Bandit Flipping Over

[Trinket 108]

Not really. This is specifically worm relatd and getting the worm count as low as possible so he can live a normal life is the best approach.

As the worm numbers decrease, the swellings will subside and the redness automatically decrease. If you treat the redness alone with an antibiotic you are not treating the root cause so it will recur..and you are then in the horrible position of round after round of antibiotics which will not completely cure but certainly mess with his cycle and cause worse issues IMO.

I agree. I would not use Fluben in the water either. I would keep going with indefinte courses of the AP food as long as he is eating. This approach has had proven success with Bandit.

The truth is that once these worms have found their way into muscle tissue and incycted breeding nests/cysts internally there is no cure just control But Bandit seems to be coping very well and it is perfectly possible to build his immunity up (via stable water and good nutrition) so that worms are eliminated and kept at low enough levels for him to have quality of life.

[caitie 36]

Thanks again Imo. So for the time being I'll go on as usual.

[devilduck 49]

If you want I can send you some Flubendazole to have on hand? I opened mine a month ago and it goes off after three so it might as well go somewhere it might be some use rather than sitting in my cupboard before being thrown out. Let me know and I can get it in the post for you. I can get more easily enough. Hopefully you won't need it but you're welcome to it if you want it as a 'just in case'.

I've never noticed any issues with my cycle when using it either...maybe I just didn't test my water often enough to notice? I only really used it in QT and I was doing daily water changes or near enough anyway.

Hugs for you and Bandit

[caitie 36]

If you want I can send you some Flubendazole to have on hand? I opened mine a month ago and it goes off after three so it might as well go somewhere it might be some use rather than sitting in my cupboard before being thrown out. Let me know and I can get it in the post for you. I can get more easily enough. Hopefully you won't need it but you're welcome to it if you want it as a 'just in case'.

I've never noticed any issues with my cycle when using it either...maybe I just didn't test my water often enough to notice? I only really used it in QT and I was doing daily water changes or near enough anyway.

Hugs for you and Bandit

Wow Sarah, thank you so much. If you're sure it isn't a bother I'll pm you my address. I hope I won't need it but having gone this far with Bandit I would really like to save him and see what he'll grow into.

[devilduck 49]

No problem, chuck me your details and I'll get it sent across

Also, do you know what the customs laws are? Things like meds, especially open packets which could have had their contents swapped (paranoid me!) should possibly be sent as something else? Toy? My java moss turned up as 'toy'.

[caitie 36]

Well I'm back again, nothing too urgent I think. More of a question. Bandit seems to be passing more and more worms but they are even tinier. The thing that I wonder about is that he had a small black spot in his "butt area" it is under the skin in the flesh. He had it when I got him, I always thought it was his coloring. Recently it is smaller but now he has little black dots all over that side of his butt. I can only describe it by comparing it to looking at a female platy who is close to giving birth. You can see all the little black eyes through her skin. I tried getting a picture but it isn't showing up. Any idea what this could be?

[Trinket 108]

I dont think you would be seeing worm eyes.. as they dont have them as far as I know.. it could certainly be something related to a cyst of worms however. I definitely think you have several different kinds here and it may be that some have dark tips or ends....or that the area around a worm cyst might get dappled or the skin lose pigmentation or change pigmentation with worms in the muscle tissue just below.

The fact that the worms are tinier is good, I think it may mean these cysts are releasing the younger forms faster and more readily -better out than in. Are you going to try the flubendazole from Sarah, in the water? This would help eliminate the free livers.

How is Bandit behaving? Eating? Swimming? these days?

[caitie 36]

Are you going to try the flubendazole from Sarah, in the water? This would help eliminate the free livers.

Well as you mentioned before I'm not sure if Bandit is strong enough for water meds. I do have it on hand but I was holding off on using it. Right now I still manage to suction them out although they are tiny. The tank only has a small clay pot and a few riverstones so they can't hide.

How is Bandit behaving? Eating? Swimming? these days?

Behaving pretty normal.

Eating like a regular little pig. No problem feeding him either his gel food or the anti parasite food.

He is very active but he still struggles alot to control his swimming. He floats to the top belly up when he rests maybe 70 - 80% of the time. Although he has developed the habit of gulping air at the top of the tank so he might be float because of that. He attracts my attention by making loud noises with the bubbles along the top edge of the tank. Not sure how he does it but it works.

One day I hope you won't have to see this thread keep popping back out but I do appreciate you're taking time out to help me and Bandit.

[caitie 36]

Just one other thing I forgot to mention this morning is that he is back to having some normal poop but alot of hairlike white poop. Maybe it's just because of the worms.

[Trinket 108]

Yes theres only one exit so it all gets mixed, worms and waste (or should that be )

Anyway, he certainly has your love and care!!! He really is one tough little sweet trouper. Nothing nor noworm is going to get him down!

Please dont apologize Edith about Bandits thread bouncing back up all the time. Its an ongoing issue and I am really glad to help where I can. Just forgive delays as life is fairly hectic back at work now. If I miss an update PM me.

I have to agree, I am so anti water meds since they can do so much more damage than the original illness half the time and then theres the cycle worry. Also as these larvae are imbedded in cysts, the water meds will only take care of free livers...which is ultimately what you are doing as prime worm remover!

[caitie 36]

Great so I'm reassured once again. It's more a case of mom gets worried because he seems to take everything in stride. Even when floating belly up it's almost as if he doesn't know he's upside down.

