for 2 days, then do a big water change with vacuuming. And what do you mean by kill any weak fish? Euthanize?

 

Some will undoubtedly have internal bacterial infections from the worms, and even if they pass them they may die. SO yes euthanize any ovbiously sick sick guppies.
There is a dosage calculator if you search it on the internet.
The normal 3ppm can go much higher if need be, without any serious harm if only used once or twice.
Repeat the treatment in 2 weeks, the life cycle of camallanus is 19 days.

 

Worms ON the fish or poking out the butt area?

I used the 2-3 ppm dosage for callamanus worms 3 times every 2 weeks. I still lost 6 cichlids that were too badly infected before I knew I had an issue, but the dosage was effective because I saw the dead worms being expelled.

I use this link for info


Also a little tip: Soak foods in an Epsom Salt solution and let dry. I used good quality pellet food like NLS. Feed to your fish while the dewormer is in the water (for 24 hrs). The Epsom salts act as a laxative, encouraging the fish to expel any worms.

I also leave the aquarium light off during treatment because I think I remember something about Levamisole degrading in light.

 

Yes you can mix some of it in the food too but I'm not saying go really high on the dose just add a little extra make sure it works since they are already badly infected.
Agree angelcraze

 

Edit: I should have explained better. Soak pellets in dissolved Epsom Salts and water, add just enough to cover the pellets in the bottom of a shot glass and let them soak up all the liquid. I probably used a hair dryer to dry it quicker.

 

Levimssole is added to water tho. You can mix in food too

 

Worms ON the fish or poking out the butt area?

I used the 2-3 ppm dosage for callamanus worms 3 times every 2 weeks. I still lost 6 cichlids that were too badly infected before I knew I had an issue, but the dosage was effective because I saw the dead worms being expelled.

I use this link for info

Poking out the butt area. Now only one of my fish is showing symptoms, as sadly my betta, who had it the worst passed last night. I really loved her

Also a little tip: Soak foods in an Epsom Salt solution and let dry. I used good quality pellet food like NLS. Feed to your fish while the dewormer is in the water (for 24 hrs). The Epsom salts act as a laxative, encouraging the fish to expel any worms.

I also leave the aquarium light off during treatment because I think I remember something about Levamisole degrading in light.

Ok, I’ll try that. Now only one of my fish is showing signs of being infected, a female guppy. My betta passed last night
My guppy has hemorrhaging, and not too many worms sticking out of her. She’s been lethargic, not active, and o think he term to use is wasting?

I think I’m going to mix it in the water, it sounds like less work and some of my fry aren’t big enough to eat pellets yet.

Gypsy13 sorry for the tag, but here is my post I was talking about. I would love to hear your advice, I don’t want anymore of my fish to die

 

I'm so sorry you lost your betta I really hate to tell you this, but it's often too late once you see the worms for the fish. You're doing all you can do for them by ordering the dewormer. The dewormer is to help save the others who may not be as badly infected.

It's awful, I know, I cried over it when my fish were infected and I lost my beloved cichlids to wasting. But I know I would still be losing fish if I hadn't done the dewormer.

After you use the dewormer, do a good substrate siphoning to suck up any dead worms and a big water change to get as much med biproduct out.

Good luck, you're doing all you can.

 

I’m sorry for your loss, and that you and your fish have to go through this. It is a tough time. I was so depressed during the weeks of treatment. I’ll be thinking of you!

I agree with giving epsom salts to help pass the worms. You can also feed shelled cooked peas. The reason why fish get secondary bacterial infections is because after the worms are paralyzed by the medication, if they can’t poop them all out the worms just stay inside and rot. Feeding the fish anything to help them pass the worms is helpful.

A few people have said this, but it is very important to vacuum the gravel before and after the meds. The worm larvae lives in the gravel so vacuuming helps remove them.

