# Internal parasite after care- rams wont eat



## pixi-spit (Aug 5, 2012)

I'd always wanted rams, they're my favourite fish of all!
I had a tank ready and waiting, it's already nice and mature since it housed my angelfish when they were small (I didnt want them getting bullied) but now that they're big enough to go into my big tank I've moved them accross and had reserved the now fishles tank for rams.

It was only empty for a day, while I was at work my mum surprised me and bought 4 german blue rams (all female).
I was happy as a pig in dirt when I came home and saw them swimming around in the tank... until I noticed that 2 had a dip in their stomachs and all 4 of them had white poop.
My assumption of internal parasites was correct, I treated the tank and for the next couple of days they're pooping white worms about the width of a hair.
But now I'm a little concerned that 2 of them are having troubles holding their food down.

They're clearly hungry, they're picking everything up trying to eat it but don't seem to be able to.
They're eager, but they're doing the eat it spit it out and eat it again thing.
I tried them on "cichlid gold" baby size pellets but they just end up getting ignored when they can't hold them in, I tried flakes but they couldnt swallow it.
They ignore blood worm, I'm at a loss on feeding these gals.

I'm hoping someone could please guide me on a couple of things 
What might help them keep their food down?
Is there any good food to help fatten them up? (and good nutrition to perk them up)
Any meds I should be using to help them recover?
How will I know if their parasites are actually gone? have I guessed correctly that if they poop worms they're getting them out of their systems or is there more to it?

Sorry for all the questions, I've never had to deal with internal parasites before.

The tank chemistry looks like this:

Amonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: (slightly up but I'm on top of it) 0.5
PH: 6.5

The tank is 64ltr which I know is a little small for 4 rams, I only really wanted 2 but since she's got 4 I'm planning to upgrade before they grow up. they're juvenile at the moment.


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

Hi, 
you may just need to treat them a little longer, or with a different med. Spitting out food is one of the first signs of bloat. The clear/white feces is also a sign. 
I don't know what you initially used or what's available to you 'over there'. Something with metronidazole in it is what you need. If Clout is available or Tetra Parasite Guard--those are both recommended for bloat. Or you can google the ingredients of those products and try to match them up with something similar. 
Start by doing a partial water change and then treat them, asap, and follow the package directions exactly. You don't want to make the mistake of stopping treatment when fish 'seem' to be better.

Good luck and please post back with any additional questions. The bloat article, linked below, should also be of help to you  
Robin


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## pixi-spit (Aug 5, 2012)

The meds I used to treat them was "nt labs anti-fluke and wormer" and contains fenbendazole as its active ingredient. the big down side to this med is I'm having to use 2 airstones as it starves the tank of oxygen (I was told use an air stone but I wasnt taking chances and used both the ones I had spare).
I was a little nervous of this med to start with but it's what I was recommended at the store.

I just read a review on the tetra one you recommended, it sounds like it's a lot more gentle on the tank and fish than the one I'm using.
I'm probably gunna have to wait a while before using it with the other med already in my tank though?

I've been siphoning the gravel removing 10% every other day to pull dead worms out (I've done 3 10% changes so far since I started using treatment) and havent put anymore meds in since the first dose about a week ago, how many more water changes would I need to do before its safe to use the tetra one?
I have got carbon in my filter but it could probably do with replacing by now, its been in there a month (I took it out for treatment but put it back in yesterday evening).
I don't want to poison the gals ^^

Sorry I keep asking 100 questions, I just don't want to do anything wreckless.
Your advice has been really helpfull so far


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

Nitrates 0.5? something wrong there, you sure you dont mean Nitrites? if so, what is your nitrate reading?


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## metricliman (Sep 3, 2012)

Actually, nitrates at a low level are not bad for the fish. I think you have it the other way around.


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## pixi-spit (Aug 5, 2012)

fusion said:


> Nitrates 0.5? something wrong there, you sure you dont mean Nitrites? if so, what is your nitrate reading?


lol woops I mean 5.0 not 0.5. my bad!
It's nitrate without a doubt, I'm using the API liquid test kit (its on the card decending from yellow to red)
Sorry for the confusion there, I got it the wrong way around.


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

metricliman said:


> Actually, nitrates at a low level are not bad for the fish. I think you have it the other way around.


I do know low nitrates are good, im thinking he mixed the readings up because 0.5 is a REALLY low reading and unless he is using a very accurate test its hard to get a 0.5 reading with a API test kit for example


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

pixi-spit said:


> fusion said:
> 
> 
> > Nitrates 0.5? something wrong there, you sure you dont mean Nitrites? if so, what is your nitrate reading?
> ...


Ah ok lol, 5 is a good reading, wouldnt worry about that


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

I would do a partial water change of 40%, using a good quality dechlorinator, wait a few hours and do another partial water change of 40%, remove the carbon and treat the fish with the Tetra. It's really important to begin treatment ASAP since with Bloat the meds are only going to be effective for a limited period of time. Once bloat gets too far along its almost always fatal.

Okay? So get right on it and let us know how it goes. 

Robin


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## pixi-spit (Aug 5, 2012)

I'll give you an update on that ASAP.

I'll pick up the treatment first thing in the morning, the store will be closed right now (10:23pm) but I'll get right onto treatment as quickly as posible.
I'll do those water changes right now though  that is something I'm able to jump straight to.

Thank you so much for the advice.


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## pixi-spit (Aug 5, 2012)

I did the water changes last night as reccomended, also did a water test this morning and we're still stable...
Amonia- 0 Nitrite- 0 and nitrate this time is 0 too.

Also I got the treatment today, tetra parasite guard.
The directions say "add one tablet to each 10 gallons (40ltr of aquarium water)
would one and just under a half tablet be too much in 64ltr?
I'm not quite sure how to measure this in tablet form.


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## pixi-spit (Aug 5, 2012)

I added one and just under half a tablet of the treatment yesterday, but here's where the instructions on the box have really lost me.

"Treatment may be repeated up to two times with 48 hours between treatment and a 25% water change" 
It doesnt state whether it'd be the same dose or not though 
Can I safely assume that'd be the same dose? (one and just under half tablets?)

On the up side, the rams are looking better and better every day.
I've totally stopped feeding for the moment, I think they hate me for it haha!
But there's been less white poop from them this morning.
I'll make it up to them after they've finished their coarse of treatment


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## pixi-spit (Aug 5, 2012)

I lost a ram today, her body went stiff and she could only use her front fins.
I put a breading container in the tank so she was in the same water but didn't get dragged around by the current of the filter or pestered by the other fish, but when I came downstairs earlier she was dead


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## triscuit (May 6, 2005)

Sorry for your loss... seems like an odd death though. Bloat and parasites usually don't present with paralysis, and tetra parasite guard is very gentle (but effective).


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## pixi-spit (Aug 5, 2012)

I'm not sure what happened there, its a little random to say the least, I'm not sure why that might have happened myself.
The water chemistry still looks the same, and everyone else still looks fine, it was just her 
It's just rams in that tank, the only other fish besides them is a harlequin I forgot to move out but he doesnt go near the rams.

On the bright side though, no more white poop from any of them!
Everyone else looks really good  
One of them is looking a little scrawny but hopefully I can fix that for her. other than being scrawny she looks otherwise fine though, she's active, alert and curious.
I've had them off food during treatment after reading the bloat thing, she probably hates me for that lol.

Do you think it's too early to feed them?


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