# Capillaria and a 250G tank



## ibenu (Apr 21, 2010)

Levamisole and flubendazole are the most cited for treatment. Neither option being economical considering a 10-14 day treatment( at the least ) is recommended to eradicate this particular nematode. 

I'm considering a few options and want feedback. The diagnosis has been confirmed by microscope, and April you were right as much as it appeared white in tank it does have a yellow hue when applied to slide.

Options...

1 cull lot save money would spend on meds for new start
2 cull some treat some
3 give away all with hopes they will treat 
4 give away some treat some
5 find some economical treatment I don't know of yet speak up oh wise ones
6 tell my dr it's transferable to humans and I need enough to treat all my fish and me, sadly this may not be entirely a 
Ie according to some papers I have read.

I'm really at a loss, sad about keeping fish in general right now...rather close door to down stairs and have it all go away.. So leaning towards option 3/4 heavily... 

I'll tell ya though this has really been neat getting a microscope and using it. I have not given up on discus, rather I will be crazy for QT and will scope all fish feces in future. I see great wisdom in never mixing fish from different sources again. As when it goes poorly it goes SO poorly.

Hopes the brilliant minds will contribute the miracle solution to save all on the cheap ( rob a livestock supply place in the valley already considered, bf says we don't have enough for my bail) also I've heard drug dealers mix levamisole with coke to bulk it out... So if I don't have to go Anywhere dodgy to pick up no questions asked no seriously who could trust they were giving me pure levamisole.


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## ibenu (Apr 21, 2010)

Stock is 
22+/- discus 5+ inch down through only three inches
3 angels juvies
5 sterbais


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## TCR (Jul 13, 2010)

Paracide -D... but it depends how much your fish are worth i guess... crappy dude :'( i tear for thee


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## TCR (Jul 13, 2010)

u can try putting them in a small tank to treat them and gut the big tank..


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## O.C.D Fishies (Apr 21, 2010)

Hey Lisa I am sorry to hear you are having troubles. What does your gut instinct say? If you need any help cleaning, moving, what have you let me know.


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## ibenu (Apr 21, 2010)

Can't fit them all in a 75 for treatment. I suck at picking who lives and dies. I've only culled fish that I tried to treat and were unresponsive, suffering. Gut says don't go downstairs hope it all goes away. I feel I have to pick the ones I want to keep and kill the rest. Even with waivers how can I give away sick fish, knowing if they don't treat right we could have an epidemic on our hands ( sounds dramatic but recall the camallanus outbreaks that swept through our community)

Giving them away means I don't kill them which is very appealing I must say. Sad reality of what seems like responsible means killing fish before they even look bad.. So that sucks and makes me teary...

Kay gave head a shake.. Chatting with a friend helped. Think if I lower water in it, gather All levamisole and flubendazole and maybe even clout and or depending on best practice. Treat once and don't change water or feed or 7 days change water feed, change water and treat again for 7 days it may be ok.?


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## TCR (Jul 13, 2010)

i can lend you a smaller tank for treating.. but u'll have to clean the crap out of it after


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## bonsai dave (Apr 21, 2010)

Hey Lisa. Things will be fine. We have enough meds to fix the problems your fish have. It''s never an easy choice to choose what to keep and what to give away. If you need me my help give me a shout.


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## TCR (Jul 13, 2010)

bonsai dave said:


> Hey Lisa. Things will be fine. We have enough meds to fix the problems your fish have. It''s never an easy choice to choose what to keep and what to give away. If you need me my help give me a shout.


Thats SOOO sweet... no fish have to die.. what a nice gesture


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## athena (Apr 22, 2010)

I'm sorry to hear this.

Are either medication expensive? Do you have to use both for it to work? I have some medicated flake food that contains flubendazole that you can have if that'll help.

I think my discus are also sick...they haven't been attacking their food and are very jumpy and there have been a couple strings of white poop every so often...

Edit: What about PraziPro? According to this its suppose to work against capillaria too. The site belongs to a local guy who I've had the honor of meeting a couple of years ago. He really knows his guppies.