Another important thing is to thoroughly disinfect any equipment you use. If you have other tanks, I suggest treating them as well. Those worms can be passed tank to tank on a drop of water. Disinfect any water changing equipment and nets that have come into contact with the tank after you add the meds, and again after you remove the meds.

I am curious where people read that it is okay to double the recommended dose, or if this is something they tried themselves. I would be cautious to do so especially with fry.

 

Totally agree with Jellibeen. Actually I still siphon well to get all the spots worms might hide and it was 1.5 years ago that I noticed them.

It's a battle. You against worms. I wanted to give up fishkeeping at one point, but I still had to try and save the fish that were still alive. I was determined to rid my tanks of this, just a good attitude to have while dealing with this. I still have 12 cichlids in that one tank that I saved hopefully and that feels good 1.5 years later

You'll get this! I believe in you!

 

Worms ON the fish or poking out the butt area?

I used the 2-3 ppm dosage for callamanus worms 3 times every 2 weeks. I still lost 6 cichlids that were too badly infected before I knew I had an issue, but the dosage was effective because I saw the dead worms being expelled.

I use this link for info


Also a little tip: Soak foods in an Epsom Salt solution and let dry. I used good quality pellet food like NLS. Feed to your fish while the dewormer is in the water (for 24 hrs). The Epsom salts act as a laxative, encouraging the fish to expel any worms.

I also leave the aquarium light off during treatment because I think I remember something about Levamisole degrading in light.

Excellent link. Very close to what I know to work. 2mg (1/2 teaspoon) per liter of water. Do not go over 2mg/liter because your fish are evidently heavily infested. Take carbon out of filter. I treat Tank two days wait 2 weeks treat 2 days wait 2 weeks last 2 day dose. Important to clean substrate day after 2nd dose. Again midway between biweekly doses. Levimasole is light sensitive. Heavily infested fish have very iffy chances.

I’m sorry for your loss, and that you and your fish have to go through this. It is a tough time. I was so depressed during the weeks of treatment. I’ll be thinking of you!

I agree with giving epsom salts to help pass the worms. You can also feed shelled cooked peas. The reason why fish get secondary bacterial infections is because after the worms are paralyzed by the medication, if they can’t poop them all out the worms just stay inside and rot. Feeding the fish anything to help them pass the worms is helpful.

A few people have said this, but it is very important to vacuum the gravel before and after the meds. The worm larvae lives in the gravel so vacuuming helps remove them.

Another important thing is to thoroughly disinfect any equipment you use. If you have other tanks, I suggest treating them as well. Those worms can be passed tank to tank on a drop of water. Disinfect any water changing equipment and nets that have come into contact with the tank after you add the meds, and again after you remove the meds.

I am curious where people read that it is okay to double the recommended dose, or if this is something they tried themselves. I would be cautious to do so especially with fry.

This “doubling of dosing” has been making the rounds on other forums and the internet. Again. The worms need to be paralyzed at a dose that allows them to move long enough to be expelled. Overdosing is one reason the fish can’t pass the worms. Totally agree with what you say. In addition, I advise anyone with more than one tank, have separate dedicated tools and equipment for each tank. Thank you.

Totally agree with Jellibeen. Actually I still siphon well to get all the spots worms might hide and it was 1.5 years ago that I noticed them.

It's a battle. You against worms. I wanted to give up fishkeeping at one point, but I still had to try and save the fish that were still alive. I was determined to rid my tanks of this, just a good attitude to have while dealing with this. I still have 12 cichlids in that one tank that I saved hopefully and that feels good 1.5 years later

You'll get this! I believe in you!

Yes. We believe in you! And your finbabies!

 

That dosage bobbing around the net is preposterous. It was more than double! I don't even think the creator has tested what the minimum effective dosage is. I know the 2ppm dose was effective in my case. I hope I got all the worms, but the med did it's job.

 

Sorry for the loss of your betta. I read a few things here that I want to chime in one.

