# Levamisole HCI and albino/silver tipped baby pleco's



## Filterfish (Nov 18, 2012)

Hello;

I have Camallanus Nematode (red hair looking worms protruding from vents) in my tanks. I am going to treat with Levamisole HCI Pure. 

My problem is I have month old silver tipped pleco's and 2 week old albino pleco's; both sets are also Bushy nosed. Will my babies be safe during the treatment, or should I remove them and treat them later.

Thanks for the help

:bigsmile:


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## Momobobo (Sep 28, 2010)

Hm...hard to say. Levamisole is a very harsh medication...its your call. I had fries survive but had some bigger fish die when I treated my tank.


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## kacairns (Apr 10, 2012)

bnp fry can be very sensitive, I dosed Seachem Excel at recommended dosage in my planted tank one time and killed the almost the whole spawn within 36 hours.


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

Isolate the young, And do not medicate them if they are not visibly infected for best results. However, if they are infected I would treat them with the rest of the fish. My guess is you will loose more then a handful through the medication, But it beats loosing them all. Water changes before/after ever dose will help lots. I suggest putting in fresh carbon once dosing is complete, as it should absorb any left over medication in the system. Don't forget to take out your old carbon before dosing. Good luck!!


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## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

never isolated anything if you think you have Camallanus worm. You are just starting another tank with it. You will not be able to tell if a fish is infected or not till the worm comes out.


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## Dawna (Jul 29, 2013)

Agree with Charles. Its a risk you have to take but don't isolate anything because you can't tell if the others are infected or not already. You only see them visibly in their adult stage of the life cycle when they come out to release their eggs. They have a long life cycle so by isolating, you might see another case of this parasitism a few months later on the ones you did not treat.

I bought a female guppy that had it before. I used the treatment to prevent spreading to other fishes and haven't had it since. None of my young live bearers died but not sure about plecos.


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

charles said:


> never isolated anything if you think you have Camallanus worm. You are just starting another tank with it. You will not be able to tell if a fish is infected or not till the worm comes out.





Dawna said:


> Agree with Charles. Its a risk you have to take but don't isolate anything because you can't tell if the others are infected or not already. You only see them visibly in their adult stage of the life cycle when they come out to release their eggs. They have a long life cycle so by isolating, you might see another case of this parasitism a few months later on the ones you did not treat.
> 
> I bought a female guppy that had it before. I used the treatment to prevent spreading to other fishes and haven't had it since. None of my young live bearers died but not sure about plecos.


Interesting! I didn't realize camallanus worms had such a lengthy life cycle.

Looks like you are suck treating everyone, good luck!


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## Dawna (Jul 29, 2013)

Oh if you have any nerite snails and other invertebrates, they might die. My zebras died  and UNFORTUNATELY, my few pest pond snails didn't die, life can be so unfair  LOL


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## Filterfish (Nov 18, 2012)

Thanks to everyone for the help. I get so anxiety ridden when I use medication. The thought of loosing my babies or any of my favorite fish becomes overwhelming!

But I have a new concern....My 20 gallon all of a sudden has worms everywhere I look! It is being treated with the medication. On the second day now. I swear there was no worms except what was protruding from their anus and now alive and dead; they are everywhere!!!! 

I am seriously thinking of adding some more of the Levamisole! Should I have added more med. because of the canister filter? It holds quite a bit of water also.

I don't see any worms in my other two tanks I am treating. But the worms have left the fishes bodies; none are peeping out of the anus anymore.

Thanks again!


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## Foxtail (Mar 14, 2012)

Levamisole works and your plecos should be ok. The reason you are seeing all the worms in the tank now is because all your fish have pooped them out. Each fish can have a lot of them. I had to treat all of my tanks a while back and it worked just like it was supposed to. I didn't have any fish loss but I believe that is because I caught it early. I believe a lot of the fish deaths due to Levamisole are actually fish that were already on their way out because of the worms and the damage they caused to begin with.

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## Filterfish (Nov 18, 2012)

Yes, I have to agree about the fish losses Foxtail! Lost one Molly since starting, but I could tell something wasn't right about her as she was hiding.

Month old and 2 week old Pleco babies doing fine in the Med.!!!

One Angelfish that still has red worms stick out of her anus (less but some) she was ill from before the medication was added. Wasn't eating and still isn't. She seems okay.

Water change happens tonight so hopefully fresh water will make her hungry.

And then in three weeks I do this again!

Also found a great place to buy Medicated Flaked food and also water treatment powder!! Way cheaper than the place in Richmond!

Search Results : AngelFins

Wormer Plus - treats 500 gallons : AngelFins

Sometimes Learning Hurts, but yet I've learned so much!


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