> HI, thanks to everyone for the information on camallanus.
> the reinfestation by larvae that had survived the first bout sounds
> about right. I had heard that the worms were live bearers so a host to
> transmitt the eggs or larvae is not necessary. Great! this means
> that I can keep feeding the fish ants which they really like.
I think so, too.
> The first treatment series with ivermectin has not completely removed
> all the worms yet. I will replace 1/2 or more the water and after a week
> treat again.
If you have used a medicine to kill the worms, it will last a while until
the dead worms are removed from the bowel. The worms are clamped at the
bowel-wall (?) and if they want to unclasp, they have to do this actively.
If they are dead, they cannot do this, so it will last until the part of the
bowel-wall will be died off and seperated from the bowel.
(Whow a lot of unknown vocabulary for me, I hope I've found the right words
and you will understand this!)
> If the larvae may live in the gravel, filter, etc and reinfest in 3
> months how about a routine treatment again in three months ? Maybe that
> would get all the residual worms?
Sorry, I haven't told you everything: The larvae can't live without fish,
they have to find a new host within a few days. But then they will live three
month in the bowel of the fish until the females are big and old enough to
climb down the bowel, hang out of the anus and let out new larvae. So the
reinfestation will be done immediately, but you shall not see them until three
month later. So normally it is not necessary to do a routine treatment later,
you just have to do the first medication with a right dosage and long enough
(about 9 days with water changes every three days and new dosage of the
medicine).
Another way to treat your fishes is, to put them all in another clean
tank, and medicate them there. Leave the old tank as it is, all larvae will
die. After the medication put your fishes back in the old tank.
This can be advantageous, because some plants can have problems with the
medicine. Also some medicines (like Levamisol) dissipate a lot of oxygen and
so you have to pump a lot of air into the tank, that could be easier in a new
tank.
And last but not least, all other microorganisms in your old tank are not
influenced by the medicine, e.g. the filter bacteria.
After the medication time all larvae should have died in your old tank.
But there is one risk: I don't know exactly, if the worms can live in
snails, for example. In my tank, I've left a lot of snails, when I had done
the medication in this way, but there was no reinfestation, so it is probable,
that the worms cannot live in snails.
And another point you have to watch: In the time you left your old tank without
fishes, it is possible, that some fry will hatch!!! You have to watch this,
because the fry can probably get infested by the larvae!
Regards
Karsten