So in regard to my nematode problem (which is not really a problem since they, from what I read, don't harm anything...but the attractiveness of my tank... well to me anyway
), I decided to try a little dose of Fenbendazole (dog dewormer) since it did wonders in my community tank in getting rid of hydra... not to mention the nematodes I had in there as an added bonus... um, can someone say "collateral damage".
So I decided to take the 'risk' of using chemicals (which I hate to do in any aquarium). Hey, I had zero issues using it before in my other tank, which even the MTS and pond snails survived!!!
So, I dosed yesterday but I'm still seeing those squiggling suckers around in the water column and glass all alive... so I was starting to question the "effectiveness" because I was like...WHAT GIVES? It killed my Hydra within a day the last time...okay, hydra and worms aren't the samething... can't compare apples and oranges. So I dug around a bit online to understand the process a bit more and found some interestingly cool info on how Fenbendazole works...which I think explains why it didn't take care of the worms on the spot... Here are some of the cool stuff that caught my eye... "fenbendazole works by inhibiting the ingestion of glucose and other nutrients by the worm"(ehow.com)..."it works by binding to 3-tubulin protein that blocks polymerization of tubules into micro-tubules, which damages the integrity and the transport function of the cells" (XHellcatX)...Wow.. sounds real technical doesn't it, but really neat! I guess it basically blocks these little suckers from feeding and absorbing nutrients, thus hindering their ability to thrive and multiply... so they'll just starve to death and goodbye worms!!! So I'm giving this a good 48 hours, then I'll do a massive water change and add some carbon to the filter.
So here's my big public service announcement... the use of chemicals to solve any problem in an aquarium should be used as a last resort and at calculated risk (understand these risks the best you can), then make a decision to use them or not. Even so I've read through a bunch of info online and forums that have used Fenbendazole in aquariums with success, it's still not a 100% proven method...use with caution.
For those of you who have decided to read this, I apologize if I bored you guys with this big ol' rant on something that most find to be beneficial to an aquarium... call it personal taste, but I just hate worms that aren't frozen and meant to be fed to my fish.
Picture from my desk... Yes...geek alert! That's my Kotobukiya Iron Man statue and my lightsaber...LOL
Well hope you guys have a nice weekend and Happy Halloween
!!!
Our Pom, Kitsu