First, I agree, the dose sizes people suggest online are insanely high. This is why they probably lose more fish and the inverts don't survive it.

I used the link posted above (the loaches one) it had the best info and I followed the dosage exactly as it says on that link. That size dose did the trick and my inverts survived (even though so many people say they won't) and I even had brand new free swimming angel fry that hadn't even eaten their first meal survive it! Even after a blackout of the tank for 24 hours! (I covered the tanks with blankets for 24 hours)

I don't see a need to up the dose. It doesn't make it last longer.....and the normal dose does the trick for the adult worms and it is less stressful on the fish. I had a few adult angels that had the worms REALLY bad. Many worms sticking out of their butts. But amazingly, they survived. With the normal dose! I did do 2 additional doses and I had to do it to 18 TANKS! it was MISERABLE. Technically, the two infected tanks got 4 treatments. Dose 2 was just a few days after the first dose. Because all the worms weren't expelled yet. (not sure if that was needed, do they stay permanently paralyzed? or just temporarily? I couldn't find an answer to that, so I figured better safe than sorry) And then I did a 3rd and 4th 2 weeks apart on the infected tanks. The other tanks got two treatments 2 weeks apart, I never saw worms in those tanks. I have been worm free for a year now. And my QT process has been extended significantly after that experience.

I did add some Epson salt to the tank of the highly infected fish to help them pass the worms. I think most of my tanks didn't get them, but I treated to be safe.

Sadly the meds do not affect eggs or larvae. That is why lots of vacuuming is needed along with repeated treatments. I did daily water changes on 18 tanks for the weeks in between treatments. It was insane.

Good luck. I feel like treating one tank would be a breeze after having to do it to 18 tanks at once! lol

 

My experience was very similar to yours bizaliz3. The fish which I saw the worms all eventually passed away, but they were all older fish. I haven't lost any young fish to this luckily. I also treated all my tanks for good measure. But on tanks that I was pretty were safe, I only fed Fenbendazole in the food for 3 days straight every two weeks three times. Lots of siphoning in all my tanks. I fed Fenben laced food to all my tanks after 3 treatments of Levamisole.

Tbh, I tore down a bunch of tanks and consolidated as many suspected infected fish into one large tank to treat. IME, emaciated fish didn't gain weight, but young fish grew much faster after treatment and are still with me today. If the nematode didn't do too much damage, the fish may live through it. In my case, I lost the visibly infected ones, but some held on for 6 months. Most of the my fish had trouble while passing the worms I guess

 

My experience was very similar to yours bizaliz3. The fish which I saw the worms all eventually passed away, but they were all older fish. I haven't lost any young fish to this luckily. I also treated all my tanks for good measure. But on tanks that I was pretty were safe, I only fed Fenbendazole in the food for 3 days straight every two weeks three times. Lots of siphoning in all my tanks. I fed Fenben laced food to all my tanks after 3 treatments of Levamisole.

Tbh, I tore down a bunch of tanks and consolidated as many suspected infected fish into one large tank to treat. IME, emaciated fish didn't gain weight, but young fish grew much faster after treatment and are still with me today. If the nematode didn't do too much damage, the fish may live through it. In my case, I lost the visibly infected ones, but some held on for 6 months. Most of the my fish had trouble while passing the worms I guess

My only losses were before I discovered the worms. My favorite fish OF ALL TIME was a casualty and she was a young healthy fish who had recently spawned. I wish I had caught it soon enough. Strangely, the ones who had all the worms sticking out did survive. My favorite didnt show any worms. Which likely means she was unable to even pass them even slightly. (she was in one of the affected tanks) I lost a couple cories, then her, and then I noticed the bulging on the other two angels and then the red worms sticking out. One other tank was affected with two angels who also had worms sticking out. They also survived and are healthy and spawning regularly now.

