# Callamanus worms how to get rid?



## EvilFish (Oct 15, 2013)

Hi,

I noticed a Callamanus worms in one of my fish anus (I guess another died form them 1 mounts ago).

I already ordered a 7.5g of Levamisole. Do I need to tread the entire tank or can I mix it with the fish food? How much do I need to treat 29g? And how long?

How fast it will kill the fish? Do I have 2 weeks (shipping time)?

I have API General Cure, but Metronidazole and Praziquantel has no effect on this worm?

What else can I do? Soak the food with Garlic?

Is Levamisole safe for the snails (Nerite) and shrimps (bamboo, blue, ghost)? Or I need to remove them?

What is your exp with this worm?

Thanks


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

yes, treat the whole tank
http://www.loaches.com/Members/shari2/levamisole-hydrochloride-1


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## EvilFish (Oct 15, 2013)

Do I need to use Levamisole or/and Fenbendazole flakes food?


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

add levamisole to the water in your tank. Instructions are in the link.


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## EvilFish (Oct 15, 2013)

Thanks

I need to remove my Neritas Snails? But for how long?


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## EvilFish (Oct 15, 2013)

Hmmm.... Levamisole doesn't kill this worm but paralyze it.
I need to vacuum it after to prevent re-infection. But I cannot vacuum heavenly planted tank... Any ideas?

Thanks


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Light surface vacuum what you can and repeat the treatment in 3 weeks. 

Inverts should be safe if you do the water change.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


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## mistuhmarc (Oct 1, 2013)

Be careful what happens after treatment. I've had two angels, and a school of neons die after treatment. I highly suspect that the dead worms had caused a major intestinal problem in the bellies of the fish.


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## EvilFish (Oct 15, 2013)

Any way to help the fish pass the dead worm? 
Maybe feed it with peas? 

Thanks


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## Art by Stef* (Jan 27, 2013)

I don't know what kind of fish you have, but if they eat the peas, it really seems to help.

-Stef*


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## EvilFish (Oct 15, 2013)

Is Flubendazole can kill those worms?

Thanks


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## mistuhmarc (Oct 1, 2013)

Flubendazole CAN kill callamanus. However, when I've used it to treat my tank, it didn't have any particular effect. Either I was dosing it wrong when I fed the angels, or it wasn't working right.


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## DarkCobra (Jun 22, 2004)

Levamisole will paralyze callamanus at lower doses, and kill them outright higher doses. Most of the time a killing dose is used. So vacuuming is NOT technically necessary, unless there's so much dead worm floating around it might cause an ammonia spike.

Fenbendazole works similarly to Levamisole, but is NOT water soluble, so it cannot be used as a water treatment (short of predissolving it in acetone, which frequently results in poisoned fish). So it must be added to food and ingested instead. This makes it less reliable that a paralyzing dose is ingested, much less a killing dose; and so vacuuming is NECESSARY.

Flubendazole will kill callamanus, but isn't often used for that purpose, and so there's relatively little experience to go on as to proper doses. It's also unique for a dewormer in that it's quite lethal to snails.

NO OTHER dewormer works, at all. Levamisole is the preferred treatment.

NONE of these kill the eggs in the substrate, and vacuuming cannot reliably remove all of them - especially in a heavily planted tank - so retreatment in three weeks is NECESSARY.

In all cases, if a worm dies inside the fish and blocks the intestine, or otherwise is not successfully passed before it starts to rot, the fish will die. So it's important to continue feeding to keep things moving along. High roughage foods like peas can be beneficial, so long as they eat them. But in some cases the mass of worms is just too great, blockage is unavoidable, and there's just nothing you can do.

If you experience mass deaths, it's possible you overdosed. Some of the recommended killing doses of Levamisole are about half of what has been documented to cause fish deaths in certain species. Combined with the fact that all Levamisole products are not the same strength, pair up the wrong dose with the wrong product and there can be trouble. Back when I and Stef had a massive callamanus outbreak and found conflicting dosage info, I just started with the lowest, and if not effective moved up to the next one. Took a little extra time and meds, but this ensured I didn't choose the wrong advice and accidentally overdose. Better info is available these days and you should be able to get it right on the first try, but when asking for dosage advice, be clear about what Levamisole product you're using. And when providing dosage advice, make sure you take this into account.


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## EvilFish (Oct 15, 2013)

Thanks
What dose you recommend for 29g?


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## DarkCobra (Jun 22, 2004)

EvilFish said:


> What dose you recommend for 29g?


Note I said you have to be clear about what kind of Levamisole product you're using. 

Are you using known 99-100% pure Levamisole HCl, for example from Ebay or this site:

http://www.inkmkr.com/Fish/CamallanusTreatment/TreatmentProcedure.html

If so, then follow that link and use Charles' dosage instructions. (Even if not, read it, it includes some other possible necessary steps like removing carbon, etc.)

If you're using Vermisol (a bird dewormer), I can provide different dosage instructions.

If none of the above, provide all the detail you can on what you purchased.


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## EvilFish (Oct 15, 2013)

I attached the image. 

Thanks


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## DarkCobra (Jun 22, 2004)

Ok, that is a new one on me!

Fortunately, it looks like we have all the needed info on the label to do a proper dosage conversion.

Charles' recommended killing dose for 100% pure Levamisole HCl is 5 grams per 100G. You have a 29G tank, and probably closer to 25G when you subtract space occupied by substrate and such - remember medications should be measured by actual tank water volume, not the size of the tank. Since 25G is 1/4th of 100G, you would need 1/4th as much of the pure stuff, or 1.25 grams.

However, yours is not pure, at only 11.79 grams of active ingredient per 100 grams of product. So multiply the dosage by (100/11.79)=8.48. And 8.48*1.25=10.6. For your tank, the dosage _using this product_ would be 10.6 grams.

