Treating For Internal Parasites

Hi,

I treated my fish using general cure in a QT before introducing them to the tank, but I'm noticing that my ram might still have some sort of internal parasite. She normally has a sunken stomach, but I was thinking she just wasn’t eating enough, so I started overfeeding a bit, and she had a nice fat belly, but then the next morning it returned to “normal” (sunken). I’m thinking it might be a internal parasite, or I might just be overthinking. It definitely doesn’t look normal to me though.

Anyways, is there anything else I can treat with? Something plant and snail safe?

 

Hi,

I treated my fish using general cure in a QT before introducing them to the tank, but I'm noticing that my ram might still have some sort of internal parasite. She normally has a sunken stomach, but I was thinking she just wasn’t eating enough, so I started overfeeding a bit, and she had a nice fat belly, but then the next morning it returned to “normal” (sunken). I’m thinking it might be a internal parasite, or I might just be overthinking. It definitely doesn’t look normal to me though.

Anyways, is there anything else I can treat with? Something plant and snail safe?

Sunken belly can be a definite sign of an internal parasite.

If your Ram has a parasite, you'll have to treat the entire tank.

Does your Ram have white stringy poop or is it brown and normal?

I'd recommend you treat with Paraguard, it is a greatly effective medication. Be sure to add an extra bubbler while you are treating to increase the oxygen level in your tank.

 

Sunken belly can be a definite sign of an internal parasite.

If your Ram has a parasite, you'll have to treat the entire tank.

Does your Ram have white stringy poop or is it brown and normal?

I'd recommend you treat with Paraguard, it is a greatly effective medication. Be sure to add an extra bubbler while you are treating to increase the oxygen level in your tank.

It’s white, not stringy. Paraguard is for external parasites, ie ich, so that wouldn’t help.

 

Options (and I welcome others striking my suggestions down, with an explanation of course):

1. Internal bacterial infection
2. Macro parasite (eg worms)
3. Micro parasite (eg protozoans)
4. Nematodes (press the red button)

I’m leaning towards 2 and 3. General cure, if you can get it (obviously you can), should be a good option, if medication is warranted. It specifically targets both of them.
Do you have any indication it might be 1 or 4? Or, might your prior treatment not have been long enough?

 

Options (and I welcome others striking my suggestions down, with an explanation of course):

1. Internal bacterial infection
2. Macro parasite (eg worms)
3. Micro parasite (eg protozoans)
4. Nematodes (press the red button)

I’m leaning towards 2 and 3. General cure, if you can get it (obviously you can), should be a good option, if medication is warranted. It specifically targets both of them.
Do you have any indication it might be 1 or 4? Or, might your prior treatment not have been long enough?

I did 2 treatments of general cure while they were in quarantine. It’s weird because she(the ram) is the only one with the sunken stomach. All the other fish look fine.

What’re the symptoms of internal nematodes? Usually a sunken stomach?

 

It’s white, not stringy. Paraguard is for external parasites, ie ich, so that wouldn’t help.

well that doesn't actually matter all that much. What matters is how you treat.

But you're right , Paraguard isn't ideal. I would grab either Metroplex or Neoplex and mix it with your fish food. Make sure to add some Seachem Focus in that mixture too to chemically bind the meds to the food.

 

KimberlyG had a really cost effective home recipe for medicating food - I will see if I can find it.

 

What’re the symptoms of internal nematodes? Usually a sunken stomach?

The reason I used the red button euphemism is the nematode I read about most is callamanus worms. As I understand it, it’s not until they have reproduced inside a fish for many generations that you start to see the classic external symptom of “red worms poking out the out hole”. They’re not controlled by prazI or metro, so general cure won’t touch them.
At this point, I feel like we’re at one of those fork in the road moments.
- Did the general cure treatments really work? In other words, can we rule out any diseases that general cure would treat? Have you double checked any/all filter media for carbon or purigen?
- Of the remaining candidates (1 and 4), just going on likelihood I would be more inclined to suspect a gut bacterial infection or imbalance etc.
I’m afraid I don’t have the answers for you, I’m just trying to be something of a sounding board to maybe, hopefully help you through the diagnostics and thought process.

 

Found that link if you are interested in medicating fish food - another member said she had good luck with it.

 

The reason I used the red button euphemism is the nematode I read about most is callamanus worms. As I understand it, it’s not until they have reproduced inside a fish for many generations that you start to see the classic external symptom of “red worms poking out the out hole”. They’re not controlled by prazI or metro, so general cure won’t touch them.
At this point, I feel like we’re at one of those fork in the road moments.
- Did the general cure treatments really work? In other words, can we rule out any diseases that general cure would treat? Have you double checked any/all filter media for carbon or purigen?
- Of the remaining candidates (1 and 4), just going on likelihood I would be more inclined to suspect a gut bacterial infection or imbalance etc.
I’m afraid I don’t have the answers for you, I’m just trying to be something of a sounding board to maybe, hopefully help you through the diagnostics and thought process.

The tank that they were treated in was a quarantine tank, I grabbed some cycled media(sponges) from my cycled tank and used them in a spare HOB. I would say the general cure worked, because when I first got them, they were flashing, darting, and clamping up. They eventually stopped doing it after the first treatment with GC, then I did a second treatment just in case.

I was told she might be wild caught, so maybe she has something only wild fish are prone to?

 

The tank that they were treated in was a quarantine tank, I grabbed some cycled media(sponges) from my cycled tank and used them in a spare HOB. I would say the general cure worked, because when I first got them, they were flashing, darting, and clamping up. They eventually stopped doing it after the first treatment with GC, then I did a second treatment just in case.

I was told she might be wild caught, so maybe she has something only wild fish are prone to?

That makes scene. You always de-worm wild caught fish.

 

That makes scene. You always de-worm wild caught fish.

Should I try something like fenbendazole?

 

Should I try something like fenbendazole?

Do you think the fish has Camallanus Worms? I normally don't treat unless I see something. (Praziquantel is a very gentle yet effective de-wormer. I have no problem using that as an "in case" measure. If the fish is still not acting normally, the fenbendazole may be an option. PrazI would not deal with camallanus so there would be no benefit to re-dosing.

 

Do you think the fish has Camallanus Worms? I normally don't treat unless I see something. (Praziquantel is a very gentle yet effective de-wormer. I have no problem using that as an "in case" measure. If the fish is still not acting normally, the fenbendazole may be an option. PrazI would not deal with camallanus so there would be no benefit to re-dosing.

idk.. I don’t think so. I just think her stomach sometimes looks sunken in. But i’ve treated with general cure, which has praziquantel and metronidazole.

Here’s a picture of her, you can't really tell here, but her stomach doesn’t look like it should..I guess.

 

idk.. I don’t think so. I just think her stomach sometimes looks sunken in. But i’ve treated with general cure, which has praziquantel and metronidazole.

Here’s a picture of her, you can't really tell here, but her stomach doesn’t look like it should..I guess.
View attachment 519228

wow, she is beautiful! I don't see a problem with the stomach. In cases of a shrunken stomach, I would use medicated food. Keep an eye on that beauty/

 

Have you considered that there's nothing wrong with your ram and that the sunken stomach appearance maybe just how it looks like ? If your ram isn't exhibiting any multitude of signs indicative of a parasite infection, I wouldn't medicate until you saw compounding issues.

 

Have you considered that there's nothing wrong with your ram and that the sunken stomach appearance maybe just how it looks like ? If your ram isn't exhibiting any multitude of signs indicative of a parasite infection, I wouldn't medicate until you saw compounding issues.

I have, which is why I mentioned that it might just be me overthinking it lol. (first time keeping rams btw)