Its really an awful thing to face. HOWEVER...it is the only thing I have successfully treated my fish for! Since everything else can have similar symptoms...but require different meds. At least the camallanus worms are obvious and there is a known treatment that works. There is no question about what med to use. That is the only upside to these stupid worms.

 

Thanl you all so much for your help and kind words. This has been hard, I feel as if it was my fault that my betta died since the week before I had been having very bad back pain (I’m young, don’t know what happened) and had been neglecting the tank. I can only wish I had caught it sooner.

My female guppy has hemmoraging and I can see one or two worms (not as bad as my betta however) do you think it may be too late for her? And how do I feed her peas to help pass the worms when she won’t eat?
The rest of my fish are showing no symptoms at all.

Does anyone have an exact answer on how much I need to use for a 10 gallon tank? I’ve read a ton of conflicting answers, half a tablespoon per liter right? And then I dose it a couple more times after that? Sorry if asking repetitive questions, I am just so worried about my fish.

Also, how does one get Camellanus Worms in a tank in the first place? All of my fish were healthy before this and I haven’t introduced anything new.

And does this affect my cycle at all, with the water changes and and siphoning? Is it better just to drain half of the water into a bucket, bring the rest of the water and the gravel outside and rinse it all, then fill it back up with the old water? And the worms can’t live in the filter right?

Sorry for the ton of questions.

 

Thanl you all so much for your help and kind words. This has been hard, I feel as if it was my fault that my betta died since the week before I had been having very bad back pain (I’m young, don’t know what happened) and had been neglecting the tank. I can only wish I had caught it sooner.

My female guppy has hemmoraging and I can see one or two worms (not as bad as my betta however) do you think it may be too late for her? And how do I feed her peas to help pass the worms when she won’t eat?
The rest of my fish are showing no symptoms at all.

Does anyone have an exact answer on how much I need to use for a 10 gallon tank? I’ve read a ton of conflicting answers, half a tablespoon per liter right? And then I dose it a couple more times after that? Sorry if asking repetitive questions, I am just so worried about my fish.

Also, how does one get Camellanus Worms in a tank in the first place? All of my fish were healthy before this and I haven’t introduced anything new.

And does this affect my cycle at all, with the water changes and and siphoning? Is it better just to drain half of the water into a bucket, bring the rest of the water and the gravel outside and rinse it all, then fill it back up with the old water? And the worms can’t live in the filter right?

Sorry for the ton of questions.

If your betta died from the worms, your neglecting the tank for any period of time was not the culprit. Don't be hard on yourself.

As for dosing, follow the loaches link. That is what I used. I also bought super tiny measuring spoons....like 1/16th and 1/32 of a teaspoon so I could easily treat the smaller tanks. A 10 gallon would use 1/32 tsp. or approximately .100mg
1/4th tsp treats approx. 90 gallons. This is why the 1/32 tsp cup came in handy.

As for how you got them.....
do you have live plants you have added in the last couple months? Any new fish in the last couple months? Because those worms can go undetected for a LONG time. If you got eggs from a plant (which is honestly how I think I got mine) those have to hatch, and then the larvae has to be eaten by a fish, and then it has to grow into an adult worm inside the fish.....it can take a long time. And often, many fish die before the worms even poke out of their butts. Which makes it go even longer without being detected.

I didn't clean my filters when this happened. I didn't want to lose my cycles. And it didn't seem to matter....And daily water changes shouldn't hurt if your filter has a nice colony of beneficial bacteria in it. You don't have to do huge water changes, you just want to do long enough to thoroughly vacuum.

 

The only non-scientific way to figure out the dose for 10 gallons that I know of without a scale is to divide 1/4 tsp into 10 equal piles. That info is in the loaches link. Each pile will be the dosage for a 10 gallon. You can wrap the other doses in plastic wrap to separate them for later treatments.

Bizaliz3 was able to save her fish with red worms hanging out of the vent, so it's possible for you to save her if the worm didn't do too much damage already.

