Ancistrus disease

froger · Post by **froger** » 27 May 2012, 09:18

I kept aquarium fish for a long time and I am out of hobby now but I want to reintroduce some Loricarids in my tanks.
I had some problems with Ancistrus fry - swollen bellies with high mortality rate, I am afraid of same problems. I bred Ancistrus species quite successfully for a few years, but after few years something suddenly went wrong. Maybe I introduce some parasites?
Everything looked OK until I start to feed the fry. After that everyday 1-2 fry died with swollen belly.
What is most common disease of Ancistrus fry and how it should be treated, or maybe adult fish should be treated?

pleco_breeder · Post by **pleco_breeder** » 27 May 2012, 17:11

The info given sounds like there may have been an intestinal flagellate in the tank. Without knowing more, an accurate diagnosis would be impossible. Regardless, it's easier to treat the adults and tank to stop the disease from spreading to every brood.

Larry

froger · Post by **froger** » 27 May 2012, 22:49

Thank you Larry.

I treated the fry with Flagyl - (Metronidazole) but without any success.
What treatment is appropriate for worm parasites.

Lframe · Post by **Lframe** » 28 May 2012, 15:42

Try Eiho gold and Eiho metro (sold separately) combo for internal parasites. Safe for all plecos and effective.

pleco_breeder · Post by **pleco_breeder** » 28 May 2012, 16:06

I've only had limited success with Metro. I've used Flubendazole a couple times recently for new fish and it seems to be much more reliable.

Internal worms are a bit more tricky to treat. You really have to know what type of worm you're dealing with. Praziquantel works well for tapeworms. Levamisol for roundworm. I know there's one I'm forgetting, but I still haven't had a chance to get my morning coffee yet.

Larry