How to treat aquarium fish for internal parasites?

How to treat aquarium fish for internal parasites?

Here are 9 best DIY methods to treat internal parasites in the pet fish. You can easily get rid of parasites in the fish tank by using these proven techniques.

How to treat aquarium fish for internal parasites? You can treat internal parasites in the aquarium fish by using saltwater, Epsom salt, formaldehyde, anti-protozoal drugs, increase the water temperature, and Acriflavine.

A parasite that usually lives in the internal organs and cavities is called internal or endoparasite. These parasites are responsible for different diseases in fish like Gold rust disease.

How to treat aquarium fish for internal parasites?

Follow this step-by-step guide to detect and treat these parasites in the fish.

The protozoans and worms are endoparasites. Roundworms a coccidia, and ich are the most common parasite in pet fish. The roundworms live inside the GIT tract.

Bath medicine

In this technique, you can use different chemicals as medicine. You can place a specific amount of chemicals or drugs in the aquarium.

The length of soaking fish in a bath depends upon the severity of od disease.

Use Saltwater

It is the most reliable option for eliminating endoparasites. Regular table salt or unionized salt is most commonly used for this purpose, including ich and hookworms.

Other types of salts are available specifically for this purpose, like rock salt, sea salt for livestock, and solar salt consumption.

You can use different concentrations of sodium chloride to treat different diseases. For example, for ich, 30ppm of salt is best for adding in water.

Add 30 tablespoons of salt to one gallon of water. The highly saline water can quickly kill them; you should repeat this daily for three ties.

You can use a 4 to 5ppm concentration of salt to kill anchor worms. Dip the infested fish in saltwater and repeat the process three times. At 5 to 10ppm concentration, the worms can not survive for more than a week.

Use Epsom salt

It contains magnesium sulfate in it. This salt affects a wide range of parasite worms. Another element is the release of cholecystokinin from mucosal enterocytes in the intestinal lumen. 

The concentration of Epsom salt varies according to the type of parasites. On average, one tablespoon per 5 gallons is enough to kill many worms from the body. Repeat the process daily for 3 days or a week, depending upon the condition.

Add Formaldehyde

Formalin is a solution of formaldehyde in water. This solution can kill many types of protozoans and worms. It is a very toxic agent, and you should take great care while dealing with it. 

A 37% solution is used; 1 millimeter of formalin is enough for 10-gallon water. Add it to water and soak the fish in it. It shows the immediate result and repeats it daily for three days.

Change the water after every procedure. You can use 0.5 to 1 ppm concentration of formalin for up to 24 hours, slowly eradicating them.

Use Copper and acriflavine

Acriflavine and victoria green are very crucial in treating worms present in the intestine. They are available in the tablet form; one tablet is enough to kill all of them. You can also add a second dose if necessary. 

Copper sulfate is a very toxic compound, and it needs special consideration. Only minute quantities in PPM are enough for one dose. A high concentration of copper sulfate can even kill them.

Separate the sick fish

Whenever you want to add new fish to in aquarium, quarantine it in a separate tank for about 10 to 14 days.

This can help us in many ways, helps to keep them healthy, and you can treat the sick fish in the early stages, you just have to follow all the steps mentioned here.

You can keep cory catfish together but access their condition before adding them.

Increase the temperature of the water

The temperature has a direct effect on the speed of the life cycle of the parasite. The life cycle can speed up when the temperature is higher.

The free-living stage of the parasite can pass quickly; it can also kill endoparasites. They can survive at a specific temperature. When we increase the temperature above that level, then it can die within their body.

You can also place it in direct sunlight to speed up the life cycle. Artificial lights can also increase the temperature of the water. You should know the number of hours fish sleep, to adjust the light.

Antiprotozoal drugs

Different antiprotozoal drugs are used for various issues like metronidazole, ronidazole, and albendazole.

Add them to a separate water tank and soak fish in it. It can immediately fix the parasitic disease. 

Can internal parasites kill fish?

No, usually parasites do not kill their host. The host serves as a food supplier to them. Fish and parasite can have different types of relationships.

Sometimes both benefit each other. Sometimes they take nutrition without harming them. In some cases, it can harm and damage them in many ways.

They can harm their host by interfering in the normal functioning of the body. It can damage its organ system in many ways.

First of all, it deprives them of all the nutrients necessary for their nourishment. It can remove all the blood and body fluid from them.

It can also damage body tissue and cells. When the fish is under stress, it can get many other infections, and they can have seizures.

How do I know if my fish has internal parasites?

When parasite infests them, they show different symptoms. These symptoms vary depending upon the type of parasite and disease.

Signs and Symptoms:

  • Irritability
  • Gasping for breath
  • Rubbing themselves to hard surface
  • Change in color
  • Yellow or different color spot on the skin
  • Cloudy eyes
  • Loss of appetite
  • Erratic swimming
  • Worms in feces

The most apparent source of transmission is bad water quality. Different protozoans usually live in water and are in search of some suitable hosts.

Some have a free-living phase as a part of their life cycle. During this period, they can easily live in water, and on completion of the period.

Another source of transmission is through other fish. When we add a sick animal to the tank, it can transmit them to others.