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anchorworm and Program 101

 Those are truly some interesting questions you raise and I would be
interested in any credible information concerning the interesting
speculations you bring up. I know I am not equipped to test them so I
will leave them for others.  Generally it is wild caught native fish or
ornamental koi and goldfish that have anchorworm.  I don't normally see
it in LFS Tropical fish.  My vet friends tell me that you can OD your
fish by adding too much Program.  EG somewhere around double the dosage
may kill some fish so the dosage, if added to food, would have to be
worked out and then may not even be effective.

It generally is a bad idea to add medicines to planted aquariums since
many medications have a negative effect on plants and the nitrogen
cycle. I realize this is a sweeping statement, but that entire area of
the hobby has too much marketing and not enough credible information.
So if you can come up with some verifiable tests and results I am sure
we would all appreciate it.    

I try to add as few chemicals to my water as possible, other than
those needed to achieve the kind of plant growth we all wish to enjoy.
Therefore, I use a hospital tank to segregate any wild caught fish or
even LFS Tropicals before I introduce them into my established plant
tanks.  The local LFS sells ten gallon tanks for $6.99, its a wise
investment and may keep you from dosing your plant tanks with the type
of poisons used to treat the various maladies new fish can bring with
them.







-> Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 23:35:58 -0700
-> From: "Matthew R. Sprague" <mspragu2 at twcny_rr.com>
-> Subject: Subject: anchor worm and clout ...don't do it

-> > From: klaus.schoening at jungle_org
-> > Subject: anchor worm and clout ...don't do it
-> >
-> > A number of aquarists have had poor to disastrous results using 
-> clout to > treat anchorworm.  The results range from no effect at all 
-> to the sudden > death of the fish within hours of treatment.  If you 
-> know a vet then you > can use a pill called Program that will cure 
-> anchorworm.  The treatment > is one large dog Program pill per 1000 
-> gallons of water.  The best way > to treat small tanks is the divide 
-> the pill after it has been crushed > into a fine powder and then 
-> scoring it into smaller approximately > equally sized lots.  For 
-> instance if subdivided into tenths then you > can treat 100 gallons. 
-> The Program interferes with the chitin making > ability of the 
-> anchorworm.  As anchorworm is actually a crustacean their > shell is 
-> made of chitin.  Only a single treatment is required and the > 
-> anchorwoms die within 3 to 4 days.  For a more definitive review go
-> > to------> http://www.koivet.com/program.htm/  .  Program does not 
-> harm > your nitrogen cycle or the plants either.  Clout is nasty 
-> stuff, I stay > away from all the organic phosphenes if I can at all 
-> help it.

->     Very nice research on the possiblities of using Program to combat 
-> anchor worms. Reading the Koivet page and doing a little extra 
-> research raised a few questions and ideas that i would like to throw 
-> out for the group to comment on. First of all is the idea of adding 
-> the powder to a food base instead of directly to the water. This 
-> might yeild better results as the solubility of Program in water is 
-> questionable. Any Fish physiolohgists out there that can suggest 
-> wheter the active ingreiient would make it into the fish's system?     
-> Given the fact that Program is a gyrase and inhibits chitin 
->  synthesis and polymerization has anyone thought about its possible 
-> effectivness agianst fungal infections? A large protion of fungi also 
-> produces and utilize chitin, however, im not alltogether positive if 
-> they all do or whether or not it is a function of macro fungi and not 
-> micro. Do we have any mycologists out there? Wait the mayor of my 
-> town is, and what do you know he is also a professor. I'll ask him 
-> about this tomorow. This also makes me reavaluate the possible 
-> importance of adding Program to the food rather than directly to the 
-> water column  _ especially _in _planted_ aquaiums. I'm concerned 
-> about this as the active ingredient in Program is persistent and and 
-> if able to effect fungi might cuase problems with beneficial fungi(ie 
-> do any of our plant roots contain mutualisitic fungi?).     Sorry if 
-> i opened up a whole new can of worms, but i question everything.

-> ------------------------------