Flowerhorn not accepting food

[KarkiPratik]

Can you sum up what you've tried already? Did you try him on levamisole?

Metro treats intestinal protozoa but it doesn't treat flat or round worms.

Levamisole treats round worms.

Prazuquantel treats flat worms.

Flubendazole treats both round and flat worms.

Those are the most suspicious reasons why a fish goes off its food...apart from stress from movement, etc...

At first i tried EPSOM salt for a week then i used metro by syringing him for 3 doses in a span of a week. Have tried nothing else i do have levamisole i was thinking of using it. I have a feeling that i cross contaminated. My other fh recovered after using levamisole . i hope my new one will recover too. Can worms be transferred from one tank to other through nets or same use of buckets and pipes for water changes?

 

[Coryloach]

an worms be transferred from one tank to other through nets or same use of buckets and pipes for water changes?

Yes, some are microscopic, some lay eggs...Chances are both fish have the same thing.

Metro and Epsom salts are only good against protozoa but not worms.

 

[KarkiPratik]

Yes, some are microscopic, some lay eggs...Chances are both fish have the same thing.

Metro and Epsom salts are only good against protozoa but not worms.

I dosed the tank with leva yesterday and changed 60% water today and teied giving him pellers shrimps didnt accept anything pls help

 

[Ulu]

So your fish took a difficult journey, and now it seems he hasn't eaten much in 25 days. A big fish can go a long time without food, and I believe they can simultaneously absorb considerable microscopic nutrition from the water (if it exists.)

How much would you say he's eaten in total, since you released him?

Is he recovering his appetite slowly?

These fish can have quite a memory, and you said he is aggressive to you. IMO he thinks you want to catch him again, and he goes nuts. He won't want food from you. It can take them a while to forget his indignities of being caught and transported. My fish sometimes do this when I move them across the house in a bucket. They will hate me for weeks and spit out their food in my face!

ALSO, I don't know commercial medicines well, but If he has parasites they may well have come with him, but didn't present themselves much until the stress of a journey encouraged them. Perhaps, ask the previous owner if a recent problem occurred at his tanks.

I tend to rely on fresh water more than medicine, but if there are worms you may really have no choice.

 

[Coryloach]

I dosed the tank with leva yesterday and changed 60% water today and teied giving him pellers shrimps didnt accept anything pls help

Meds are not a miracle. In most cases it is fairly difficult to figure out an issue with a fish but treating with levamisole is something I would have done anyway.

Ulu maybe right that the fish maybe stressed from the handling. I've had the same happened to me only from netting fish once......Then they'd cower when they see me for weeks... Syringing with the metro would leave some bad memories...

What size tank is he in? Try keeping him calm and respect his territory during a water change. Give him some hiding place. Turn the lights off. Try frozen bloodwomrs. Most fish that have any sort of will to eat will take some. Keep up with the water changes.

 

[KarkiPratik]

How much would you say he's eaten in total, since you released him?

Is he recovering his appetite slowly?

I tend to rely on fresh water more than medicine, but if there are worms you may really have no choice.

He hasnt eatan a single pellet yet. when i throw in a pellet or shrimps he goes towards the food ans just watches or smells it the goes away swimming. I had seen white poop thread like 3-4 times. he is in an 85 gallon he has his place. i dont think stress might be the reason he used to be fairly active.

 

[Ulu]

Again I am not a flowerhorn keeper, but for white stringy feces I suspect worms and treat with Prazipro.

All my new fish get a prophylactic dose, and so it's never been much problem for me.

 

[KarkiPratik]

i have used levamisole already for worms also metronidazole and epsom salt for protozoand. what now?

 

[Coryloach]

It doesn't look good. Sometimes a fish is gone too far.

You've now treated for spironucleus vortens, round worms and if you're willing to try a treatment for flat worms, i.e. using praziquantel, it is up to you but that's what I'd do, as per Ulu's suggestion....I once got lucky on the third time but it was the other way round....

 

[Ulu]

You've tried everything else.

I think that PraziPro is the last ditch here.

(There may be other brand names of praziquantel where you live.)

My only thought otherwise is start looking at feces through a microscope, but if there's no feces there's no clue IMO.

I am not a vet. But I'd start the prazi.