Metronidazole in aquariums treatment

As a treatment for ich and some other protozoa, the infested fish should be dipped in salt water at 30 ppt or 3. At that time, the fish should be placed back in its normal salinity water. To mix this solution, use tank water and dissolve in 30 teaspoons of salt per gallon, then place the fish into this water, monitoring it the entire time.

This treatment is different from most of the others, in that it is used to treat the organisms in the skin of the fish, and not the free-living stages found in the fish tank. Lower doses may be used as a continuous bath in the fish tank. At ppt 0. A bath of ppt will effectively kill anchorworms and lice. It must be noted that a salinity of 5 ppt or greater will usually kill live plants.

This is repeated for three treatments, every three days. Formalin may be added to the entire fish tank; however, because formalin is so toxic, it is preferable to use it in a treatment tank. Formalin removes oxygen from the water, so it is imperative that the treated water is well aerated. Formalin is a carcinogen capable of causing cancer , so anyone handling this chemical must be educated about its safe handling.

Formalin supplied for use by veterinary clinics to preserve tissues for histopathology is not adequate as it is too diluted that it is unacceptable and it is not FDA approved.

Malachite green is another treatment for ich. Another treatment for ich and some other protozoa is victoria green and acriflavin. These chemicals are available as a commercially available tablet that "fizzes" as it dissolves.

This formulation is also designed to prevent secondary bacterial infections. The carbon should be removed from the filter during treatment. Copper is another treatment for ich, and for some, it is considered the treatment of choice. Safe use of copper depends on the total alkalinity of the water. Copper is extremely toxic to fish, so it must be carefully dosed. It will also kill invertebrates and live plants. Older treatments often recommended increasing the tank temperature during treatment, as well as removing the carbon from the filters.

The reason for increasing the temperature was to speed up the life-cycle of the organisms, since, as we have learned, treatment is aimed at killing the free-living phase of the protozoa. Often monogenetic flukes such as Gyrodactylus are involved. The most obvious symptom of this is a gray-white film of excess mucus that develops over the body and is especially noticeable over the eyes or areas that contain dark pigment on the skin.

Along the flanks, reddened areas may occur, and sometimes the gills become swollen. Fish may show rapid movements, flashing, and they may have respiratory problems. But as the infestation progresses, the fish become listless and lie on the bottom of the tank, occasionally scratching against rocks or tank ornaments. Usually, excessive mucus is caused by more than one organism. Trichodina and the related protozoa usually cause problems in fish that are overcrowded, stressed or suffering from poor husbandry.

Trichodina attaches temporarily by an adhesive disc to the skin. They are considered commensal in low numbers. In large numbers, they damage the skin, become parasitic, feeding on the skin. Ichthyobodo attaches to the gills or fins, and feed on cytoplasm, causing hyperplasia of the epidermis and destruction of goblet cells. Initially, these should be treated with the same therapy as for ich, as these are protozoal parasites except for the flukes.

These and other parasites will be discussed in more detail shortly. Hexamita and Spironucleus are two other protozoal parasites commonly found in the intestinal tract of some freshwater fish, however systemic infections can occur. Hexamita is also known as "hole in the head disease. Lesions may also develop at the base of the fins and near the lateral line.

They have a direct life cycle, and are principally acquired by oral ingestion of trophozoites or cyst stages. In addition to the skin lesions fish often go off their food and develop a hollow-bellied appearance, and often have stringy, off-color feces. Hexamita often exists in low levels in the intestines of tropical fish, especially cichlids, including discus, angelfish and oscars, and gouramis. They may be considered commensals, however, with stress, overcrowding, low oxygen levels, improper water parameters, changes in temperature or poor diet, the parasites can multiply and the fish may then develop signs of systemic disease.

The best way to treat Hexamita infections is with medicated food. However, since infected fish often become anorexic, they usually won't ingest an effective dose.

Both Hexamita and Spironucleus are best treated with metronidazole. This medication is available in commercially available fish food flakes. Several courses of treatment may be necessary to successfully control this problem.

Of course, as with all infectious organisms, it is always best to prevent introduction to the tank in the first place, by quarantining and prophylactically treating all new stock, and to maintain your fish in the most healthful manner possible. A parasitic single-celled organism known as a dinoflagellate, Piscinoodinium also commonly called Oodinium is referred to as velvet disease.

This parasite has a direct life cycle and has free-living and parasitic stages. The obvious symptoms are a yellow-gray coating to the scales, skin and fins. Fish may flash, rubbing against rocks, and show increased gill movements. In advanced cases, the fish will become anorexic and float motionless in the water, and the skin may peel away in strips. This disease may be confused with ich by the novice, but the fish with velvet appears as if it is sprinkled with gold dust; hence the common name of "gold dust disease.

It is usually introduced with new fish, and may then develop into a serious problem again, emphasizing the importance of quarantine and prophylactic treatment during that time.

Heavy infestation on the gills may kill fish without causing other obvious signs of the disease. Velvet is most often found among some anabantids, killifish and goldfish. The parasite may establish itself in the intestinal tract of fish, making treatment more difficult, and long-term control of the parasite can be quite frustrating. Treatment with antiprotozoals medications, treatment for ich or velvet remedies may be used. If the fish are salt-tolerant, a prolonged salt treatment, using one teaspoon per five gallons, can be used to eradicate the parasite.