I hope things will soon settle down for you at work.

[Trinket 108]

Thanks Edith. And a special thankyou for all your help recently in d & d it is so appreciated. Mods and helpers tend to be away in "batches" and then all reappear together so its really good to know we have a supportive team with members like you here who can handle the basics (and more) if there is a sudden void of Mod help.

I hope Bandit continues to fight and things are not worse.

[lirpa1 0]

I hope things get better soon for you too! You are such a great help with everyone else with their fish when they are sick, I really hope your bandit gets better. We're sending good thoughts your way

[caitie 36]

Thank you Imo and April. I'm glad I can help a little bit. Bandit is still fighting. He spends half his time floating tummy up at the top and the other half swimming along the bottom of the tank. Still passing worms. But otherwise he seems very well dorsal always up and eating like the little piggy he is and happily zooming around. (when not floating)

[caitie 36]

We seem to have a new problem. Since yesterday Bandit is on the bottom of the tank either tummy up or swimming around but only at the bottom. :idontHe has to struggle to swim to the top. But he is not bottom sitting he is still active only he stays down. Nothing has changed in his routine except that I added another small filter to his tank so he has more bubbles in there, could this affect him in any way?

[caitie 36]

He has spent the last 6 hours upside down in his little clay pot. He did come out to eat but he went right back in the pot after. His Little tummy is all swollen again. I guess I'll try a 3rd course of the antiparasite food.

[caitie 36]

Definately something happening with Bandit. He is still eating but he stays put, either in his little clay pot or hiding behind it. I'm not sure if it is the worms because he hasn't passed any for the last 4 days. I usually have to take some out every day. I can't see any signs of anything wrong except the inactivity. I wonder if the extra bubbles are tiring him out, I added the extra filter so that he would stop gulping air at the top and it did work but he hasn't been himself since.

[spillie 64]

Does the swollen belly mean the worms are back? Poor little guy. If he get floaty/gassy on the antiparasite food, maybe you could make a high (non-gassy) veg gel food and add the meds. It's metro for worms, isn't it? You can add Metro+ to gel food, I believe. Not sure if that would help or if metro alone would be enough, perhaps a mod could say.. Poor wee Bandit. At least he has his pot, My floaty fish has a blender jar, and he spends a lot of time in there--it holds him in place, I think. Anyway, he likes it and I am sure Bandit's pot is his comfy spot, too.

[caitie 36]

Does the swollen belly mean the worms are back? Poor little guy. If he get floaty/gassy on the antiparasite food, maybe you could make a high (non-gassy) veg gel food and add the meds. It's metro for worms, isn't it? You can add Metro+ to gel food, I believe. Not sure if that would help or if metro alone would be enough, perhaps a mod could say.. Poor wee Bandit. At least he has his pot, My floaty fish has a blender jar, and he spends a lot of time in there--it holds him in place, I think. Anyway, he likes it and I am sure Bandit's pot is his comfy spot, too.

He certainly does like his little pot. Yes the swollen belly is probably the worms, it is swollen almost all the time.

The food doesn't really make him floaty I believe it is due to the worms adding pressure on his swim bladder. He gets gel food when he is off the med food and he floats even then. I'm more worried now that he doesn't float. It is so out of character for him.

[Sakura 500]

Aw I'm so sorry about this new drama with Bandit, Edith. You've done so much for him already, he just has to pull through this mess. It is so stressful watching fish when they are sick and you feel helpless about it! Try to relax, maybe spend some time away from his tank for your own good! You are doing everything you can to help him

[caitie 36]

Thanks Sakura. I know you understand with everything you are dealing with. I wish I could get away from his tank but his qt tank is in my bedroom right by my bed. And to make it worse, when he got really sick I had a brillant idea. Since I'm in the room only at night I started to turn his lights on during the night and he sleeps during the day. At the time it seemed like a good idea so I could keep an eye on him (major insomnia sufferer here:(). I think you and me both we need a fishless vacation.

[devilduck 49]

How is the little trooper doing Edith? I'm not sure the tank in the bedroom is a good idea with sick fish, it's nice and relaxing when they're healthy but you don't want to go to sleep and wake up worrying about them, sometimes it's good to have some 'out of sight, out of mind' time, otherwise you're going to need metromeds!

[caitie 36]

I'm not sure the tank in the bedroom is a good idea with sick fish, it's nice and relaxing when they're healthy but you don't want to go to sleep and wake up worrying about them, sometimes it's good to have some 'out of sight, out of mind' time, otherwise you're going to need metromeds!

So true Sarah. He is about the same. He floats belly up part time and he sinks part of the time. But he is flipping over less everyday so I take that as a good sign. He hasn't passed worms in the last 8 or 10 days but he still has a swollen belly. And a few little red areas on his "butt" where you see swelling. In the post #47 I had a picture up of one of those lumps. Now he has smaller ones but there are two in stead of one.

On the positive side his tail and fins are regrowing very well.

[caitie 36]

Another quick update on Bandit. He hadn't passed any worms for the last 8 or 10 days but he was still swollen. Well today he passed about 2-3 worms but they don't look the same. These are a bit bigger and they are tan colored. He is still doing well though so I'll assume these are just another sort of worms. Poor little guy though I can't wait for this to finally be controlled.

[Raivynn 3]

How's Bandit today, Edith?