Parasites and treatment, African brown knife

[andyroo]

Knife-Wielders,
I brought this little African brown knife home about a year ago. It came with a very "full" belly, which it's still got, and yet it's not grown much in that time.

Gut parasites? If so, how to treat?

He's timid but eats his pellets in an erring towards black-water tank with plenty of "wildlife"- annelids, snails, amphipods & guppies various, all of which he also gobbles-up. He may just be stuffed-full, too... but if so I'd expect a little more growth, even if they're notoriously slow.

Thanks, Andrew

 

[Hendre]

They are not known for being fast growers. My remaining knife has barely grown in the 3 years I have had him. How big is your fish now?

 

[kno4te]

Agree with hendre. Don’t see many beyond 6inches and are extremely slow growing.

 

[andyroo]

Probably ~4", Hendre. Nearly no growth in the year, though fair enough.
Belly's properly full even when he's hungry enough to take kibble at the surface... which is what suggests a possible issue.

How contagious are gut-parasites? How species-specific? To move him to the 'hudrid, should I treat first just-in-case? If so, how to treat?
Sorry, there's no way he's posing for a picture.

 

[Rocksor]

If it eats pellets New Life Spectrum Hexshield would be a good one to start with, followed by praziquental.

 

[andyroo]

New Life with Hexshield- Ok, will check Amazon (... holy cats! $40 for a little jar, and I'm not sure how to make sure he's eating it)
Praziquental is something I can get from my vet or from the Pharmacy? Dip a worm or dose the tank?

 

[Hendre]

I feel your pain. Insanely difficult to photograph. Is the belly completely sunken? It is extremely obvious when these knives are starving

 

[andyroo]

Fat. Properly, belly-sideways fat. Not distended to a point that looks uncomfortable I don't think,, but... looks like he's had a big meal.

 

[Hendre]

Doubtful of IP's in that case then.

 

[andyroo]

That's good news- so he's just getting a whole lot of "natural" food & not growing, which is normal.

"Fat" tummies in street-rescue puppies & kittens (for example) tends to mean the gut's loaded with worms. I thought it might be the same in knife-fish, and am happy to hear otherwise.
Best,