Interestingly, since the parasites utilize photosynthesis, by keeping the aquarium relatively dark, this can help during a serious outbreak. Darkness will prevent the parasites from photosynthesizing and will also delay the development of dinospores. A microsporidian protozoal parasite, Pleistophora, is responsible for neon tetra disease. As with many protozoal problems, fish may carry low levels of this organism without overt signs of disease.

Heavily infected fish will show a loss of coloration especially the red stripe on neons , unusual swimming behavior, spinal curvature, emaciation and frayed fins. A range of fish species are susceptible, however, this parasite seems to affect many tetras preferentially. The zebra danio and some barbs are also commonly affected by a similar disease. Treatment has been attempted with a number of antiprotozoals; however none has been completely effective.

Some medications will help control secondary bacterial infections. New drugs are continually being developed and it is a good idea to check current proceedings from veterinary conferences for new medications on the horizon.

Several microsporidian and myxosporidian parasites, including Ichthyosporidium, Nosema, Myxobolus, Dermocystidium and Henneguya can cause nodular skin diseases or internal nodules in tropical fish. Yellowish or white cysts, often called xenomas on the skin, gills, fins, in muscles or in internal organs may range in size from a few millimeters to a centimeter in diameter.

Because of their small size, electron microscopy is usually needed to identify the parasite genus. The life cycles of these parasites are poorly understood, but they are thought to be direct. It is thought that resistant spores help spread these protozoa.

These parasites can be species specific, so cross infections do not often occur. Internal nodules may not be noticeable; however, lesions on the skin, gills and fins are visible. There is no reliable treatment for these types of protozoa. Monogenetic flukes are flatworms that are usually found as ectoparasites of fish. They often have a hooked attachment organ and they have a simple, direct life cycle. They are just visible to the naked eye.

They often feed on skin and gill tissue, but usually only cause problems if found in large numbers. Gyrodactylus lives on the skin, fins and gills of many species of fish. This fluke gives birth to live young others lay eggs. I am sure my parents will keep it at bay until I get a house or something. They are scared I am gonna turn our big yard into a fish farm lol. I am starting to wonder if I posted this is in the wrong section. I am going tomorrow for more tigerbarbs to get the full school and I think I am also gonna go with a biologist that has been keeping fish for 35 years to ask his opinion about metronidazole so I may post the info he will give me on here.

I am still curious about your experiences. Treat new fish with meds, regardless of shown symptoms, to introduce "treated" fish to show tank. As a preventative B. Just Q for a full 90 days and sparingly treat for only whatever actually presents itself. I think one of the safest combos of the above two schools of thought, a "best of both worlds" scenario, might be to Q for at least a month and a half and dose Q tank with ParaGuard?

I'm new, so others should weigh in here on my theory iZaO Jnr Well Known Member Member Metranidazole is a generic form of antiprotozoal substance that is not only used in aquariums.

It is a worldwide "drug" used to treat nematode and protozoan primarily infections in humans and other livestock. This drug is just about as effective as it gets in treating internal parasitic infections. To put the cherry on the cake, it has very little to no effect on bacterial infections which means it won't affect your beneficial cultures either.

However, I still tend to err on the side of this: Are your fish infected? Are they showing symptoms? Then I see no reasoning in spending the money and subjecting the fish to any treatment, given there is no reason to expose the fish to unnecessary compounds, as well as that extra spend of well-earned cash. This is yet another reason why proper quarantine practice is so important - should issues arise you can observe, isolate and treat accordingly.

That being said, a very handy one to keep on hand! Some people are inclined to think that natural remedies are better than chemical or pharmaceutical remedies. The good news is that if you are one of these people, there are lots of products available for you.

The bad news is that many of these products are unproven, at least as far as I can tell. Garlic-containing products You may get hungry when you smell garlic bread roasting in your oven, but do your fish? It may seem plausible that garlic-containing natural remedy promotes feeding in finicky fish, but where is the evidence?

Furthermore, is there any evidence that stimulating fish to eat does anything more for them other than put calories in their body now rather than 5 minutes from now? What is the benefit of that? If you look at the ingredients label of a slime coat enhancing product , you may wonder why I chose to call it a natural product? The premise, from a marketing perspective, is somewhat compelling…fish do have a slime coat that acts as a natural barrier and helps prevent infection, so it seems like a good idea, on the surface, to add something to the water to help promote that, but the thing I never understood about the slime coat enhancers is how this actually works.

For example, if you had a cold, and I gave you a product that was going to help enhance the production of the slime coat in your nose ie. In fact, I know that I hate a runny, stuffy nose, and I generally take a medication to make my nose less runny, whenever I can.

Products touting natural extracts Melafix is a natural antibacterial remedy with Tea Tree extract to treat bacterial infections. Heals wounds, ulcers and removes parasitic flatforms PrimaFix is a natural antifungal and antibacterial remedy with West Indian Bay Tree extract to treat fungal infections and external bacterial infections.

Copper-based medications One of the most battle-tested and proven remedies for dealing with external parasites are the copper-based medications—specifically, cupramine, which is the preferred version of copper that you want to add to a saltwater tank. It is generally thought to be better than medications with copper sulfate, and those with chelates, for saltwater applications.

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