Green Terror with sunken belly. HELP PLEASE!

[RD.]

I'm trying this food out with a fish I have with a sunken stomach. Not sure how it works yet. It has metro, Epsom salt, garlic and levamisole.

Amazon.com

Good mix for deworming a fish, but won't help if the fish is suffering from Spironucleus aka Hexamita, which I can only assume is what the issue is with the OP's fish. There is no Metro listed? Active ingredients are levamisole, praziquantel, epsom salt and garlic .

If it was a tapeworm then 2 weeks of PraziPro would have resolved that issue. Could still be nematodes, which would require a different deworming agent, such as Levamisole - but seems to me to be more gastrointestinal, some form of internal parasite, possibly a chronic case of hex.

Personally I would go this route ...….

levamisole is different from metronidazole, and they both treat different parasites. Metro is best ingested, so getting Seachem focus and Seachem metroplex, and mixing in bloodworm into a dry paste. If you can get API general cure now, treat the water, and then get the other. If you don't see improvements in 2 weeks, then purchase levamisole, which is sold as cattle dewormer Prohibit.

 

[james99]

Good mix for deworming a fish, but won't help if the fish is suffering from Spironucleus aka Hexamita, which I can only assume is what the issue is with the OP's fish. There is no Metro listed? Active ingredients are levamisole, praziquantel, epsom salt and garlic .

If it was a tapeworm then 2 weeks of PraziPro would have resolved that issue. Could still be nematodes, which would require a different deworming agent, such as Levamisole - but seems to me to be more gastrointestinal, some form of internal parasite, possibly a chronic case of hex.

Personally I would go this route ...….

You are correct sir. I must have been thinking of something else that had metro. I've already tried hex shield and Epsom salt soaked food on this fish without results.

Sorry for the confusion.

 

[RD.]

Hey no worries James. The fish that you fed the hex-shield to, did it eat the food? Just curious how long etc, as I have had nothing but great results with it if/when the fish is still eating. One fish I had to treat twice, 5 days both times, and the second treatment with a week between treatments is what finally brought him around. That was a couple yrs ago, and he is still doing great to this day. I hope the flakes work for you!

 

[james99]

Hey no worries James. The fish that you fed the hex-shield to, did it eat the food? Just curious how long etc, as I have had nothing but great results with it if/when the fish is still eating. One fish I had to treat twice, 5 days both times, and the second treatment with a week between treatments is what finally brought him around. That was a couple yrs ago, and he is still doing great to this day. I hope the flakes work for you!

Yea he eats fine. I've tried hex shield a few times with him, I've had luck with it in the past, so I know it works, this guy just isn't getting better.

J Jordan82594 you've been given good advice here, good luck.

 

[Jordan82594]

Thanks everyone! I appreciate it!

 

[Jordan82594]

UPDATE: He’s a little more energetic (at least I believe so because he chases the other fish around a lot more) and has been eating the medicated blood worms for about 4 days now. His poo is still clear sometimes and light brown other times like it was before. He does eat a little more than he did before. A lot more excited for food or at least that’s what it seems like so hopefully the metroplex and focus are working.

My only concern is a picture I saw of him a few months ago. He’s around 4.5 inches in both pictures but I didn’t realize he had lost so much weight. The sunken belly is definitely worse than I thought it was. How can I get him to eat food that will fatten him up more? All he eats is frozen bloodworms or brine shrimp. I attached a picture comparing. Bottom is a few months ago too is a week or so ago.

 

[kno4te]

Try and pulverize cichlid pellets and mix with the bloodworms. Soak in some Boyd’s vitachem. Best way to sneak it in.

 

[Rocksor]

UPDATE: He’s a little more energetic (at least I believe so because he chases the other fish around a lot more) and has been eating the medicated blood worms for about 4 days now. His poo is still clear sometimes and light brown other times like it was before. He does eat a little more than he did before. A lot more excited for food or at least that’s what it seems like so hopefully the metroplex and focus are working.

My only concern is a picture I saw of him a few months ago. He’s around 4.5 inches in both pictures but I didn’t realize he had lost so much weight. The sunken belly is definitely worse than I thought it was. How can I get him to eat food that will fatten him up more? All he eats is frozen bloodworms or brine shrimp. I attached a picture comparing. Bottom is a few months ago too is a week or so ago.

Clear and sometimes brown is because of his diet. Keep up the medicated food (metro?) for 5 days, and then try again like RD. did for another round of 5 days. After that point if he won't take pellets soak pellets with defrosted BW as pointed out by kno4t3. Once it starts to take the pellets (no larger than 2mm), then you don't have to mix the BW.

 

[Jordan82594]

Still no results. Where exactly can I get some levamisole? From what I understand it’s not really a common drug.

 

[kno4te]

eBay or amazon.