Intestinal flagellates are common in most freshwater species, and typically these intestinal parasites will not have any serious affect on their host.
In a healthy fish S. vortens is commonly found in the flagellated stage in the lumen of the upper intestine where it is controlled by the immune system of the fish. In a stressed fish, the immune system becomes compromised, and these flagellates multiply unchecked causing serious localized damage. Once the damage is severe enough the intestinal lining is penetrated and the flagellates enter the blood stream causing systemic and organ infections, failure, and ultimately death of the fish.
Hexamita Intestinalis is catch all term to describe the various protozoa that cause gastrointestinal issues in tropical fish. In the vast majority of cases, those where clinical studies have identified the actual flagellates involved (specifically in cichlids), it has been Spironucleus vortens, not Hexamita or Octomitus species as previously believed. While it appears that much of the earlier identifications in ornamental species of fish may be erroneous, the overall treatment is pretty much identical.
With regards to drug/medication resistance .........
The following study came up a few months ago in another health related discussion.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23294440
Imported ornamental fish are colonized with antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
And an article by one of the researchers involved in that study .........
http://m.smartplanet.com/blog/report/fancy-fish-could-harbor-dangerous-bacteria/1226
And that's just known bacterial resistence to antibiotics ...........
Riftraft ............. Seriously, grow up already. No one but you gives a flying F what you think about me personally.
If you have been reading my comments on this forum over the years you will already clearly understand that I do not care what anyone thinks of me personally. I am not here looking to make new pen pals. And if you read the OP's treatments in this discussion CLOSELY you would already know that they treated twice for 48 hrs;
....... which in fact is indeed long enough, and strong enough, to typically knock out spironucleus. Most vets who specialize in this field recommend no more than 3 treatments via bath, and never for 7-10 days.
If dosed incorrectly, or if used for prolonged periods, it's been stated by at least one researcher that excessive use of metronidazole can cause organ damage in fish.
Metro applied via feed should only be done based on the fishes weight. Another reason why I would never recommend forcing a substance such as "clear" into a fish as though all sizes of fish are treated with equal amounts of this medication.
Bassleer (1983) recommended metronidazole (Flagyl) as an effective drug for the treatment of hexamitiasis and spironucleosis with a dosage of 500 mg/100 l of water for a 3-day period. Stoskopf (1988) recommended 10 mg of metronidazole mixed into 1.0 g of food given to fish for 5 days.
Dr. Edward J Noga suggests
1. Bath
a. Add 19mg/gallon and treat for 3 hours. Repeat every other day for 3 treatments.
2. Prolonged Immersion
a. Add 25mg/gallon and treat once daily for a total of 3 times.
b. Add 95mg/gallon and treat every other day for three days.
3. via feed
25 mg/Kg of body weight/day for 5 to 10 days, or 100 mg/kg of body weight for 3 days. Retreat once if required.
Dr. Ruth Francis-Floyd et al recommend feeding 50 mg/kg of body weight for 5 consecutive days, or via a bath at a concentration of 5 mg/l every other day for a total of 3 treatments.
Do you see anyone suggesting 7-10 day treatments of this drug?
These are not some random postings by joe blow hobbyist on some fish forum. These recommendations including dosage rates that have been used sucessfully in Metronidazole baths, were given by some of the leading authorities on aquatic medicine in the world.
Dr. Gerald Bassleer, is one of the leading international fish pathologists and has been active for more than 30 years in the international fish trade. As a biologist he specialised in fish diseases (ichthyophathology) while studying at various universities (Antwerp/Belgium, Maracay/Venezuela, Athens/Georgia/USA, Stiling/Scotland and Stuttgart-Hohenheim/Germany). In addition to his scientific activities he worked for major wholesalers in Belgium, USA, The Netherlands and Germany.
Dr. Edward J. Noga, MS, DVM, is a highly respected professor of aquatic medicine and immunology, that has been published approx 150 times in related papers/journals. His lab at NC State University specializes in the study of infectious diseases of finfish and shellfish. His book, Fish Disease: Diagnosis and Treatment is the go to "health" book for every serious fish keeper and aquatuc DVM on the planet.
Dr. Ruth Francis-Floyd MS, DVM, is a highly respected Certified Fish Pathologist, and Professor and Director of the Aquatic Animal Health program at the University of Florida. Dr. Ruth has probably seen, and treated more cases of Spironucleus/Hexamita than everyone on MFK put together, as for many years she was the go to person for the commercial fish farmers in the State of Florida.
That, or you can follow the advice given by some kids that post on a flowerhorn forum.
Your fish, your call.
