WORMING FISH?

[RJ_Archer]

What do i use to worm discus and where do i get it and how to feed it to them?and is it realy nessery(SPELLING)

[Ben]

There are basically 2 types of worms we can treat for.

Capillaria, a genus of nematode.

Tapeworms, a genus of cestodes.

Treating for both these worms is very easy but must not be treated at the same time.

Treating Capillaria we use a Levamisole.
http://www.discusforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4547

And treating tape worms (which is very rare with discus in Australia) we use praziquantel.
http://www.discusforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4190

Levamisole can be bought from farm type produce stores; a good brand is Sykes Big L. Praziquantel can be bought from your LFS as Aqua Master Fluke & Tapeworm Tablets.

Dose rates are on those links and are administered directly to the water.

Its a good idea to treat as a preventive manner for worms every 6-12 months, but if you have fed live foods such as black worms or mosquito larvae it would be advised to treat for worms sooner rather than later.


If you have any futher questions please ask.
Ben

[k9outfit]

Not to hyjack the thread, but would it be a good idea to deworm any new fish just out of principle? If so, which would be the more common parasite (in North America) - or just treat them for both before removing them from quarantine?

[Merrilyn]

It would be a good idea to worm your new fish, but not until they are fully used to their new surroundings. Wait another month or so, and then threat them first for nematodes (which is very common) and about a week later, for tape worm.