# Guppy infected with Callamanus worm



## Red_Rose (Mar 18, 2007)

One of my little guppies has those stupid callamanus worms. Although he is still acting fine, I want to get rid of those pests for good before they start infecting everyone else.

My question is where can buy some Levamisole? I don't want to order online as it would take too long to get here(I use paypal). Do most pet stores that mainly sell bulk foods and medications sell this? Going to my vet asking for this medication would be a waste of time for me.

Also, when I do get some Levamisole, how do I dose it for a 10 gallon tank? According to this site, it won't harm plants or snails. Is this accurate? All of my tanks are El Naturals and I would like to treat the entire tank to be on the safe side.

Thanks!


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## Six (May 29, 2006)

Meds that kill inverts kill inverts period. They are not safe to use with your biological filtration as it will adversely effect your beneficial bacteria population. They get away with saying these are safe meds because unless you can prove your bacteria count went down, you can't really say they were wrong. No one in the hobby would be able to prove that so they can claim it. 

Your water quality will likely take a hit after using it (ammonia spike may occur). This can kill fish faster than a parasite, so IMO not worth using in an established aquarium. I suggest QT. 

GL.


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## Red_Rose (Mar 18, 2007)

Here's the site I was referring to. I forgot to add the link.

It's an online site for loaches so I can't understand why they would post an article that is suppose to help people cure their fish when it could possibly make things worse. 

As for beneficial bacteria, if I was cycling my tank with a filter then yes, I would be concerned but since El Naturals use plants to remove ammonia and nitrites I wouldn't be all too concerned if some of the beneficial bacteria were to diminish.


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## Six (May 29, 2006)

Actually, you do utilize bacteria in a natural setup. They are on plants, in the gravel, all over. No matter where they are they are still doing the exact same job of turning ammonia into nitrite and that into nitrate. The part everyone touts as 'natural' in these set-ups is the fact that the nitrate is removed by the plants so there is little use for any outside/additional filtration. Even if you don't use a "filter" persay, you are still using the exact same bacteria to do exactly the same job. 


If you medicate the tank with a med that kills parasites, it will adversely effect all the lifeforms "under" that as well, which includes bacteria. Companys don't tell you this because most people don't nuke their tanks with the meds (meaning have things die off). BUT there is still a very real danger of doing just that. If you want a natural ecosystem, medications do not belong in the aquarium. If there's a dire need for meds, for one, that means the natural ecosystem is messed up in some way- usually it's the ability of the bacteria to break down the fish waste (hence me saying don't use meds that mess it up further!). Two, if you don't want to mess up the natural balance you've struck, then you have to QT the sick fish and keep the meds out out out. 

Also, rememeber websites are not free and they have to have sponsors. There's a million and one aquarium products and none (yes, zero!) are monitored for effectiveness or usefulness except the community using them. For goodness sakes, they sell people water in bottles as a way to help your tank!

Take my advice or leave it, but if you really want a natural tank above anything else, don't use medications in your aquarium.

GL.


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## brackish bro (Jan 22, 2010)

Just Throw Him Away


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## Red_Rose (Mar 18, 2007)

brackish bro said:


> Just Throw Him Away


If he was a human child then yes, I would just throw him away but since I care more for animals then humans, I'm going to try to help him in anyway I can.

Six,

I'll probably just treat him in a quarantine tank just in case. I had done a lot of searches on this and many said they had no problems with their tanks or inhabitants when using this medication but I'll most likely treat him in a separate tank to be on the safe side. At least you gave me an intelligent answer.


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## tnsser (Feb 23, 2010)

Red_Rose said:


> If he was a human child then yes, I would just throw him away but since I care more for animals then humans, I'm going to try to help him in anyway I can.
> 
> Six,
> 
> I'll probably just treat him in a quarantine tank just in case. I had done a lot of searches on this and many said they had no problems with their tanks or inhabitants when using this medication but I'll most likely treat him in a separate tank to be on the safe side. At least you gave me an intelligent answer.


If the guppy has it and you see red worms hanging out the anus than all the other fish have it too. You have to treat the whole tank. If everything is eating use Fenbendazole. The problem with fenbendazole is that to be effective it must be ingested and usually the reason people notice callamanus worms is because the fish has stopped eating.


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## Six (May 29, 2006)

brackish bro said:


> Just Throw Him Away


Wow.

