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Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V4 #326
> >Date: Sat, 03 Jun 2000 15:02:06 -0500
> >From: zxcvbob <zxcvbob at tcw_net>
> >Subject: Re: Ivomectin (APD #320)
> >I've never seen any parasites in my tank, but my platties have been
> >slowly dying off for about a year, with hollow stomaches and bent
> >backs. I assumed it was a mycobacteria ("tb") infection. None of the
> >other fish are affected, rosy barbs and otocinculus (sp?). It seems to
> >have started after I added some "trap door snails" to the tank, one of
> >which died right away. I tried treating with a heavy dose of Aureomycin
> >(chlortetracycline) mixed into the fish food and the tank water, but it
> >didn't help anything. Aureomycin is used to treat mycoplasmosis in
> >chickens.
Mycoplasma are primitive, bacteria-like organisms, and are very very different
from mycobacteria, which cause fish "TB." Chlortetracycline is ineffective for
mycobacteria.
> >
> >A couple of the local stores (Tractor Supply and Fleet Farm) sell some
> >vetrinary supplies, including soluble powder Ivomectin horse wormer.
> >Should I give that a try? Or is not seeing any parasites enough reason
> >to assume it is not Chamelonis worms? Thanks.
If you don't see worms, either grossly or after dissecting your dead fish,
there is no reason to treat with ivermectin. Even if you do see worms, they
may not be the cause of your fish's death. Nematodes commonly infect all kinds
of tropical fish, and seldom cause problems. In either case, unless your
specimens are quite valuable, you will probably spend more on ivermectin (which
may not work for your fish or the particular worm anyway) than on new fish. As
with the aureomycin, one has to be careful about casual use of
antibiotics/anthelminthics, as such use is a major cause of development of drug
resistance among pathogens.
Regards
Dave
Gauthier