I'm out of this discussion - best of luck with your fish NationsMostWanted!
In a healthy fish S. vortens is commonly found in the flagellated stage in the lumen of the upper intestine where it is controlled by the immune system of the fish. In a stressed fish, the immune system becomes compromised, and these flagellates multiply unchecked causing serious localized damage. Once the damage is severe enough the intestinal lining is penetrated and the flagellates enter the blood stream causing systemic and organ infections, failure, and ultimately death of the fish.
Hexamita Intestinalis is catch all term to describe the various protozoa that cause gastrointestinal issues in tropical fish. In the vast majority of cases, those where clinical studies have identified the actual flagellates involved (specifically in cichlids), it has been Spironucleus vortens, not Hexamita or Octomitus species as previously believed. While it appears that much of the earlier identifications in ornamental species of fish may be erroneous, the overall treatment is pretty much identical.
With regards to drug/medication resistance .........
The following study came up a few months ago in another health related discussion.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23294440
Imported ornamental fish are colonized with antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
And an article by one of the researchers involved in that study .........
http://m.smartplanet.com/blog/report/fancy-fish-could-harbor-dangerous-bacteria/1226
And that's just known bacterial resistence to antibiotics ...........
Riftraft ............. Seriously, grow up already. No one but you gives a flying F what you think about me personally.
If you have been reading my comments on this forum over the years you will already clearly understand that I do not care what anyone thinks of me personally. I am not here looking to make new pen pals. And if you read the OP's treatments in this discussion CLOSELY you would already know that they treated twice for 48 hrs;
....... which in fact is indeed long enough, and strong enough, to typically knock out spironucleus. Most vets who specialize in this field recommend no more than 3 treatments via bath, and never for 7-10 days.
If dosed incorrectly, or if used for prolonged periods, it's been stated by at least one researcher that excessive use of metronidazole can cause organ damage in fish.
Metro applied via feed should only be done based on the fishes weight. Another reason why I would never recommend forcing a substance such as "clear" into a fish as though all sizes of fish are treated with equal amounts of this medication.
Bassleer (1983) recommended metronidazole (Flagyl) as an effective drug for the treatment of hexamitiasis and spironucleosis with a dosage of 500 mg/100 l of water for a 3-day period. Stoskopf (1988) recommended 10 mg of metronidazole mixed into 1.0 g of food given to fish for 5 days.
Dr. Edward J Noga suggests
1. Bath
a. Add 19mg/gallon and treat for 3 hours. Repeat every other day for 3 treatments.
2. Prolonged Immersion
a. Add 25mg/gallon and treat once daily for a total of 3 times.
b. Add 95mg/gallon and treat every other day for three days.
3. via feed
25 mg/Kg of body weight/day for 5 to 10 days, or 100 mg/kg of body weight for 3 days. Retreat once if required.
Dr. Ruth Francis-Floyd et al recommend feeding 50 mg/kg of body weight for 5 consecutive days, or via a bath at a concentration of 5 mg/l every other day for a total of 3 treatments.
Do you see anyone suggesting 7-10 day treatments of this drug?
These are not some random postings by joe blow hobbyist on some fish forum. These recommendations including dosage rates that have been used sucessfully in Metronidazole baths, were given by some of the leading authorities on aquatic medicine in the world.
Dr. Gerald Bassleer, is one of the leading international fish pathologists and has been active for more than 30 years in the international fish trade. As a biologist he specialised in fish diseases (ichthyophathology) while studying at various universities (Antwerp/Belgium, Maracay/Venezuela, Athens/Georgia/USA, Stiling/Scotland and Stuttgart-Hohenheim/Germany). In addition to his scientific activities he worked for major wholesalers in Belgium, USA, The Netherlands and Germany.
Dr. Edward J. Noga, MS, DVM, is a highly respected professor of aquatic medicine and immunology, that has been published approx 150 times in related papers/journals. His lab at NC State University specializes in the study of infectious diseases of finfish and shellfish. His book, Fish Disease: Diagnosis and Treatment is the go to "health" book for every serious fish keeper and aquatuc DVM on the planet.
Dr. Ruth Francis-Floyd MS, DVM, is a highly respected Certified Fish Pathologist, and Professor and Director of the Aquatic Animal Health program at the University of Florida. Dr. Ruth has probably seen, and treated more cases of Spironucleus/Hexamita than everyone on MFK put together, as for many years she was the go to person for the commercial fish farmers in the State of Florida.
That, or you can follow the advice given by some kids that post on a flowerhorn forum.
Your fish, your call.
I'm out of this discussion - best of luck with your fish NationsMostWanted!