Anyways, I'm sure you'll only hear positive things in regards to quarantine. It's annoying but a good idea. GL.


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## Natalia (Sep 15, 2008)

Get levamisole if you can. It is generally not available from the pet stores, so order online. The medication at recommended doses absolutely does not harm plants , invert or bacteria. Add once a week for four weeks. I regularly use it when I get new fish.

The alternative to levamisole I think would be the Safe-Guard® dog Dewormer (http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3307+14028+13555&pcatid=13555). The active ingredient is fenbendazole which I believe is effective against camallanus worms. This might be available in pet stores. I used this once to get rid of hydra with good results and people reccommend this for shrimp tanks, I think this is pretty safe. You would need to google the dosages and directions.

Quarantine is good, but when you already have the disease it is pretty useless, you need to treat it. Treat the entire tank as there are worm eggs everywhere already and it is just a matter of time before all your fish will get the orms. I used to quarantine my new fish and often they would do fine for some time but then get sick and several died. Now I do quarantine but I also treat preventively for worms (levamisole), bacteria (maracyn plus maracyn-two and external parasites (copper safe). Since I started doing this three years ago I have not lost a single fish.

The guy that suggested throwing fish away should just be banned from the forum IMO.


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

Even using other language, such as 'euthanase the fish', it is still not a good idea. As noted by several others, by the time you see the parasite, the whole tank is infested. 

I have used Levamisole and Prazi-pro for internal parasites and these do not affect the bio filter, either plants or bacteria. Levamisole has worked for Camellanus in a Rosy Barb. Other treatments were in a quarantine tank as a preventative. 

The info at Loaches can be used to figure the dose for any size tank, but lets start with: Which form of Levamisole can you find? I got it a while ago at a feed store as a wormer for sheep.


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## Red_Rose (Mar 18, 2007)

tnsser said:


> If the guppy has it and you see red worms hanging out the anus than all the other fish have it too. You have to treat the whole tank. If everything is eating use Fenbendazole. The problem with fenbendazole is that to be effective it must be ingested and usually the reason people notice callamanus worms is because the fish has stopped eating.


That's why I considered treating the entire tank because I read that if one fish is showing worms hanging out of the vent, there's a good chance the others will have it as well.

I'll look for Fenbendazole since it's also another medication that people have said would clear up these worms. Everyone is still eating great *knocks on wood* so I wouldn't mind giving that a try. After reading Natalia's post, I believe that Safe-Guard is available at farm centers in the area because I called out to quite a few of them asking for Levamisole which they don't sell anymore. I'm currently waiting for a vet that we take all of our pets to to call back to see if she possibly has Levamisole available.

Diana K,

So far, my luck on finding Levamisole is not good at all.  I had used Prazi-Pro in the past on my first betta who became infected with flukes and it cleared it up quickly with no affects on the tank or snails.

There is a place just outside of town that sells Safe-Guard so if anyone has any input on that medication when it comes to dealing with these worms and how it may/may not affect my plants and snails, I'd love to hear it! Since Natalia said that it's safe with shrimp then it should be fine with snails. If fenbendazole only really works by soaking food into it then what type of food should I get for them? My guppies are odd and they aren't too fussy for meat. They much prefer their spirulina flakes.


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## Six (May 29, 2006)

I will yet again be the decenter with this. If it is true that a worm infestation causes every fish in the tank/system to get infected than why are fish you get from LFS mostly free of infestations? Most LFS have a centralized system which means all the tanks are together in line. Most don't use hardcore meds like those being suggested nor do they use UV sterilization. If the worms were indeed as prolific as everyone seems to think they are, why aren't all fish you get from a LFS infected? It seems this problem is being blown out of proportion. 

I am siding on the conservative side- why dump meds in when the issue is not nearly as drastic as it seems. Frankly, if I had to choose between saving one single fish OR putting sheep meds in my tank, I'd euthanize the fish. Do you guys evern know how safe these meds are around people? Are they carcinogenic? 

This site seems to be medication happy.  Just because you can buy it doesn't mean you should.


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## Red_Rose (Mar 18, 2007)

Six,

I understand where you're coming from but if you actually look into a lot of medications that's used for animals(fish included) you will see that humans also use them. The main difference is in the dosage as well as what kind of additives have been put in with the meds.

