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Hexamita infections

Hello Group,
seems like I may have hit a nerve with Hexamita infections. I have been following this little animal around since the 70's when I worked in Public Health. Hexamita is an all too common STD. It usually causes little or no discomfort in males but irritates the female counter part to no end. Itching, inflammation, and terrible odor. Both patients have to be treated or they pass it back and forth. Actually either partner may have the protozoa present and observe no symptom at all until just the right trigger and POW . . . what an itch. Sound familiar? Same thing in our fishes. As long as the food passes through and flushes away the Hexamita no problem, if the fish has a spell of no or little food so there is little or no movement through the gut, POW

	Some tanks will show the infection only after the keeper changes food and the feeding pattern changes. Being a-symptomatic is typical both in humans, birds, and fish. the presence of the protozoa is not the problem, it's the irritation which feeds upon itself. 

Sue has a picture of yours truly on the floor of the fish room with a Gold Pheasant ( the live fish) in one hand and an eye dropper in the other. I was forcing a squirter with a small bit of Flagyl and water down the throat of an infected fish. I saved the pair this way. I have killed one or two as well. I have tried this with smaller fish only to tare out the mouth parts or some such disaster. Best to get the fish to eat the medication.

Clout does work. Use it just as directed on the bottle or package. There is no copper in the product. It will however, kill off some of the "good " tank flora and makes a mess in doing so. The blue color is methylene blue and other dyes. This medication is a good cure for velvet along with several other ugly animals. It does stain the silicone sealer of most tanks.

The medication I mentioned earlier is water white - clear. It doesn't kill off as many other things in the tank and my rams horn snails don't seem to be affected. I have used this medication at 2X the given dose. Remember now. I change my tank water each week, all of it. So nothing stays in the water long.

What else? translucent white feces? only if there has been enough food ingested to make any feces at all. Why white and stringy? Lots of irritation and mucus . . .  

Would I do in the snails, yes, along with everything in the tank I could do without. Bleach will kill everything, period. But it has to be covered with the solution and has to be in contact with it long enough. Don't fill a tank half full of the solution and expect the vapors to do the job. How much? Make it stink of bleach 1/2 cup per 5 gallons fill the tank to the brim. Cover the rail around the top. Three days will do. Let it set at least over night. With plastic gloves scrub out the affected tank. A good rinse or two with tap water and the bleach is mostly gone. fill the tank with tap water and add the necessary amount of thiosulfate or other chlorine remover and the tank is back in service.

OK  -   Now back to finish off the last water change before Thanksgiving in Springfield, VA. Any killie nuts in Springfield? I would live to see your fish room.

Charles Harrison
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