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I need help! One of my rams recently died and it was simply wasting away. It was eating well util a day before its death, but was very skinny and weak looking.

About 1 month ago my big angel fish died and it seemed like it was starving itself to death. It was eating very little and its poo was white and stringy.

Another one of my full sized tuxedo angels also has white and stringy poo, but he seems fine at the moment. Two of my three swordtails also have stringy poo but they look fat and healthy. The poo is not stringy all the time, but only maybe the first poo in the day.

3 of the 4 rams in one tank are wasting away. I have another ram in my other tank who seems ok. I have moved fish between the 2 tanks and I am assuming that if this is a stomach infection or a parasite (like I have been told on chat today), both my tanks must be infected.

I have been recommended praziquantel and metronidazole as meds for the stomach infection/parasite.

With praziquantel I read on a site that if its in power form, then this has to be mixed with vodka?

Is this safe since I have clowns, denisonii barbs and kuhli's in the same tank.

Is metronidazole safe for scaleless fish ?

Thank you for all your help

Last edited by Clownygirl at 20-Apr-2005 09:36

I've used metronidazole with lots of success in the past. I've used it with loaches with no negative effects. To get it to your fish you can either mix it in with food, or dose the water. obviously mixing with food works fastest, but either way will work.

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Back in the saddle!

Clownygirl
Sounds like you could have a major bacterial/paricitic problem in your tank. I would place every fish in a seperate holding tank or container, change the water every second day to basically give it a 100% water change. I would store the treated water to make sure you are not bringing any thing into your tank via the water.

While doing this I would remove and throw out all Substrata just in case it is in there or boil it for a minium of 15 min then there is no guarantee you have killed the problem. Also do an extremly good tank clean up. This means every thing in the tank. It has cost you a lot of $$ so far and will cost you a lot more unless you do some drastic remedies very quickly.

If you have any plants live or artifical disenfect them as well. I would even think of tossing the artifical plants out if you use them

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
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Okay, so I have scheduled a major tank overhaul this weekend.

The rams are continuing to waste away, all other fish seem healthy.

I have added garlic to the fish food today as that seems like a highly recommended remedy for parasite.

I still have the following questions tho:

1. Should Prazi be mixed with ethyl alcohol (vodka) before dozing the tank, or is it okay to dose directly.
2. Is mixing with vodka safe for the fish, if yes, how much vodka for one capsule of Prazi?

The reason I am asking this is I may not get it in the form of direct medication and will have to make do with something thats for human children, so I want to know how to dose it for the fish.

Thanks so much!

Clownygirl
As far as the medications go way way out of my field and I would not attempt to answer it sorry.
Saying that over the 35+ years I have used many human medications with great success. My previous Doc had a Marine set up and never a problem.
All the best with the new set up.
Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

I think also rams are extremely sensitive in my opinion. Also seeing as though you have had issues with Angels could it be related to water hardness, possibly beeing too hard.

In my opinion, these so called remedies can only sometimes work for one particular disease at a time, ie a white spot remover does exactly that.. I am unsure about a wonder cure which can treat everything...