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

SO sorry to hear you are going thru this Lisa. Wish I could be of any help here , but I can't I remember when I was walking out to sick and/or dead fish everyday after starting up my 50g I didn't even want to turn on the lights to see what was new. Like you I wish I could have shut a door and would all go away. Unfortunately I lost 3/4 of my stock , including my favorite Betta, before I found the problem and got it resolved. I pray you have better luck than me & don't lose any or have to get rid of any. I tried to do a little research on the Levamisol ,which I'm sure your way ahead of me on that but is there any chance this stuff might work: levamisole Pets * * * | Compare prices, discounts on millions of products at winbuyer.com

edit: just seen Dave's reply, what a great guy! sure hope he can help get the fishies healthy and you happy again


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## Kitsune (Jul 17, 2010)

Lisa, I'm sorry to hear that.
I was reading up on this, and there are sites that seem to say that you can get Levamisole as a dewormer for livestock and poultry. Says it can be purchased at live stock feed stores. I wonder if there is anywhere in fraser valley you can get it for cheap. Know a farmer?

Also if you need a fish tank I have a 30g that I just emptied last night that you can borrow. I was going to repaint it and resilicone it (no leak, just old), so I don't mind you using it for that.


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## ibenu (Apr 21, 2010)

If I cull I'll treat remainder in 75 I have as well as a 50. I may lower and try that way. Have a fish farmer now discus breeder Dale Jordan who will coach me tomorrow by phone on this particular disease and protocol.. I have hope!,,


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

Good luck Lisa.


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## seanyuki (Apr 22, 2010)

Hi Lisa....if you need Levamisole I got 300 grams at home


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## CRS Fan (Apr 21, 2010)

OMG . I've always heard discus can have parasite issues (especially when mixing sources). I am truly sorry to hear of your most current dilemna. You could always start your 256 gallon plant farm again (I would be more than happy to give you a plethora of starter plants). My only experience with discus is from 20 or so years ago. I kept red turquoise in a 55 gallon and didn't do enough water changes and they became stunted. I definitely feel your pain (I know I threw away alot of money on Cardinal Shrimp in the past). Keep your head up as Dave has suggested, and carry on. It does change and get better !

Best Regards,

Stuart


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## ibenu (Apr 21, 2010)

The different source being bad reference I made was due to discus having immunity To things they have been exposed due like we get sick when we are exposed to new bacterial fauna abroad. Same source same tank removes that possibility. I am really feeling lucky to have so many offers of help. Uber discus dude from simply has outlined a very clear treatment protocol, wonderfully detailed. All fish are happy and eating save for a couple so their fate will be decided rapidly if they decompinsate prior to med arrival.

So I will happily outline the process as soon as the meeds arrive. Thinking about 4-6 days at most.

Thanks again everybody.


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## Smiladon (Apr 23, 2010)

I am so sorry to hear that you have to deal with this. I can only imagine how hard it must be for you to deal with this painful event. I wish I could contribute something related to this problem, but I have no experience in dealing with this  . Only thing I can do is pray and hope that all of them make it back to normal.

Dont give up any hope. Keep the positive attitude you have. For a caring person like you, the fish themselves will fight harder to stay with you longer.


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## veng68 (Apr 30, 2010)

I've not tried them but they have 2 produces you can use to treat these worms

Paracide-D and De-Los

They do ship to Canada.

FISH DISEASE DIAGNOSIS & FISH DISEASE TREATMENTS

Not sure if it's cheaper them levamisole (how much does it cost to buy at live stock stores?).

Cheers,
Vic


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## eternity302 (Apr 22, 2010)

OMG, how did i miss this?

So sorry to hear!


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## ibenu (Apr 21, 2010)

Dale Jordan sent me the nuke of meds. Two treatments down and no more losses. Three fish have white poo, 5 fecal smears @ 600X magnification show all fish are clear of the capillaria. 

Three fish maybe five have not fared well through this, as I said white poo, clampy at times and hanging by selves, eating poorly if at all. Big problem is 2 are albinos so SEEING they feel crappy is not as easy in ones that have black pigment to show they are pissy. 

Based on my time available now working 12 hour swing shifts the fate of the 5 look dim. The two albinos are crazy skinny now. AFter expert medication and advice culling seems to be my last option. 

