Callamanus worms

Dosed my 90g on Sat. with the levamisole from harrison. I lost 15 priscilla tetras, 8 bronze cories and 2 albino plecs!!!!! Way over half my fish population:omg:My angels, gouramis and bolivian rams are at the bottom of the tank and have not eaten. Change the water and vacuumed but have not seen any worms. I am hoping they get their appetite soon. I am not looking forward to another treatment in 3 weeks. Just wanted to let everyone know my encounter with this nasty worm and treatment.
 
Man, that's rough. I'm sorry for your losses. Try to get them to eat peas and/or brine shrimp to help move out the dead worms. If you mix some garlic juice with the pea and mush it a bit they may be attracted to that. Garlic is an appetite stimulant. Fishies love the taste.

I hope the others make it.
 
You lost more than half your fish and didn't see one worm expelled? That's very unusual even if they were small fish. I've never heard of that happening in dozens of cases I've tracked and/or read about in the forums. If there are losses there are usually worms visible and the losses are not great.

Usually fish will get spacey for a few hours after dosing, then snap out of it immediately after the water change.

I lost one fish out twenty or so, and none out of 8 in another tank -but I caught it very early.

A few answers if you would:

How many grams of Levamisole did you dose? This stuff is notoriously mild on the fish and hard to overdose, but I'd have to question that in your case since it's been days since you gave them the meds and you still are noticing the effects of the meds.

Did you cut any dead fish open to see if they were impacted with worms? If not you really should if you still have them to confirm.

What other meds were in the tank besides the Levamisole?

How many fish showed symptoms of worms and what were the symptoms?

When did you first notice any symptoms of worms?

The good news is that the second dose usually won't cost you one fish since the adults should be dead and any new worms will be minuscule. The second dose covers any of the worms that are now eggs which Levamisole doesn't touch.



boxercrazy said:
Dosed my 90g on Sat. with the levamisole from harrison. I lost 15 priscilla tetras, 8 bronze cories and 2 albino plecs!!!!! Way over half my fish population:omg:My angels, gouramis and bolivian rams are at the bottom of the tank and have not eaten. Change the water and vacuumed but have not seen any worms. I am hoping they get their appetite soon. I am not looking forward to another treatment in 3 weeks. Just wanted to let everyone know my encounter with this nasty worm and treatment.
Click to expand...
 
I used Levamasole from Harrison succesfully. I watched the worms fall out within seconds and didnt lose a fish. I was treating South and Cental American Cichlids which are pretty tough though.
 
I told him the size of the tank and he sent me pkts of 5g each. Put 1 pkt in on Sat around noon. By the eve I had lost all the tetras, sun all of the cories were gone along with the plecs.
Didn`t think to cut open the dead ones.
No other meds were in the tank
I noticed red spikes hanging out of the anus of 1 black angel last week, didnt see any on other fish.
The gouramis are hanging at the top, angels are at the bottom back of tank, rams are black and havent moved from the bottom of the tank. No one has eaten or even acted like they are hungry. How long can they go? a week?
Not feeling very hopeful about these guys.
 
Ouch! Worms suck!

No problem, on the hijack. Sorry, to hear about the massive fish loss. I lost all those cherry barbs, but no one in the display tank. If you've finished with the initial dose do another water change, quick! My fish seemed stressed after the first dose, and water change, too. Then, I second dosed, did the water change. They seemed stressed out until I did a second water change, after the second dose. The more I cleared the system of the meds. the better they did. Besides, it couldn't hurt. Mine never ate during medicating. After the water change, they did, however. As soon as they start eating again, feed peas or Daphnia. Use carbon in the filter, while waiting to do the second dose. Man! That's a lot of fish to lose! I really am sorry to hear that. On a brighter note, none of the callamanous worms came back, in my fish, so, when your done they should all be cleared out. You may wish to e-mail Mr. Harrison, and ask for advice or to see if perhaps there was something you could have done different. It may save your other fish. Keep us posted.
 
Mr. Harrison is a very nice guy. I have kept in touch with him and he has responded with suggestions also.
After your 1st dose, how long till they ate? I have done 1 water change and will do another tomorrow.
It seems now a couple of the rams has white stringy poo. Should I treat with a different med? I can put them into my 10g qt tank. Don`t really want to dose the 90g again.
 
I have also battled this worm successfully with levamisole and medicated flake containing fenbendazole (sp?) (the jungle tabs do not work AT ALL for this worm)

Just as an side, I have seen an otherwise healthy fish live for 4-6 weeks with these parasites showing and still recover. They don't wipe out tanks full of fish overnight. Check your water parameters, something else may be going on.

Also- it took me MONTHS of treatments before all the worms were 100% gone, but the good news was I lost very few fish in the process. More good news is the medications are very gentle on the fish. Its probably a good idea to deworm new discus anyway. I am the last person to suggest commercial fish meds- but I firmly believe in deworming new fish. I QT everything- and I deworm them while they are quarantined. A fish can have these parasites for weeks before you can actually see them coming out of their anus. Its a precautionary measure I always take.
 
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