Good morning all,
I hope this finds everyone well.
It's been a while since I posted about this problem (June) and I thought it had cleared up.
We have a 30 litre biorb which has been set up for years. We regularly get the water checked and it's only in the last week we've had any issues with - ammonia levels we're very slightly raised.
We are based in West London where the water is hard. 272 ppm calcium carbonate according to Thames Water website.
We had 6 guppies and 7 neons. A couple of weeks ago we noticed that the guppies were showing signs of what we think is camallanus worms. Thin red cotton like things protruding from the anal vents. Some of had around 5 of them. We've lost 4 fish whilst we've been treating the water with a liquid provided by Maidenbead Aquatics. It has an active ingredient of flubendazole 1000mg/100ml. Dose is 1ml per 50 litres, so we've been introducing 0.6ml into the tank.
We've tried 2 doses now (cleaning tank, carrying out a 70% water hange in between) but the worms are still present. Water temperature was 23/23, but we advised to slowly increase the water temperature up to around 28 which would be fine for a few days.
Also tried soaking food in a diluted medicated solution as per other advice, but nothing seems to be getting rid of the worms.
The 2 remaining fish and pooping like it's going out of fashion, but they are passing the worms with it.
I'm out of ideas, so if any one can suggest anything, that would be greatly appreciated.
Attached are photos of worms that pulled out of one of the dead fish. I'll try and get photos of the living ones.
Thanks all.
Camallanus worms in guppies (edit
- VikingMummy2015
- TOTM Winner
- Posts: 2676
- Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2018 7:40 am
- Has liked: 855 times
- Been liked: 1824 times
oooh....definitely not good mate, but not something I have any experience with (thankfully). Tagging some gurus @Stephen @plankton @Vale! @Gingerlove05 . Hopefully some of them have the knowledge at their fingertips.
From what I've read, you basically need to entirely empty the tank, bleach everything to kingdom come, and then you might be able to start cycling the tank again afresh and not have the worms return. But otherwise, it's a case of medicate and pray. The pictures don't look great with the clamped fins and general poor colour.
I'm surprised your neons haven't shown any signs of ill health. One because a 30L biorb is far too small for any tetra as they are active swimmers, but also because your water is too hard for them long term. You can't pass them onto anyone else, not with callamanus in the tank. I'd be inclined to get some clove oil and euthanise the guppies that are clearly infected. They're not ideal for that size tank either. I'm sorry this is happening for you; it's definitely not a good situation to be in.
From what I've read, you basically need to entirely empty the tank, bleach everything to kingdom come, and then you might be able to start cycling the tank again afresh and not have the worms return. But otherwise, it's a case of medicate and pray. The pictures don't look great with the clamped fins and general poor colour.
I'm surprised your neons haven't shown any signs of ill health. One because a 30L biorb is far too small for any tetra as they are active swimmers, but also because your water is too hard for them long term. You can't pass them onto anyone else, not with callamanus in the tank. I'd be inclined to get some clove oil and euthanise the guppies that are clearly infected. They're not ideal for that size tank either. I'm sorry this is happening for you; it's definitely not a good situation to be in.
240L Fluval Roma with Oase 600 Biomaster: 1 German red bristlenose, 4 male cherry barbs, 6 standard rummynose, 3 golden rummynose tetra, 9 emperor tetra, 14 cardinal tetra, 2 hengeli rasbora, 3 nerite snails, 1 adult Sulawesi snail and multiple juveniles continually appearing.
Parameters: gH2, kH1, pH7.4 (tap).
Fish fiend since October 2017.
Parameters: gH2, kH1, pH7.4 (tap).
Fish fiend since October 2017.
- Vale!
- Super Mod - TOTM Winner
- Posts: 2112
- Joined: Sun Jan 21, 2018 15:34 pm
- Location: Concrete Cowland
- Has liked: 32 times
- Been liked: 1302 times
According to Vetark.co.uk (not specifically a veterinary source) :
"Treatment
These worms can be readily treated by the administration of Levamisole to the tank water, and since they are confined to the gastro-intestinal tract treatment is usually very successful. Also since copepods or similar crustaceans are required for the successful transmission of this parasite, take care not to feed them to your fish as part of their live feed."
"Treatment
These worms can be readily treated by the administration of Levamisole to the tank water, and since they are confined to the gastro-intestinal tract treatment is usually very successful. Also since copepods or similar crustaceans are required for the successful transmission of this parasite, take care not to feed them to your fish as part of their live feed."
- black ghost
- Posting Legend
- Posts: 3534
- Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2018 23:57 pm
- Has liked: 309 times
- Been liked: 1391 times
Sterazin will clear that up. Contains piperazine (iirc) which works very well on Camallanus.
- black ghost
- Posting Legend
- Posts: 3534
- Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2018 23:57 pm
- Has liked: 309 times
- Been liked: 1391 times
Absolutely not true at all. In the aquarium Camallanus is passed on by the direct ingestion of larvae, which are ejected in the faeces.
- VikingMummy2015
- TOTM Winner
- Posts: 2676
- Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2018 7:40 am
- Has liked: 855 times
- Been liked: 1824 times
And that’s why I tagged folks....i’m Going to leave the betta group i’m In because they’re the ones who reckon callamanus is the devils work and impossible to cure .
Edit...my brain is clearly fried and i’ve got callamanus and columnaris confused
Edit...my brain is clearly fried and i’ve got callamanus and columnaris confused
240L Fluval Roma with Oase 600 Biomaster: 1 German red bristlenose, 4 male cherry barbs, 6 standard rummynose, 3 golden rummynose tetra, 9 emperor tetra, 14 cardinal tetra, 2 hengeli rasbora, 3 nerite snails, 1 adult Sulawesi snail and multiple juveniles continually appearing.
Parameters: gH2, kH1, pH7.4 (tap).
Fish fiend since October 2017.
Parameters: gH2, kH1, pH7.4 (tap).
Fish fiend since October 2017.
- black ghost
- Posting Legend
- Posts: 3534
- Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2018 23:57 pm
- Has liked: 309 times
- Been liked: 1391 times
They’re both fairly easy to treat.
* pedant alert *
Camallanus, not Callamanus.
* pedant alert *
Camallanus, not Callamanus.
-
- Junior Member
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Thu Jun 11, 2020 17:50 pm
- Has liked: 25 times
- Been liked: 8 times
Thanks everyone. I've ordered Sterazin, so hopefully that'll help. The flubendazole didn't seem to be doing much.
Also corrected my spelling in the subject heading! I did get it right in the body text
Also corrected my spelling in the subject heading! I did get it right in the body text