New Trimac - Internal Parasites, What do I do?

[IcK]

Hello all,

I received a male trimac in the 3-4inch mark from a reputable online breeder about 10 days ago. When I got the fish he was added to a freshly cycled tank and was the first occupant. I noticed from the get go he was a bit skittish - not shocking as he had just been added and it can take some time for fish to be comfortable. I hadn't watched him eat since his arrival but figured he was eating at night when I turned the lights off and when he did come out, he had a big stomach on him which I attributed to his night time eating.

Unfortunately, it looks like his slightly fat belly might have been from something other than food as I noticed yesterday that he was sitting at the top of the tank with white stringy poo. He would also look like he's gasping for air at random moments as well. I'm assuming he has some form of internal parasite, although I've never experienced them before so I was pretty unequipped to handle the situation as soon as I noticed it. After doing some research about his condition and what others had experienced themselves, I dosed the tank with Fritz Expel-P.

I'm writing here to see if you all agree with this course of action or if I need to take any additional steps? Also, for those of you who have had fish with similar symptoms and performed similar treatments, how did it turn out for you and how long did it take to see a recovery? FYI, water parameters are all good and I did a 25% water change last night.

Thanks!

 

[Disturbed.)]

If the medication isn't in the food it won't help other than stopping the fish from reinfecting itself. Expel is levamisole and will paralyze roundworms. If you can get the fish to eat it.
You may be better off feeding epsom salt soaked food.

 

[IcK]

If the medication isn't in the food it won't help other than stopping the fish from reinfecting itself. Expel is levamisole and will paralyze roundworms. If you can get the fish to eat it.
You may be better off feeding epsom salt soaked food.

Unfortunately, the fish won't eat at all.

 

[Disturbed.)]

Then your only course of action is to load a syringe "no needle" eye dropper or a baby nostril sucker with the meds and force feed the fish

 

[IcK]

Then your only course of action is to load a syringe "no needle" eye dropper or a baby nostril sucker with the meds and force feed the fish

Fritz Expel-P is a powder your treat the tank with, which is what I've done. I don't think you need to force feed the fish the powder? At least it doesn't say that on the box?

 

[Disturbed.)]

Fritz Expel-P is a powder your treat the tank with, which is what I've done. I don't think you need to force feed the fish the powder? At least it doesn't say that on the box?

That's because they want you to buy and use a ton of it. In tank treatment will keep fish from getting re-infected but does nothing at all to help fish already parasitized. Fish don't drink. They may bring in a little of some medications osmotically but for internal parasites no in tank treatment will work. Meds must be fed to fish.
When you buy the same drug not from fritz you feed it to the infected animal. Or human for that matter.

 

[Midwater]

If the medication isn't in the food it won't help other than stopping the fish from reinfecting itself. Expel is levamisole

I use Levamisole with success, a different brand, liquid form. Not the food, I dose the whole tank, and do a water change after twenty four hours. Repeat after seven days, and possibly fourteen days. This does not stress the fish and the results show after few hours of the first dose.