Treatment for Internal Parasites?

[SheWolfe1]

Hi guys,

My tanks were doing fine but then I added some plants to each one and stuff is starting to go down hill. Information about tank though: 45g, HOB filter rated way overkill (we originally had two of them in the 150) and water is clear, 250w heater at a temp of 79, couple live plants as well as fake, 2 young blue gouramis, 5+ mollys and platys, 7 tetras, 4 cory cats, a pleco, and currently 4+ newborn sunburst plays, 2 danios. The gourmis are being transferred to a cycled tank with a small number of angelfish after I have figured out this issue.

Now, on to business, I noticed that my largest black molly had stringy clear poop that was about twice her size and she appears to be bloated. ALL my fish besides one are acting hungry and eating. The one that isn't is a leopard (molly?) that appears to be very skinny and has the white, stringy poop as well. Everyone is acting fine and energetic but I am worried about internal parasites?

Is that the most logical option and if it is, what should I use as treatments?

 

[Matt68005]

This is possible the dreaded camallanus worms. Mollies are prone to it. My advice is to move the mollies to a seperate tank and add a ton of AQ salt, over the course of a few hours, until you get brackish conditions. Worms cannot live in brackish conditions. The best treatment is powder or liquid levimasole added directly to the tank. If they pass the worms, then you must suck them up. Take out the substrate if you want too. Levimasole only paralysis the fish. There are other dewormers like fenbendazole, but they just dont work as good as levimasole powder.
Your could also go to a LFS and get some prazipro. Ive heard mixed results with it. Bob fenner reccomends it, but ive also heard it may not work. Google it.
They are very hard to stop, and even if you take your tank down and bleach it, they may keep coming back. Be prepared for a long battle with them. There are also dewormer flakes avaliable from angelsplus.com under flake foods, but these are weak and more for Prophalatic treatment.
BTW it is dalmation mollies, not leapoard.
Since you mentioned one is skinny and dosent eat, it could also be Fish TB, a very deadly hard to stop bacterial infection. I did not notice that until i re-read your post. It sounds like it could be since one is skinny and one is bloated.
If the one that is bloated passes, then cut it open (wearing gloves, do not reach into the tank with any cuts or open sores as you can get fish TB on your hands) and observe for worms, if there are none, it may likely be Fish TB.

 

[SheWolfe1]

Do you really think so? I haven't seen any visible worms coming from my fish, just the white poo that I can't explain. My other fish are all pooping normally other than the three I mentioned. I thought those particular parasites were ALWAYS identified by the worms coming out of the vent of fish.

I was going to buy two types of parasite medications; PraziPro and Bendazole.

 

[Matt68005]

Yes in the later stages, you will see the worms prodruding from the vent, but not at first, not for the first month of their lifecycle, after that time they are as good as gone. De worm them with some prazipro or fenbendazole, and if that dont work then its Fish TB and you need to euthanize them and bleach everything.
Im sorry to come off as blunt or rude, or the bearer of bad news.....ect i mean its all i can think of to say right now.
I am just questions and answers direct type person.