internal parasites

[oakes]

I'm starting to see signs of internal parasites in my EBJD's. This isn't surprising as I know their immune systems are really weak at a young age, but I do have them all separated in another tank. My real question is how are the internal parasites transferred from fish to fish? Are the parasites capable of moving from host to host in the water or are they transferred in the poop of a fish? I believe I have taken out all of the infected fish but want to make sure I can keep the other fish in the tank and keep them healthy, as the non EBJD fish appear to be fine for now, which are all plecos.

 

[H]-[H]

This is interesting.. I would like to know as well..

 

[oakes]

Anyone? Everything I read about parasites just says how to cure them, but haven't been able to find out how they spread from fish to fish..

 

[oakes]

I know someone out there can educate me! Saw my newest pleco a female albino bristle nose, that was put in the tank probably a week or so before I took out all the other fish, her poop is brown and not white stringy like the EBJDs, so this makes me think it's not spread through the water unless my pleco's have a better immune system that doesn't allow them to get sick as easily..

 

[Swallowed]

I know you said youve read about how to cure them and your lookin for answers on the spread of internal parasites sorry but all the advice i have for you is try pimafix. Good luck man

 

[oakes]

Might try that, I'm using medicated food right now with the EBJD's and a few tetra's that became ill as well.

 

[Anna Robinson]

How it's spread would depend on which type of internal parasite it was. Most have complex life cycles involving more than one other type of animal and won't spread in the aquarium, but some can transfer from fish to fish. Internal parasites are usually taken in with food, whether that be infected live food, accidental ingestion of an egg while grubbing around the substrate, or eating the corpse of a tankmate who was infected.

Pimafix won't hurt anything, but I am not aware of any evidence that it helps in these situations. It might help with secondary infections and damage, but not the parasite itself.

 

[Sab_Fan]

I just had an odd experience, where one of my fish - - a male gymnogeophagus - - showed signs of internal parasites (stringy white poo, fins down, etc.) - - and since I didn't know how he got 'em, I treated the whole tanks the Jungle Parasite Clear, which I've always used effectively in the past

after the 2nd treatment, the fish who had the parasites died . . . no other fish ever showed any problems, either with parasites or with the treatment . . . very unexpected result

 

[Lupin]

I know you said youve read about how to cure them and your lookin for answers on the spread of internal parasites sorry but all the advice i have for you is try pimafix. Good luck man

Please don't suggest meds that you do not know, will help. Pimafix does NOT treat for internal parasites.

Anna Robinson correctly explained this. Depends which parasite you are talking about. Most parasites use the organic matter accummulating at the bottom as their breeding grounds before the larval forms start searching for their hosts. It is for this reason you must vacuum the substrate THOROUGHLY while you are treating for parasites at the same time. Reduce substrate as well by at least an inch or even less.

 

[oakes]

Thanks everyone for the advice, my EBJD seem like they're getting better, next step is to take all the sand out of the tank and clean it. Letting the sand dry out should be enough to get rid of any parasite that may be in there right?