Medications recommended?

[fiftycal]

What medications do you recommend to keep on hand for discus?

Currently I have Pimafix, Melafix, Myxazin and Protozin.

What else should I get?


Cheers

[DiscusEden]

Try this thread:
http://www.discusforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11043

HTH

[iro11a]

Keep away from the melfix had nothing but problems with that stuff does more harm then good but i used it on rainbows and healed them up sweet but discus did't seem to like it.

[samir]

i keep
trichlorfon for flukes (careful)
potassium permanganate ( extreme caution )
hydrogen peroxide for application on finrot and neutralisation of KMnO4 in emergencies. (extreme caution)
levimasole (reluctantly) for nematodes.
Prazi for tapeworm
any leftover prescription antibiotic :lol: or tetracycline.
Flagyl 400 mg tablets.
methylene blue for eggs and hard to attach reds :roll:

with potassium permanganate, if you're bad at math give it a miss. :P

[fiftycal]

I can get antibiotics any time very easily through a multitude of sources.

How does one get levamisole? Anything LR recommends is good lol.

What are their commercial names, or how do you acquire them? The only way I know how to get KMnO4 and H2O2 is nicking them from the uni lab lol.

Im new to the discus thing, so all these extra medications are new to me. With general community fish, what I already have was good enough!

[DiscusEden]

Try having a look at the stickys for worming. I think that one's the pig & poultry wormer, from stock food stores, and the Prazi I ordered today from ASA. Under maybe additives, medications, CPV wormrid (Prazi).

It's clearer in the sticky.

Good luck!

[Bill T]

Ditch the melafix for sure. Maybe also the pimafix. Myxacin should be O.K. & the protozin wouldn't hurt. Octozin, IMHO is useful for intestinal infestations.
Just don't mix medications.
I don't have much experience with antibiotics - thankfully.
You got a UV steriliser? This would reduce your need for medications.

[fiftycal]

Ordered a 36W UV from ASA lol.

Ill keep the melafix and pimafix for my community fish, since it seems to work on them.

Ill get some of this stuff thats recommended, especially octozin

[mistakes r crucial]

Samir,

I know your opinion of Levamisole is about the same as mine, it sucks! I've been out of it and waiting for a half kilo order for 4 months and the vet just can't seem to get hold of it so I'm trying Ivometcin. The vet reckons that there are no reports of it knocking fish around either, we will see.

It must be as strong as all helll as the dosage is .2ml (it's in liquid form) per 1000 litres of water. I only dosed them half an hour ago so I'll let you know how it goes. Nothing dead yet so that's a start :lol:
MAC

[Merrilyn]

Ivomectin is what I use to worm my arab horses :shock:

They don't like it either.

[samir]

apparently the Levimasole base gets unstable with higher ph , Levimasole Hydrochloride, on the other hand, lasts in the water for up to 3 months :shock:

[mistakes r crucial]

As long as it's done it's job I'm impressed. No apparent side affects whatsoever, fish eating as normal and didn't affect them anything like Levamisole does. This treatment was just a 3-4 monthly thing that I do so I don't expect to see too many dead worms on the bottom of the tank so the thing I can't be sure of is that it works well. Other than that, great. Cheap too, $21 to do 9000 litres.
MAC

[Squid]

Hey guys - read the sticky on Levamisol. It aint much good trying to treat the fish by putting it into the water. Its only really good at killing them internally. Also, it will drop any worm sticking its head out into the vent of the fish (little brown/red threads hanging out of the fishes butt). If you do see worms hanging out of anal vents, its highly likely that the worms are dropping babies (as some of them are live bearers) - in this case all newborns will be exterminated. However - to worm a fish I'd reccommend levamisol in food (combined with prazi or Ivermectin). Anymore info req, email me via this means and you'll be in contact with a specialist fish/aquaculture vet (my old chook!)

Squid

[mtchye]

So whats the go with metronidazole (Flagyl) dose rates these days? I have been out of it for a while and remember there was some debate around the correct regimen?

[Squid]

This varies depending on what book you read. Some references we hace here are:

Untergasser 1989 (older reference) is
250mg per 50lt of water. Change water after 3 days and if possible, get some in their food

Latest info ref 'Exotic animal Formulary 3rd ed 2005 is:

6.6mg/L treated every 24hrs X 3 days or
25 mg/L treated every 48hrs X 3 treatment

internal is 25mg/kg for 24 hrs in feed over 5-10 days or
100mg/Kg for 24hrs in feed over 3 days

I can scan this page in if you want, as its quite complicated and is full of 'vet-talk'

Damned medico's.

Either way - using metro, up the temp and out the lights. Hope this helps.

Squid

[Merrilyn]

Wow squid, that's a huge difference. Am I reading that right ??

The old Untergasser book states 250 mg per 50 litres of water.

The new reference states 250 mg per 10 litres of water every 48 hours for three treatments.

Obviously it's better if you can get them to eat medicated food, but sometimes they just refuse to eat, so water dosing is the only alternative.

Can you just run that dosage rate by your dear wife, and see if she agrees. That's a much bigger dose than has previously been recommended, but if that's the latest findings, hey I'm with you.

[fishgeek]

the dose's i have are similar and at the 25mgs/l permanent bath refreshed every 48hrs 3 times ..
andrew
ref bsava manual of ornamental fish

[Squid]

from the good doc (my wife)

25 MG/l PER 48HRS IS THE LATEST

Of course, the way scientists work, it will change next month when the latest research comes through. Just remember - metro does irrepairable kidney/liver damage with prolonged exposure. If its an internal unrest, getting the medicine inside the animal is the best treatment. If I had worms, do you reckon breathing the fumes from a Combantrin tablet packet will do th trick. Probably not. But - freshwater fishes do ingest water when they swallow I guess. Their osmoregulatory processes try to keep fresh water out so they can maintain their salt levels. Either way - drugs internal = better than external treatment (for acute symptoms)

Squid

[Merrilyn]

Please pass on our thanks to your wife Squid, and also many thanks to our good friend Andrew.

I'll alter our sticky post to reflect the new dose rates.

Gotta love this forum :P

[samir]

doesn't it break down in water anymore :shock: I've been doing 8 hourly treatments :banghead at 500 mg/ 40 litres.

[fishgeek]

metro does irrepairable kidney/liver damage with prolonged exposure

why do you say that?
can you support with some refrence please?

andrew

[mistakes r crucial]

However - to worm a fish I'd reccommend levamisol in food (combined with prazi or Ivermectin).
Squid

Hi Squid,

I'm interested to know what the benefits are of using both Levamisole and Ivermetcin at the same time. Prazi I can understand for tape worms and flukes but don't Levamisole and Invermetcin do the same job? I was also interested to know what your good lady thinks of Ivermetcin as a stand alone wormer compared to Levamisole as I've just started using it as a replacement.
Cheers
MAC

[Squid]

Yes - metro does break down, and even faster if you have any light source operating. Best to darken and heat up the tanks.

Ladryred - I can scan the pages of the latest literature for you and you can add them to the sticky if you want

Squid

[Merrilyn]

Thanks Squid. I'd really appreciate that.