When I saw worms, I could barely notice something pink. Also, it was right when the lights first turned on that I saw them. I think the worms might be nocturnal. I had one fish who had full worms sticking out, these worms appeared while deworming and they were no longer red.
Here's a pic of her with the worms



bizaliz3 That made me sad you lost for favorite. I also lost my favorite big blue male out of the blue after he just spawned. I lost him and a skinny EB ram the very same day after deworming for a second time. I don't blame the med, I followed directions perfectly, so I think he must have been infected too. I never expected him to drop dead like that. He was so strong.

 

If your betta died from the worms, your neglecting the tank for any period of time was not the culprit. Don't be hard on yourself.

As for dosing, follow the loaches link. That is what I used. I also bought super tiny measuring spoons....like 1/16th and 1/32 of a teaspoon so I could easily treat the smaller tanks. A 10 gallon would use 1/32 tsp. or approximately .100mg
1/4th tsp treats approx. 90 gallons. This is why the 1/32 tsp cup came in handy.

As for how you got them.....
do you have live plants you have added in the last couple months? Any new fish in the last couple months? Because those worms can go undetected for a LONG time. If you got eggs from a plant (which is honestly how I think I got mine) those have to hatch, and then the larvae has to be eaten by a fish, and then it has to grow into an adult worm inside the fish.....it can take a long time. And often, many fish die before the worms even poke out of their butts. Which makes it go even longer without being detected.

I didn't clean my filters when this happened. I didn't want to lose my cycles. And it didn't seem to matter....And daily water changes shouldn't hurt if your filter has a nice colony of beneficial bacteria in it. You don't have to do huge water changes, you just want to do long enough to thoroughly vacuum.

Oh, ok. I’ll try and measure out 1/32 of a teaspoon, just received the medicine. I shouldn’t expose the powder to light, because it weakens the effectiveness? I’ll do a big water change and vacuum the gravel now, then dose the medicine and post when I’m done with all that. Thank you for your help
EDIT- I did add three plants, two died because of my cheap light, and one I still have in there which is my java moss. Should I do something with it or no? I have a Marino moss ball too, but have had that for several years so I know that’s not the source.

 

Oh, ok. I’ll try and measure out 1/32 of a teaspoon, just received the medicine. I shouldn’t expose the powder to light, because it weakens the effectiveness? I’ll do a big water change and vacuum the gravel now, then dose the medicine and post when I’m done with all that. Thank you for your help
EDIT- I did add three plants, two died because of my cheap light, and one I still have in there which is my java moss. Should I do something with it or no? I have a Marino moss ball too, but have had that for several years so I know that’s not the source.

If you haven't added any new fish in a very long time, then I am going to guess there were some eggs or larvae attached to the plants. (scary thought considering people don't worry about QTing plants like they do fish. When people dip their plants in bleach or whatever, they are trying to avoid pest snails, I don't think people realize that plants can bring in dreaded camallanus worms too!) You don't need to do anything with the remaining plant. It is in the tank being treated.

The powder itself can be exposed to light...as far as I know it is the treated water that needs to be kept dark for 24 hours. I could be wrong, but I don't think the powder needs to stay out of the light. I think it just says to keep it cool and dry....

 

For me I think the worms came in with some angelfish from a local aquarist's tank. The worms lived in my fish and spread for 3 years before I could tell anything was wrong. I suspected the two pairs I bought because 4 of the 6 fish who passed were these angels. I lost the first one within 6 months to a abscess, now that I think of it, it may of been the worms as well.

These worms can live in the fish for years before they affect the fish in large numbers. I will definitely be deworming new fish prophylactically from now on in QT. I also am too paranoid not to disinfect plants or at least QT them in a fishless tank.

 

Thank you for all your advice

I did the 1/4 TSP divided into 10 parts, and just put one dose in. I leave it for two days right? With regular feeding, or feeding with peas or the Epsom Salt soaked food? And what do I do if I have a lethargic guppy, just leave her alone and hope for the best?