Use a gram scale if possible. If not, since the package contains 100 grams (if still full and unused) and you need 10.6, try to measure out 1/10th of the contents, as exact as you can make it. Then measure it, using measuring spoons or whatever is at your disposal, so you'll know how much to measure out for the follow-up dose in three weeks.


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## EvilFish (Oct 15, 2013)

Thanks

Few more questions:
1. I need to dose the tanks and leave it for 3 days? 
2. Do I need to remove filter floss and light off? 
3. After 3 days can I do only 1 water change 20% and put the carbon? I cannot change more than 20% at time. 
4. Its toxic for neritas? Safe for shrimps? 
5. I repeat it in 3 weeks, do I need to repeat again in 3 weeks? 

Thanks for help

Thanks


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## DarkCobra (Jun 22, 2004)

1) Yes, leave it in for three days.

2) Filter floss and other standard mechanical/biological media can stay. But absolutely no carbon, Purigen, other chemical adsorbents, or UV. Lights off for first 24 hours, but continue feeding during this period.

3) 20% water change is fine. The water change isn't so much to remove the medication, which will break down on its own. It's more to remove possible ammonia spikes in severe cases, where there are _lots_ of large, dead, and rotting worms. Usually only an issue with big fish and advanced cases. You didn't mention what species are infected, but given the tankmates I expect they're small. Though if you have reason to think this may be an issue, perform daily ammonia tests.

4) Have not tried with these species myself, but haven't heard any reports suggesting trouble.

5) Only one repeat after three weeks is necessary. If you have multiple tanks, maintain STRICT quarantine on the infected tank until the repeat is complete. There will be new callamanus worms in the tank, hatched from eggs, until then - the repeat kills them before they have a chance to mature to egg-laying age, breaking the cycle for good. Do not move fish or plants out of that tank to another. Avoid sharing of nets, Python water changers, or any other equipment, unless you sterilize after use.


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## mistuhmarc (Oct 1, 2013)

In my experience:

1. I need to dose the tanks and leave it for 3 days? 

48-72 hours. I had mine dosed for 48 hours.

2. Do I need to remove filter floss and light off?

No, you can keep the floss in, however, if you have anything that removes chemicals, like carbon or purigen, take these out, as they will remove the medication rendering it useless.

3. After 3 days can I do only 1 water change 20% and put the carbon? I cannot change more than 20% at time. 

Why can't you take out more than 20%? But it's fine though, really depends more on if you're having ammonia like DarkCobra said. I went ahead and took out 70% of the water. The carbon will help to rid of the medication, and once you turn on the lights, the medication should go away as well cause it is sensitive to light.

4. Its toxic for neritas? Safe for shrimps? 

From what I've read on levamisole, it should be safe for all invertebrates. I've had bamboo shrimp in the tank that was being treated and it was doing fine. 

5. I repeat it in 3 weeks, do I need to repeat again in 3 weeks? 

It really depends on you. If you are paranoid (like me) you can do it a third time. The second time will kill the newly hatched worms since levamisole only paralyzes adult worms. 

I've had a really bad problem dealing with callamanus. Now, I hate them with a passion. Lost both angels and a school of neons. Really regret not seeing the problem before. In any case, it is important that you try to get your fish to pass the dead worms asap. Mashed peas will be your best friend. And if that fails, your fish may have problems.


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## EvilFish (Oct 15, 2013)

Thanks 
If iI'll change more than 20% of water it will be 3-4-5° temp switch. When 20% I can change with only 1-1.5° temp switch.


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## EvilFish (Oct 15, 2013)

I found a pure Levamisole and already dose a 1.25g.


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## EvilFish (Oct 15, 2013)

Just FYI - it's seems to be toxic to the Neritas Snails. They all fall when I dosing the Levamisole. I put them to another tank, hope they will recover.

My bolivian ram is very stressed. I see the worms falling from his anus. Others fishes have no sing of infection.


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## Virto (Dec 6, 2012)

It's possible that you may lose a fish or two - I did, but the treatment worked and it's worth a loss here or there.

Your snails may very well recover - Levamisole is a paralytic, so they may be mostly unable to move properly. In my experience, snails suffered no long term effects, but were very miserable during treatment. It is important to treat the snails as well, since they can be carriers.

Like you, I only had one fish show signs of infection, but you always have to assume every fish has been exposed.


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## EvilFish (Oct 15, 2013)

Thanks


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## EvilFish (Oct 15, 2013)

All the fishes seems to be fine. Only one was infected. Now it's much more active.
72h already passed.


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## EvilFish (Oct 15, 2013)

Can I use carbon for a week and remove it after? Then use it again in 3 weeks after second medication?


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## EvilFish (Oct 15, 2013)

Added a second dose, but I forgot to remove Purigen. I removed it 1-2h after.

There is nothing bad? Or I need to add some again?

Thanks


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## DarkCobra (Jun 22, 2004)

Sorry I missed the question about the carbon, I just re-found this thread. I believe Levamisole breaks down on its own, so no need for any action after a treatment, unless an ammonia spike or other water quality issues are caused.

I'm not sure anyone knows for certain what effect the Purigen might have on this medication, that's why it's recommended to remove it from the tank.

At this point if you wanted to make absolutely certain that a killing dose was applied, you'd have to remove all the medication via a large water change (90-100%) - if that is possible or tolerated by the livestock. Then redose the full amount.

Or you could wait and see. Remain vigilant looking for signs of reinfestation, and be prepared to start the whole process over again.


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## EvilFish (Oct 15, 2013)

Thanks

I just dose a 0.7/3 more. I don't think it will do something bad...


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