Levamisole, Erythromycin, Tetracycline, Magnesium Sulfate, Nitrofurazone, etc. are just a few medications that are used for humans as well as animals like farm animals, house pets and fish.


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## tnsser (Feb 23, 2010)

Six said:


> I will yet again be the decenter with this. If it is true that a worm infestation causes every fish in the tank/system to get infected than why are fish you get from LFS mostly free of infestations? Most LFS have a centralized system which means all the tanks are together in line. Most don't use hardcore meds like those being suggested nor do they use UV sterilization. If the worms were indeed as prolific as everyone seems to think they are, why aren't all fish you get from a LFS infected? It seems this problem is being blown out of proportion.
> 
> I am siding on the conservative side- why dump meds in when the issue is not nearly as drastic as it seems. Frankly, if I had to choose between saving one single fish OR putting sheep meds in my tank, I'd euthanize the fish. Do you guys evern know how safe these meds are around people? Are they carcinogenic?
> 
> This site seems to be medication happy.  Just because you can buy it doesn't mean you should.


With fenbenazole you are not dumping anything in the tank. You are soaking it up in the food and feeding all the fish. It is easy to say that it "is being blown out of proportion" however once you see signs of the worms it is almost to late. This parasite can be dormant for long periods of time. If you don't treat all fish you will slowly lose one fish after another. This worm is in the body of the fish for 4-6 weeks before signs. You might not get it from a fish you buy at the LFS but from the food you feed. Treat the tank; period.

Get the Safe-Guard powder dewormer. Take 1/2 tsp and 2 cubes of bloodworms, flake food, or pellets. Mix together and let soak for an hour or so. Feed fish. Do this twice a day for 3 days. Repeat this in 2 weeks. It does not effect biofilter.


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## Red_Rose (Mar 18, 2007)

tnsser said:


> Get the Safe-Guard powder dewormer. Take 1/2 tsp and 2 cubes of bloodworms, flake food, or pellets. Mix together and let soak for an hour or so. Feed fish. Do this twice a day for 3 days. Repeat this in 2 weeks. It does not effect biofilter.


Thanks. Fortunately, Safe-Guard can be found easily around here. Levamisole, on the other hand is no where to be found. I know I can order it online from the U.S. but it would take too long to get here.

I would like to know if it would hurt to add the water that the food is soaked in into the tank? When I looked up this medication yesterday, a lot of people who have treated their fish with it just dumped the bit of water that the food was soaked in right into the tank. The only reason I ask is because if I soak flakes in the water, it would be a bit difficult to pick all of them out of the container. Also, should I use a certain amount of water to mix in with 1/2 tsp of this powder?

Thanks again.


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## bartoli (May 8, 2006)

Red_Rose said:


> The only reason I ask is because if I soak flakes in the water, it would be a bit difficult to pick all of them out of the container.


If you have a brine shrimp net, you can use it to filter the water for the soaked flakes.


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## Red_Rose (Mar 18, 2007)

You know, I've spoken to some people who have dogs and when I mentioned to them that I need a particular dewormer for my fish, they said I shouldn't have any problems finding it. I assumed that I wouldn't if that's what they told me.

Well I couldn't be more wrong. Peter Griffin was right when he said "Canada Sucks!" because it's true! I called everywhere in this area and I cannot find Safe-Guard/Panacur anywhere. The only place that does sell it is a farm store and it's dosed for horses, not dogs. The cheapest form of the medication is $14.95 but it's a paste, not a powder. They do sell a liquid form of it but I refuse to shell out over $100 for a 500mL bottle when I only need a minuscule amount.

It seems I have no choice but to use my stupid paypal account that takes eight days or more to clear a payment to order it from an online store. Needless to say, I am not pleased.

Bartoli,

Thanks for that tip. I'll use it when(or perhaps the best word would be IF) I get the medication.


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## Red_Rose (Mar 18, 2007)

I found another place that sells Safe-Guard but again, it was for horses and it's made into a paste that's in a syringe.

This is what is on the box. 10% Fenbendazole and 100 mg/g. Since I'd be soaking food into it, I'm assuming that this would be fine to use as well. If anyone can help me figure out the amount I'd need to use, I'd really appreciate it. I didn't buy this yet because a friend may be able to send me some Safe-Guard but I'm not too sure about that yet.


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