Jan writes:
see below - Scott wrote about potential tapeworm treatments. I have never
treated fish for internal parasites.
My impression (from Aho et al., 1991) is that bowfin are unusual for their
parasite loads. In terms of species richness and numbers, they are more
comparable to aquatic birds. I suspect that the parasite loads are highly
variable, too. Bowfin that we collected from the identical pool a year
earlier have shown good growth and survival and no (external) evidence of
tapeworms.
Scott wrote reviously:
On the killitalk list about a month & a half ago Flubendazole was
recommended to remove hydra from tanks. It evidentally is much safer to work
with than formulin. It was also more effective against the hydra. Another
correspondent also noted that it was effective against the wasting syndrome
associated with Heximita protozoa.
Another felt that a closely related drug fenbendazole was effective against
Camellanus worms.
They suggested that absorption through the
gills, gut or similar mechanism was providing the hobbyist with a usable
treatment for internal paracites.
Flubendazole is also known as Panacur and is available from small animal
vets. (I can hear jokes now about short little DVMs.)
Pathologist Barry Cooper chimed in that Flubendazole was not an
antibiotic,but an anthelmintic. The drugs in that group are often used to
treat internal diseases in animals. Flubendazole is one of the more water
soluable of the group.
Witnesses said that in hydra treatment that it took out the hydra. Fry and
snails continued unharmed.
If a person knew that their bowfin or other fish was plagued with tapeworms,
would this stuff help?
All the best!
Scott
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