Levamisole for Camallanus worms/nematode infestations
Apr 16, 2018 12:09:25 GMT -6
annewalker1 likes this
Post by Admin on Apr 16, 2018 12:09:25 GMT -6
Camallanus Treatment --- Levamisole – my method
To treat the tank:
Do a big water change –at least 75%, more if you can; and vacuum the substrate as well as possible. (built up organics in aquarium water can hinder the efficacy of medications plus you want to remove as many pathogens as possible)
5 grams of levamisole powder to 100 milliliters of water.
Mix the levamisole and water in a jar and shake well until all the powder is dissolved.
1 ml of mix treats 1 gallon of water with a dose of 13mg/l or 13pmm of Levamisole………so, a 5 gram packet of levamisole is enough to treat about 100 gallons of aquarium water(or approximately 400 liters)—adjust the recipe as needed for the volume of water you are treating. This mix will keep for up to 90 days in the fridge--plenty of time to use it up in the repeat doses needed to complete the course of treatment.
Add the 1 milliliter of solution per one gallon of aquarium water-- After doing that big water change.
Leave the medicine in the tank for 24-48 hours. (Levamisole degrades over time, and after 3 days is pretty much used up. You should see the effects of the treatment within a few hours of adding it to the aquarium, but you want to give it as much time in the tank to increase exposure and kill as many parasites as possible)
Increase aeration. Monitor your fish. Fish with severe nematode infestations may become more stressed or even die during treatment. Remove any dead fish asap.
This treatment will kill some snails--namely ramshorn snails and pond snails; but shrimp should be safe. Monitor your aquarium. Make sure to remove dead snails or fish.
After 24-48 hours, do another big water change of 75% or more, and vacuum substrate as well as possible to remove eggs and paralyzed worms. If you are doing this treatment in a bare bottom tank, you will see the camallanus worms on the bottom of the tank....you can siphon them out as you see them. As gross as it sounds, if the fish have any appetite, they will eat them.
Retreat twice more to ensure to kill any that hatch out......Levamisole kills the adult nematodes, but is ineffective against the eggs. There is a lot of advice on how long to wait between the next two treatments. I usually do another dose in 2-3 weeks and then again 2-3 weeks after. It’s important to repeat the treatment to ensure you kill off all the parasites. The fish will perk up after the initial treatment, but can maintain a low level infestation for a long time before it crops up again. Good to get it done and then not have to worry about it down the road.
Here is a link to a really thorough article on the matter. It includes handy info on the specific parasites Levamisole is effective against, as well as ones it is not. I also has some basic life-cycle info on a few different types of parasites.
Loaches online article
Levamisole medicated food:
If your fish are still eating, this is a good way to get the meds into them. Levamisole is absorbed through the gut and skin, so medicated food is not necessary; but still good to know—might want to make it a habit of treating all incoming fish with medicated food while in quarantine.
Recipe:
.5 grams levamisole to 7 grams(4 oz) of fish food pellets
Dissolve .5 grams levamisole powder in enough water to soak the food. You can add garlic juice or Seachem’s Garlic Guard to help make the food more palatable and assist with digestion.
Keep refrigerated, feed as needed. Lasts about 30 days in the fridge.
Hope that helps