The Puffer Forum

Update:

Just got word from the vet she was no help. She suggested a uv light. She also suggested using praziquantel, this is what the guy that wrote the article said about it:

Camallanus worms are not very easy to destroy. I've gathered several information and reference files and praziquantel and metronidazole don't prove lethal for camallanus.

This makes me think she really dosen't know anything about camallanus worms. She did get one thing right, she said I would have to treat the tank, this I already knew.

I know a uv light may be a good idea but it's not going to kill the worms that are already in Annabelle. I don't think I'll go with the uv light. Not right now anyway.

If you do try levimisole, I'd try a bath for a couple hours, removing her if she reacts poorly - could help avoid risks. I have used the flubendazole powder from that site - it's quite a pure powder, and as such, somewhat hydrophobic in nature - to get it to mix with water, you have to add just a TINY drop of water to the full volume of powder, and mash it together until you get a crumbly mess. Then you add a bit more, and mash it until you get stiff stiff paste, then a drop more, mash until you get a thinner paste, etc. If you rush it, you'll end up with lots of balls of the stuff not dissipated into the water, and some big slicks of it floating on top of the water. Once I get it down to a thin gruel texture, I put the whole cup directlyi in front of the filter output, rather than "droppping" it in - each drop seems to leave a slick of powder on the waters surface.

I'll go that route. I really need to treat the whole tank and if I put her in bath's I would still have to treat her tank. I'd rather do the paste thing and not take any chances. Thanks Nick, I'll get it ordered today.

Btw: I sent the vet what I call "Annabelle's Diary", it has daily information, treatments, meds, water changes etc. She did comment and say:

I have done a great job at diagnosing her and treating her.

Now we all know that I can't take all the credit for all this. Everyone here deserves some of the credit. I just wanted to let you guys and gals know about the comment.

that is just such a let down....i really thought that you would get some very good information on what to do....
i'm sorry Lissa.....

Did you get a hold of the Levasole? You can get it at any local farm store generally, its not a perscription. I always have a huge jug of it (the way they sell it) around as its what I used to use mixed with metrodazole as my typical dewormer (before Geltek). It will be on the shelves with the pig/cow stuff, as its used as a pig dewormer.

It tastes horrible, so you may have to force feed, in fact, after the first bite, its almost a guarentee.

It does work great though, I've used it for years on any new fish I brought in.

You know, a UV sterilizer might not be a bad idea at this point. They are damn expensive though!

Hey, you are in Texas right, isn't there a Drs FosterSmith base down there? Send them an email and as their vets for recommendations, explain the whole story, ask if they have a UV Sterilizer rental program or know of anything like that...

my fingers are crossed for little annabelle!

Yes I have Levasole on order. It was shipped yesterday morning. I've decided that I'm going to set up a 10 gallon with one of the canister filters off Annabelle's tank. I'm going to add a little at a time to see how she handles it. Once I get to the full doseage if all is ok I'll leave her in the main tank. If she starts to act funny or does weird things like Nick said I'll move her into the 10 gallon. I have to treat her tank either way, with her in it or without her in it. If I don't need the 10 gallon I'll put the extra filter back on her tank. I'll update once I get the meds in.

I've never used it as a bath, so I don't know what to tell you there. Good luck!

I have to tell you, I've been on a dive trip for a week & was more worried about coming home to bad news abour Annabelle than being worried about any of my own fish! They showed an episode of House on the plane & the final diagnosis was a 25' tapeworm in a young gal. They showed him pulling it out & said the world record was 60'. I got to thinking about your puffer again...

Don't expect too much from a regular vet to know much of anything about treating fish. I do feel you are on the right track though. It's amazing that we all don't have more problems like this with our fish. I feed live blackworms to all my fish--have for over 30 years.

Pufferpunk wrote:They showed an episode of House on the plane & the final diagnosis was a 25' tapeworm in a young gal. They showed him pulling it out & said the world record was 60'. I got to thinking about your puffer again...

I had that episode in mind when Annabelle had tapeworms too (yes, we have House here too - I love it!). When he pulled that thing out of her... It made me watch my food carefully for a while.

i'm sorrry, i had no idea this had turned bad again...

you do seem to have the worst luck... and the most didication of anyone I know.

FInger, toes and fins crosses that you can get over this next hurdle. xx

I probally should have started a new thread but it's all connected so I kept this one open. I'm hoping the meds will be here tomorrow so that I can start the treament. She is still active and still eating well. I'm still giving her gel-tek in hopes that it will help until I can get the stronger stuff. I'm ready to get this worm thing over once and for all.


Pufferpunk: I tried what you suggested: I tried to feed her an earthworm injected with meds. It was the funniest thing you ever saw. She's scared of the earthworm. When I first dropped it in she took off to the other side of the tank. She had her eye on it. I picked it up and put it closer to her in hopes that she would eat it, again she swam to the opposite side of the tank and she kept watching it. Then I moved it to the middle of the tank and left it in there for a while. She swam towards the back of the tank avoiding the worm, still watching it, and went to her resting spot where she settled in. I was laughing so hard my belly was hurting. I finally just took the worm out and threw it away. I tried again the next day, I dropped it in, hoping she would come and get it. She avoided it again like the plaque! I gave up on earthworms.
My husband said if he had a 30" tapeworm he wouldn't want nothing to do with an earthworm either. I guess I can't blame her.

Nope--didn't think of that!

OMG! First I checked the status on Annabelle's med's, It's been "missent"! Then I decided to do more research on this Camallanus worms thing.

Here's another article I found:
http://inkmkr.com/Fish/CamallanusTreatm ... atment.pdf

I asked if saltwater fish can catch this and I was told "NO". That is not what the article says. It says even one splash of water can infect another tank! I ordered more meds and I'm going to treat all my tanks. Better safe than sorry. I've been looking at all my fish and I think I'm getting paranoid! On some of the white fish I can see a red anus. I did not realize it was so congatious. Apparently it dosen't even need a fish as a host, any living thing in the tank can be a host.
This is the craziest thing I have ever heard of!