I have a towel over the tank, and I am assuming that after leaving the dose in the tank for (however many) days I do a large water change and vacuum the gravel?

Should I start disinfecting tank equipment now (airline tubing, nets, buckets, decor, siphon) now, or wait until I finish the whole treatment? Also, how would I make the solution to disinfect it?

I apologize for the many questions, this is all new to me and you guys are super helpful thank you all so much for your support. FishLore truly has an amazing community

 

Theres no set specific directions, only that I left mine in for 2 days and they were fine, and also that I overdosed a little, and again, they were fine.
The light is suppose to be off because it de-activates the levimasole.
It dosent have to be a full 2 days, after at least 24 hours you could turn it all back on and change the water, but it may work better to be more patient.
Just stuff from my personal experience and talking with ifga guys, not stuff I googled on the internet 5 minutes ago tyvm.

 

The only non-scientific way to figure out the dose for 10 gallons that I know of without a scale is to divide 1/4 tsp into 10 equal piles. That info is in the loaches link. Each pile will be the dosage for a 10 gallon. You can wrap the other doses in plastic wrap to separate them for later treatments.

Bizaliz3 was able to save her fish with red worms hanging out of the vent, so it's possible for you to save her if the worm didn't do too much damage already.

When I saw worms, I could barely notice something pink. Also, it was right when the lights first turned on that I saw them. I think the worms might be nocturnal. I had one fish who had full worms sticking out, these worms appeared while deworming and they were no longer red.
Here's a pic of her with the worms
View attachment 469730

bizaliz3 That made me sad you lost for favorite. I also lost my favorite big blue male out of the blue after he just spawned. I lost him and a skinny EB ram the very same day after deworming for a second time. I don't blame the med, I followed directions perfectly, so I think he must have been infected too. I never expected him to drop dead like that. He was so strong.

Just one thing. When I say heavily infested, it doesn’t necessarily mean hanging out the vent. There can be horrendous internal damage before you ever see the worms. I’m just saying the survival of your fish depends a lot on how much damage has been done internally. I’m optimistic you’ve got this handled. Thank you all for helping here.

 

Ok, it’s been a night after treatment. I just checked on the tank this morning, and it took a while for them to see me but everyone came to the front and started begging for food excluding my lethargic guppy. She is still doing the hovering by the gravel thing.

I think I want to make a laxative for them, I’ve heard of the epsom salt food soaking idea but also heard that the pellets take two days to dry.

Should I do the epsom salt bath option?

If I can find my epsom salt I’ll do that and get it ready for the (two?) week period in which I don’t treat the tank. Any other suggestions of laxatives?

And should I be feeding my tank normally, or nothing at all?

 

Don't worry about drying the pellets then. I used a hairdryer though. Just try to get the fish eating it right away. Or I have used Repashy gel foods and added an Epsom Salt/boiling water solution to the powder. 3/4 tsp Epsom salts with 1/2 cup water.

Feed it during treatment. I left the Levamisole in the water overnight, the whole next day and did my WC the following morning. So the med was there for about 36 hrs.

I think the epsom salts are helpful because that pic I took was after the second treatment!

Edit: I forgot to use Epsom salts and used it for the 3rd treament. Sorry, that didn't make sense!

 

Don't worry about drying the pellets then. I used a hairdryer though. Just try to get the fish eating it right away. Or I have used Repashy gel foods and added an Epsom Salt/boiling water solution to the powder. 3/4 tsp Epsom salts with 1/2 cup water.

Feed it during treatment. I left the Levamisole in the water overnight, the whole next day and did my WC the following morning. So the med was there for about 36 hrs.

I think the epsom salts are helpful because that pic I took was after the second treatment!

I’ll try the hairdryer route. When I find my Epsom salts

 

Hello. What I have found out is that if one of your fish has camallanus, then likely most of your fish have it, so treating the whole tank is best.

