Treating Parasites on an SAP - UK

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Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.

1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.

2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.

3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)

4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.

5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.

We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.

While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.

Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
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Fella
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Treating Parasites on an SAP - UK

Post by Fella »

So, after a quick look at my little guy under a strong light, I've seen some parasites on him. Coupled with his flicking and flashing, and cloudy eyes, I'd like to treat it ASAP.

The tank is 20 gallons.
He is an SAP Colomesus asellus.
He has cloudy eyes (being treated with melafix currently, today was the first day of dosing) and is flicking and flashing occasionally. His cloudy eyes means he is unable to eat, and he currently cannot eat snails. He can however see foods that drop behind him, as only the front of the eye is clouded.
In the tank I recently noticed some tiny little skipping bugs like minute beetles with antennae, and some white worms that move like (but are much smaller than) bloodworms.

I feed frozen bloodworm, and he is currently also accepting high protein fish pellets.

I live in the UK, so, I'm looking to get the most appropriate medication for him. As he if a puffer, anything copper based is obviously out, so what is recommended?

Many thanks in advance. I've read the pinned topic but don't know what medication would apply over here.

Oh, I forgot to add, PH is 7.5 and the params are -

Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 10ppm

:cry: :cry: :cry:
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Post by Pufferpunk »

Do you see white spots on him (ich)? Read the sticky on Treating Puffers w/Ich, at the top of this forum.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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Fella
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Post by Fella »

Pufferpunk wrote:Do you see white spots on him (ich)? Read the sticky on Treating Puffers w/Ich, at the top of this forum.
It's not Ich. The small bugs on him are barely visible to the naked eye.
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Post by Pufferpunk »

What do they look like?
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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Post by YBeNormal »

Are you sure that the "bugs" aren't actually his spines? Are the bugs moving around?
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Post by Fella »

Pufferpunk wrote:What do they look like?
They're only visible under a strong lamp on the blackest parts of his skin. They're small and almost worm like. Like tiny tiny blood worm that crawl very slowly across.

They're difficult to make out. They're too small to be anchor worms.


While typically I wouldn't use meds, is Sterazin applicable in this situation? Would it also kill the bugs at the bottom of the tank that irritate me? I know it contains Malachite Green, is that ok?
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Post by Fella »

Im beginning to see a little reddening in his pectoral fins now, only under close inspection with bright light. Anyone?
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Post by Pufferpunk »

Keep up with the Melafix.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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Fella
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Post by Fella »

Am I not going to be better off using something a bit stronger than an anti bacterial in this case?
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Post by Pufferpunk »

If you are to use anything stronger, I recommend it in a QT, as it will destroy your biological filtration. that's why I recommend the natural remedies 1st. Pimafix is an option too.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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Fella
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Post by Fella »

Eyes seem to be worse this morning, he's bumping into everything as though he's pretty much blind.

Im still dosing with melafix.
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Post by onebadpuffer »

I would also get your water tested again at a different place than before just to be sure of your water parameters.
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Fella
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Post by Fella »

onebadpuffer wrote:I would also get your water tested again at a different place than before just to be sure of your water parameters.
I'm testing at home with an API master kit less than 6 months old. I test the other tanks also and it gives the readings I would expect.
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Post by Fella »

He seems to have pretty much made a full recovery. Eyes are bit cloudy, but otherwise, he's back to his normal self. Thanks for all the advice given.
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