Jump to content

Things the Quarantine Trio doesn't treat. How to spot them?


J. Mantooth
 Share

Recommended Posts

I stand by the quarantine med trio and it has worked beautifully to treat issues for which it was designed. However, I have run into a couple of instances of fish ailments that weren't covered by the trio that didn't really show up during quarantine. (Usually 5 or 6 weeks, for me, give or take a day or two.) From my research (online and books), these don't seem like super everyday common issues and don't generally present symptoms right away or are harder to spot. So far, some of my fish have presented (after quarantine):

Camallanus Worms - Treated with Safeguard Goat Drench (Fenbendazole) while waiting for Levamisole to arrive (3 weeks later). Now I am the crazy paranoid fish lady that periodically checks my fish's vents for worms. (Never thought that would be my jam. 🙂

Anchor Worms - Treated with Microbe-Lift Lice and Anchor Worm (Cyromazine) and Cyropro (different tanks, not at the same time). I finally received the Dimilin I ordered (one month later) so I am ready if it pops up again. No flashing for weeks, no lethargy, no nothing. All seemed well until an ulcer on one of my fish showed up. I assumed it had gotten into something and hurt itself. A couple of days later, all of the fish in the tank seemed to have a small ulcer and were flashing. Started general salt treatment (low level), until I could figure out what it actually was. The next day I could finally see the little buggers. Gross.

As much fun as it was to treat each of my established tanks after I added in the fish that had "completed" quarantine, I would rather not play those games again. Given the overall world situation, I couldn't go to my LFS to inspect the fish before I received them. At this point, I don't even want to order fish online anymore, not that it would have mattered to see them first as I obviously would not have caught either of the two. I would like to know if anyone can add insight to the following questions so we can all learn something and maybe avoid these types of shenanigans in the future. 

My questions:

1. Are there any other not so obvious fish issues that can be hard to spot during a quarantine period? (i.e. Not the usual suspects like Ick, Velvet, Flukes, DOA, etc. Lol!)

2. If so, what are the tricks and tips to spot them early (if any)?

3. Are there any good treatments every fish keeper should probably have on hand as they are hard to come by or generally have longer shipping wait times? (i.e. Levamisole, Dimilin, Malachite Green, Potassium Permanganate, etc.)

Edited by J. Mantooth
grammar is hard, apparently
  • Like 5
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have had to deal with camallanus worms a few times, so now I have both Expel-P and Levamisole HCL on hand at all times. I think that the worms have come from feeding blackworms, so after avoiding that for a while I haven't seen them, but it's always good to be prepared. Echoing @Streetwise, this is a thread I'd really like to learn from. I do think keeping some of these meds on hand at all times is a good idea, if you have a few tanks. It's probably not worth it if you have one tank, or aren't actively breeding or regularly buying or selling fish.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

Ă—
Ă—
  • Create New...