Camallanus Worms - now you see them, now you don't.

[Jannika]

This is my second outbreak in two years, so I'm wondering if these parasites are becoming more common. The last fish I got were some platies, and I quarantined for a month. The thing about them is, you can't tell if a fish has them until you see them protruding from their anus, and by then they're usually infested.

Another difficulty is in actually seeing them, because common carriers such as platies and guppies are constantly moving which seems to keep them from venturing out. I've only noticed them in my Bolivian rams which are less active fish, and even then just for a minute until they retract back inside.

Here's a recent pic of my oldest ram Bo, a survivor of the first bout. He was acting completely normal, but I keep a magnifying glass by the tanks because I'm paranoid. Thankfully he's recovering nicely again after a treatment with fenbendazole-laced food and water bath. I don't like to medicate unless absolutely necessary, but am considering that standard qt treatment from now on, at least with certain fish. I've never seen any bad reactions to the medication. What do you think?

 

[Kaosu]

Iv noticed the same thing...I have been seeing it more and more i Fought it with guppies for a year or so cleaned it out and my new apistos have it now!!

how do you dose your fenbendazole...where do you get it? Iv always used Levamisole but its hard to get ahold of now.

 

[To3kn33]

That's the buggers!!!! I got rid of mine but always have some left for the tank just in case!


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[tolawdjk]

When I had it I didn't notice it until the third Celebes rainbow died and I saw the wrigglers as I was disposing of the fish.

I am thinking mine came in with some black worms given I hadn't added anything to that tank in months.

 

[To3kn33]

I lost two Bolivian rams and two rummy nose tetras, the rest of my fish all survived. I only noticed when a ram died and I noticed them, then a rummy nose bloated up like a balloon before dying over 3 weeks (


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[Slappy*McFish]

I'm battling a case of it right now, as well. I have a Jewel Cichlid with a nasty infestation of Camallanus worms along with bloating. It's very tough to treat if the fish stop eating, so catching it early is crucial.

 

[Slappy*McFish]

Iv noticed the same thing...I have been seeing it more and more i Fought it with guppies for a year or so cleaned it out and my new apistos have it now!!

how do you dose your fenbendazole...where do you get it? Iv always used Levamisole but its hard to get ahold of now.

You can buy Panacur, mix it with water (3cc/100ml) and soak the food in the mixture for 30 min to an hour before feeding. You can also buy a medicated food that contains fenbendazole at Angels Plus. http://www.angelsplus.com/MedsParasite.htm

 

[Star_Rider]

http://www.inkmkr.com/fish/

check here. this guy use to sell levamisole hcl but I believe still has other treatment too.

Levamisole can be used as a bath if the fish are not eating.

btw, the camillanus and capilaria have been on the increase for years I first had to deal with them in 2005

 

[Jannika]

Thanks all. In addition to the sources mentioned, you can also find fenbendazole in dog dewormer Safeguard 4, which is sold at Petco and Petsmart, I believe.

btw I just noticed I misspelled Camallanus again in the title. lol How embarrassing. Can a mod change it for me? If not, no biggie.

 

[Jannika]

Update:

Bo isn't doing too well. The worms have been killed but he can't expel them, so he's doing a lot of bottom-sitting with clamped fins. Still eating, though. If that stops I'll probably end his suffering with the clove oil bath. He's been through a lot, and may be about four years old which is typical life span for a ram, I believe.

I really hate these parasites...