 

I've never used Levamisole, but did have good results with Fenbendazole. In their book on fish disease Burgess, Bailey and Exell state that Levamisole won't kill the ova stages of the nematode. I'm wondering if the eradication problems we see are the result of its use.

 

Hello. What I have found out is that if one of your fish has camallanus, then likely most of your fish have it, so treating the whole tank is best.

Yeah, that was my plan. Thank you for the advice

 

Yeah, that was my plan. Thank you for the advice

You are welcome

 

I've never used Levamisole, but did have good results with Fenbendazole. In their book on fish disease Burgess, Bailey and Exell state that Levamisole won't kill the ova stages of the nematode. I'm wondering if the eradication problems we see are the result of its use.View attachment 469973

I noticed that Fendabendazole was a option for treating Camallanus worms, but also read that some worms were immune to them? I don’t know if that’s right but wanted to be sure that the worms were dying.

 

Thanks for the info. I'm not sure fenben kills eggs/larvae stages either....

I fed Fenben to my fish after treatment with Levamisole. I fed it for 3 days straight 2 or 3 times every two weeks.

I know that siphoning the bottom is imperative after treating for worms. That is how the eggs/larvae is removed. Also, treatment with dewormers is typically repeated 3 times every two weeks to get any stragglers.

Flubendazole can also be used, but it is dosed in the water as well. These are all dewormers and I don't see anywhere that says using them simultaneously is ok, so I finished treatment with Levamisole, waited 2 weeks and started with the Fenben (because I was paranoid and still losing fish. I know now that is because the worms did too much damage before I dewormed).

But after all the searching I did, I found Levamisole to be the most effective based on testimony.

blissangel So you dosed the water with Fenbendazole? Did you see the worms falling out? Do you know anything about dosing the water vs lacing the food?

 

I've never used Levamisole, but did have good results with Fenbendazole. In their book on fish disease Burgess, Bailey and Exell state that Levamisole won't kill the ova stages of the nematode. I'm wondering if the eradication problems we see are the result of its use.View attachment 469973

If the treatment regimen for levamisole is followed, you will be rid of the worms. F you use fenbendazole, you may have an affect of the camallanus worm. Which is why people stopped using fenbendazole. We want something to actually work. Not something that may work. Nematodes are touch adaptable creatures. Levamisole is proven to be a poison they can’t adapt to.

I noticed that Fendabendazole was a option for treating Camallanus worms, but also read that some worms were immune to them? I don’t know if that’s right but wanted to be sure that the worms were dying.

You’re on the right track. And if you can’t get the epsom salt in through the food, baths are fine.

 

How much would I put in the bath? I would only have to bathe one of my fish, the others are all eating fine. And thank you for the reply

 

How much would I put in the bath? I would only have to bathe one of my fish, the others are all eating fine. And thank you for the reply

1 tablespoon epsom salt/gallon of water. Mix thoroughly till epsom salt dissolved. Put in small container bigger than fish. Keep water temp as close to tank water as possible. Let the fish soak in bath 10 minutes 3-4 times/day.

 

Flubendazole can also be used, but it is dosed in the water as well. These are all dewormers and I don't see anywhere that says using them simultaneously is ok, so I finished treatment with Levamisole, waited 2 weeks and started with the Fenben (because I was paranoid and still losing fish. I know now that is because the worms did too much damage before I dewormed).

But after all the searching I did, I found Levamisole to be the most effective based on testimony.

blissangel So you dosed the water with Fenbendazole? Did you see the worms falling out? Do you know anything about dosing the water vs lacing the food?

I have never used that. Has it helped or worked with you? The only thing I would worry about is if the meds would ruin your cycle or use some of the oxygen up in the water. You can easily just add an air stone. Also remember to remove the carbon!

 

I second that gypsy, levimasole is the best, but also I know some top ifga breeders who would use ivermectin "stromectol" .