# Killifish acting different



## markod72 (Aug 21, 2011)

*a short journal on treating camallanus nematode w/ levamisol (killifish acting diff.)*

For starters..
20g Long
6 Neon Tetra, Honey Gourami, Male Crowntail Betta, "GW" Killifish
Fluval C3, AquaTech 5-15
20% water change/gravel vac 9.23 (Prime, StressZyme)
Mostly fed Tetra Color Plus, New Life Spectrum, occasionally, frozen bloodworms.

I bought this killifish because it didn't look like any of the other "Golden Wonders" that I've really seen. The others I have seen are more pale looking. This fish is very reflective yellow/green, with 7 or 8 black vertical stripes running down its back. Not a fish expert, so maybe it's a male/female? I digress...

Fish has been in the tank since around 6.15.2012. A couple of days after my last water change the killi stopped eating, and usually it is a hungry fish! Eager to eat anything! that contacts the surface of the water. It also would greet me every time I came to the front of the tank, swimming anxiously. Now it's just swimming around...not interested in a whole lot, including flakes right in it's face. It's been about 4 or 5 days. Enough for me to think something is up. 

Any ideas?


----------



## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

It looks good, not overweight and not sick in any way I can see. It's a male Aplocheilus lineatus from Asia, and its markings say it is a throwback - closer to the native fish than the very inbred and uniform golden wonders in the stores. He's a handsome fish. 

It's not like them to be off their food - generally if you throw the cat in they'll have a go at it. I would watch him - I see a young, healthy well fed fish there. But you're right to wonder why he isn't eating - that is weird. Swat a mosquito and drop it in. If he doesn't grab it, he's sick....


----------



## markod72 (Aug 21, 2011)

Thank you so much for your very informative post. He really is a great looking fish, and has had quite the personality up til the recent days. Like I said, always greeting me when I approach the tank.

I did feed him a little bug and he was alllll over it in about .2! So maybe he just needs a little more variety in his diet. I live in a basement with an assortment of bugs (one of which ISN'T cockroaches). Are some bugs possibly bad for them? Small box elder bugs, small spiders, etc?

Thanks again


----------



## clep.berry (Mar 4, 2012)

Cute fishie. I wish we had more killies over here.
Are your temps and aeration right? - doesn't look like he's gasping but good water, lots of air usually help.
No other changes to tank chemistry?
cb


----------



## markod72 (Aug 21, 2011)

Temps 77* and rarely wavers.
Did ammonia and nitrate tests, all good.
I quit using the airstone quite some time ago, but with the two filters going I think aeration is quite good. Tons of little bubbles floating in there. Fluval C3 takes a minute to figure out what works best for you, but I give it thumbs up overall.


----------



## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

If a bug hasn't been sprayed in any way, then it is fish food. I left a water container beside an outdoor pond under a bush this summer, and found it full of drowned ants the next day - dozens and dozens. Stomach content analysis of killies shows ants to be the main diet. I used to wonder how they got enough of them, but ant hills near water must lose millions of members a year.

Killies and Bettas go nuts for any insect they can fit in their mouths - spiders, bugs, mosquitos, flies - I whack it, I feed it. 

Sometimes pet stores have little jars of dried krill, or, if you are not allergic to them (many are) bloodworms. They can be a treat for a surface predator. Chopped up earthworms are a great favourite.


----------



## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Aww he is a cute little guy! Hope he starts to eat for you. I have been getting interested in killies. Right now I have some bluefins but would love some other types.


----------



## markod72 (Aug 21, 2011)

See him back there?

He seems to have come around...getting back to his normal eagerness when I'm around. Although he is on hunger strike in regards to flakes. Not interested in the least, but he'll take down bloodworms no problem. 

Can anyone ID the big plant in there? inherited from a friends tank, oldest living thing in there! I cut dead and ripped leaves and it just keeps putting up new shoots.


----------



## markod72 (Aug 21, 2011)

Doubt that anyone really is interested at all, but I thought I'd give an update on the little dude.

Turns out he had camallanus worms! I can only fathom that they came in with the crowntail male betta that I purchased, some some time ago! It's the only thing I've added to my tank in months.

Inkmaker sent me a package of Levamisole HCl, which is suppose to do the trick. I just dosed it 5 minutes ago, I really hope that it works! I have low expectations of the killi living though, unfortunately. He seems to be the most seriously stricken, but he has been a champ through the whole ordeal, so maybe he will pull it off. In 5 minutes I have seen the worms already starting to exit him.

Anyway...you can never be too sure. Don't accept a changing fish, as just changing! I knew the first day he stopped eating that something was wrong. I didn't start to see the worms out of the vent until after I made the initial post.

Just really want to thank Inkmaker for swiftly sending me off a package, even before I had sent him the payment.


----------



## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

I was interested and followed along since day 1. Very sorry to hear of diagnoses.Hopefully your treatment is in time for your killies survival.Inkmaker is a privledge that many hope not to use.Charles seems on point(much like nav. ) and offers things others can't.I hope your killi has stregnth to eat and survive the treatment. And on last post(not plant/anything expert) but think plant is amozon sword(nice).


----------



## markod72 (Aug 21, 2011)

11.17.2012 update...

Been three weeks now since initially treating my 20gal with levamisol to treat the nematodes...Managed to lose only a single neon tetra, and that happened about a week after the treatment (dunno what happened). Everyone else seemed good to go.

Just dosed my tank about 30 minutes ago, .5mg levamisol per 10 gallons. 

Already have lost 4 of the neon tetras, one holding on...barely. I was surprised that I didn't lose any the first treatment. This time I broke up the dosage into .25g, .5g, .25g increments, instead of adding the straight gram dosage in one shot. Didn't seem to make a difference.

Betta, killie, and honey gourami appear to be coping ok...
Bummer bout the tetras tho. Cheap insignificant fish, but 3 of those were the first fish that I ever bought. RIP lil guys

11.18 Edit/Update

5 tetras down, killiefish succumbed over the night. He was a beautiful fish! Betta holding out under rock, alive. Honey gourami swimming around like normal. Didn't eat..but doesn't seem to be affected very much. Can't wait to do w/c and add carbon. Must just suck in there! Looks like a ghost tank.

11.21 update
Did 75% w/c, added carbon. Still got the betta and gourami. Betta eating normally, "Honey" showing some appetite. Well, I guess this is it. To all those who have never had to deal with this nemesis, thank your lucky stars. Hardly been a year since I got into the hobby, so to have this happen already is somewhat disheartening. What worries me is how long it took to realize this is what I was dealing with. Even if I had quarantined whatever fish brought these hitchikers in with them, I doubt that I would have been able to tell, even after a month of quarantine.

Thanks to Charles/inkmker, for the levamisol, and all the information about how to use appropriately. 
I guess we'll see if I can get black Friday deals on some new stock for the tank. You better believe I have my 10g set up for quarantine now. To all those who have been following, thanks. Hope you learned..something at least!


----------

