# fenbendazole and nerites



## naturelady (Dec 14, 2009)

I dosed my 29gal aquarium with fenbendazole because I had planaria (yuck!). I moved my nerites out of this aquarium prior to dosing because I heard they were sensitive. After I dosed, I waited 3 days, did a 50% water change, and moved the nerites back.

2 days after their return to my 29gal, they were looking rough. They just weren't moving around the tank much at all, kind of just hanging out and not eating. So I removed them from the 29gal again. All except one seem okay, just slow.

I really want them in the 29gal, but I am afraid it will kill them. Is there anything else I can do? Will another water change be enough to make it safe for them??


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## naturelady (Dec 14, 2009)

I forgot other relevant info- 
I dosed them with 0.3 mg for the 29 gal tank. I dissolved it into a small amount of water, and only poured the dissolved portion into the tank, leaving the solid stuff out. The fish, ramshorns, and MTS seem to be unaffected by the treatment, although I have so many of those extra snails I don't know that I would notice a difference anyhow.


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## Jahn (Apr 26, 2013)

Well i had a bunch of nuisance snails in my 20G tank, and when I did the fenben treatment the big strong ugly ones turned grey and hung out of their shells a bit, but that didn't stop them from mating and slurping around. The little ones however did all disappear, likely dead. If you want to get rid of the fenben in your water, a big water change and that charcoal filter to filter the meds out for a bit should do the trick. i just started a levamisole treatment last night, and THAT one seemed to wipe out the snails but good. haven't seen any this morning, usually there's at least one on the walls.


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## Edub (Mar 23, 2011)

Fenben killed all of my nerites. I suggest one or more water changes before putting yours back in. Stir up the bottom a little if you can because the mess have a tendency to settle.


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## CookieM (Feb 7, 2012)

fenbendazole + nerite is a disaster. I did treatment 3 days. Changed water 50% on day 3. Day 5 change another 50%. Then introduce nerite with dripping acclimation yet they still die slowly. 

You can't get rid of fenbendazole in the tank after introducing them because they buried in your soils, plants, driftwoods, etc...


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## wicca27 (May 3, 2009)

one you treat a tank nerite are no longer safe in the tank. sorry for the bad news


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## Neptoon'd (Apr 21, 2013)

wicca27 said:


> one you treat a tank nerite are no longer safe in the tank. sorry for the bad news


Does that mean never again? Would you have to go so far as to tear the tank down and restart in order to make it safe for the nerites?


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## wicca27 (May 3, 2009)

from what i heard its kinda ever cause the med gets in the silicone. i could be wrong though but i have never treated a tank i wanted nerites in either


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## naturelady (Dec 14, 2009)

Never again?? Oh. That is a problem. I really want them in this tank, because it is my larger tank. Activated carbon won't make it safe for them?? I certainly would not have treated the tank if I knew that they never could go in again...


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## [email protected] (Mar 4, 2012)

I had the same thing happen when I used no-planaria. I now use the Gush catch pen when I start seeing planaria. It works great and I don't have to worry about my nerites.


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## Jahn (Apr 26, 2013)

Seeing as how my tank had both fenben and levamisole treatments, no way i'll ever intro nerites to the tank. Amazingly though, there is one big fat pest snail that lived on, and just last nite i saw two tiny tiny ones of the same ilk on the glass.

I was very tempted to smash the small ones, but hey - if I can't have nerites, might as well have some pedestrian snails eat up leftover mess in the tank. Maybe I'll get some ramshorn in there instead.


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

wicca27 said:


> from what i heard its kinda ever cause the med gets in the silicone. i could be wrong though but i have never treated a tank i wanted nerites in either



That's totally wrong, fenbendazole is short loved, even if you can't introduce them back right after the treatment, just wait a few weeks/water changes/charcoal filters and it'll be fine. 

Just thought I'd clear things up for anyone else who happens to come across this thread. 


I think you're thinking of copper, wicca27. Copper is a heavy metal and can bond to silicone, which can harm sensitive invertebrates for a long time. Fenbendazole is a medication that loses its effectiveness when exposed to light and oxygen.


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

By the way, I _WISH_ it stayed in aquarium forever, then I'd never have to treat for hydra or planaria ever again. It would be nice, but eventually I'll get some new moss and the hydra will be back.


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## Jahn (Apr 26, 2013)

hmm, which is maybe why my pest snails live on? i did do massive water changes and charcoal filters to get as much med out as I could, all fauna perked up after that and like i said, even saw two new baby snails out and about last night.

ok, maybe i'll pick up one tire track nerite tonight and see how the poor canary sings by the morn.


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## wicca27 (May 3, 2009)

it has never bothered my pond, mts, or rams horn snails.


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## Jahn (Apr 26, 2013)

The worst that happened to that big ugly one (pond?) was during the fenben treatment, it hung waaaayyyy out of its shell and turned a nasty dark crap color. Sadly, a nice small gold snail (ramshorn?) died during that time, not sure what kind of snail that was, but yep only left with the ugly ones.


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

Jahn said:


> hmm, which is maybe why my pest snails live on? i did do massive water changes and charcoal filters to get as much med out as I could, all fauna perked up after that and like i said, even saw two new baby snails out and about last night.
> 
> ok, maybe i'll pick up one tire track nerite tonight and see how the poor canary sings by the morn.


Even better, try an olive nerite. Olive nerites aren't imported and are much hardier than the Asian nerites.


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## Jahn (Apr 26, 2013)

cool, i'll look for one. last night i saw a zebra, a black horned and a tire track, but wasn't looking for an olive per se.


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