Hi all.
I've read a lot of information on using levamisole hcl to treat internal parasites. It says it is effective when the aquarium water is treated. But I also read that medications for parasites are best used when soaked with food. So, can anyone tell me if I can soak bloodworms in levamisole hcl?
I have a figure 8 puffer that has a sunken in belly. He has quite the appetite but he looks very skinny several hours after eating. I have been feeding frozen bloodworms soaked in API's general cure for parasites and I've also tried Tetra's parasite guard with no results. I've done this daily for at least two weeks now.
I ordered and received levamisole hcl from ebay. I dosed the tank according to directions twice, but there's been no change. his stomach is definitely sunken in though, no just flat. Wondering if I should try soaking bloodworms in levamisole hcl?
Any other ideas what could be wrong? Behaviorally he is active, has decent coloring, white belly, has a good appetite. Water parameters are ok, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 20 nitrate. pH is a little over 8 I think. I keep him in salinity of about 1.006. I watch him every day, but have only seen his feces once, and it was not white or stringy. I'm stumped.
soaking food in levamisole hcl
Forum rules
Read this before posting!!
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.
Read this before posting!!
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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bertie 83
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Re: soaking food in levamisole hcl
Treating the water will not help as fresh water fish do not drink water. What are the active ingredients in this med? I see you are from the us, tetra parasite fizzy tabs get good results and are available there. Is he eating well? If so are you feeding until a slightly rounded tummy or just a bit of food? On a side note your salinity is a little higher than the optimum for these guys, once you get him better drop to 1.004 so you got a little margin to compensate for evaporation as the max recommended sg is 1.005.
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
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purplecandle
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Re: soaking food in levamisole hcl
+1 to what bertie said, but just wanted to add that it takes a full month of feeding quality, appropriate foods before an emaciated puffer starters to look normal.
Re: soaking food in levamisole hcl
below is a post from this forum by pufferpunk that discusses how levamisole can be successfully used by treating the water. it is actually listed just above my thread. I have read other articles that say the drug is absorbed and will be effective when fish aren't eating. My puffer IS eating well. I do feed him until his belly is rounded. I will soak some food with levamisole and give it a try I guess.
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7
and here is another. This one disputes the notion that the medication isn't effective in pH levels above 7.
http://www.loaches.com/Members/shari2/l ... chloride-1
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7
and here is another. This one disputes the notion that the medication isn't effective in pH levels above 7.
http://www.loaches.com/Members/shari2/l ... chloride-1
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purplecandle
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Re: soaking food in levamisole hcl
I'm unsure about that particular medicine would affect ips of a puffer if only the water is treated.
But if he is eating, then go for it.
But you have treated already, it's really up to you.
If he is eating now, and I had already treated I would just feed to chunk him up. 2-3 small feedings a day and some live earth worms. It does take time for them to bulk up. It took more than a month for them to get that skinny.
Does he have any other signs of ips? White poop?
But if he is eating, then go for it.
But you have treated already, it's really up to you.
If he is eating now, and I had already treated I would just feed to chunk him up. 2-3 small feedings a day and some live earth worms. It does take time for them to bulk up. It took more than a month for them to get that skinny.
Does he have any other signs of ips? White poop?
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G S P Freak
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Re: soaking food in levamisole hcl
I had a similar problem, not seeing improvement after treatment of different meds multiple times. The fix? I fed daily and often until he fattened up, then resumed normal feeding.
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Re: soaking food in levamisole hcl
Thanks for all the input! I will continue to feed a couple times a day, and see how he does. I will soak food in levamisole and see if that makes a difference. For those who feed live earth worms, do you buy them or just use ones from your yard? Are ones from the yard safe?
I've not seen stringy poo, but the weird thing is I really never seem to see him poo at all. Only once in the almost two months I've had him and it seemed normal. He just goes from sunken in to rounded belly, to sunken in again but usually within a day.
I've not seen stringy poo, but the weird thing is I really never seem to see him poo at all. Only once in the almost two months I've had him and it seemed normal. He just goes from sunken in to rounded belly, to sunken in again but usually within a day.
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purplecandle
- Mbu Puffer
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Re: soaking food in levamisole hcl
You can buy the worms or get them from your yard as ling as there are no pesticides present.atress wrote:Thanks for all the input! I will continue to feed a couple times a day, and see how he does. I will soak food in levamisole and see if that makes a difference. For those who feed live earth worms, do you buy them or just use ones from your yard? Are ones from the yard safe?
I've not seen stringy poo, but the weird thing is I really never seem to see him poo at all. Only once in the almost two months I've had him and it seemed normal. He just goes from sunken in to rounded belly, to sunken in again but usually within a day.