If there are any mad scientists out there who are willing to continue this fight on my behalf, contact me as I have done all I can within my scope. Fecal slides are clear, so no extra unique parasites anymore.

Extra special thanks go out to Dale Jordan, April, Francis, and Bonsai dave for all the encouragement, knowledge, offers of meds, actually meds and just listening to me rant


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Thank you for sharing your story. As scary as it is (and personally, I find it horrifying), two really good things shine through: some people here came through for you in different ways (and some are really knowledgeable); and, you are a shining example of diligent caregiving. You've done everything possible for your fish.


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## bonsai dave (Apr 21, 2010)

ibenu said:


> Dale Jordan sent me the nuke of meds. Two treatments down and no more losses. Three fish have white poo, 5 fecal smears @ 600X magnification show all fish are clear of the capillaria.
> 
> Three fish maybe five have not fared well through this, as I said white poo, clampy at times and hanging by selves, eating poorly if at all. Big problem is 2 are albinos so SEEING they feel crappy is not as easy in ones that have black pigment to show they are pissy.
> 
> ...


That's is great news Lisa. My fish are doing better too Thanks to Dale.


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## April (Apr 21, 2010)

glad most are fairing well. capillaria is usually the culprit when you get the dark eyes and thinning of the forehead to razor head. 
the upside..you started your discus venture with rescuing compromised discus..and youve learnt alot. we all start the same way. 
alot of people ask me about mixing angels..or wilds and domestics..or just fish from different sources..or buying fish people no longer want. unfortunately more common than not..alot of people sell their discus when they give up on them due to health issues. dark eyes, not eating, white poo..sitting in corners..or staring at walls. for sale..also alot of discus get secondary infections or parasites after a disease outbreak or immune compromised due to hormones, etc. some never totally recover..then mixed with healthy stock..and you now have a tankful of ill fish. 
glad dale was able to help. hes been at it for a very long time..hes a legend in the discus world. 
me..i had a tank full of wilds once..they ended up with capillaria. they stopped eating..got skinnier..and skinnier..i did the flubendazole etc..never managed to rid them of it.


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## Holyarmor (Apr 29, 2010)

aprils aquarium said:


> glad most are fairing well. capillaria is usually the culprit when you get the dark eyes and thinning of the forehead to razor head.
> the upside..you started your discus venture with rescuing compromised discus..and youve learnt alot. we all start the same way.
> alot of people ask me about mixing angels..or wilds and domestics..or just fish from different sources..or buying fish people no longer want. unfortunately more common than not..alot of people sell their discus when they give up on them due to health issues. dark eyes, not eating, white poo..sitting in corners..or staring at walls. for sale..also alot of discus get secondary infections or parasites after a disease outbreak or immune compromised due to hormones, etc. some never totally recover..then mixed with healthy stock..and you now have a tankful of ill fish.
> glad dale was able to help. hes been at it for a very long time..hes a legend in the discus world.
> me..i had a tank full of wilds once..they ended up with capillaria. they stopped eating..got skinnier..and skinnier..i did the flubendazole etc..never managed to rid them of it.


What April said was so real. Sometimes saving a few $$$ may end up losing a large bundle, if the discus for sale are unhealthy or came from a problem discus farm.

Even a healthy discus will easily get sick for a little reason, if daily cares are not given.


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## bonsai dave (Apr 21, 2010)

Holyarmor said:


> What April said was so real. Sometimes saving a few $$$ may end up losing a large bundle, if the discus for sale are unhealthy or came from a problem discus farm.
> 
> Even a healthy discus will easily get sick for a little reason, if daily cares are not given.


I agree with April and you but in this case She didn't by cheap fish. So was lie to about the where abouts the fish came from and the health of the fish. Imo She was ripped and take advantage off but she is not the only one. I was too and i'm sure there are a few other people who are dealing with the same thing..


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## Holyarmor (Apr 29, 2010)

bonsai dave said:


> I agree with April and you but in this case She didn't by cheap fish. So was lie to about the where abouts the fish came from and the health of the fish. Imo She was ripped and take advantage off but she is not the only one. I was too and i'm sure there are a few other people who are dealing with the same thing..


So sad to hear !!!!
Totally unethical + unprofessional !!!!!


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