Fresh Water Parasites(Need Help)

GeoffreyHarrison · 07-14-2007, 07:57 PM

I have a fresh water aquarium and had around 18 platies. They started dropping like flies and the ones that didnt die immediately started to show major signs of internal parasites, so i took a trip down to the local pet store expecting a quick fix... well thanks to the ever so paranoid canadian government the pet stores can't sell parasite cures because of some chemical. I was told to look for fish food with garlic and didn't find any. I was then told to soak the food in garlic extract, so I am currently doing that. If there is anything else I can do to save my fish please tell me, Thanks.

penna32 · 07-14-2007, 10:31 PM

soaking the food in garlic extract wont help .. garlic is only to get the fish to eat .. such as if you soaked the food in the parasite defendant(please tell me your soaking bloodworms or a meaty food, not flakes at this moment) and the fish didnt want it .. garlic will atract them as it is a naturally .. try ordering it online if possible, theres a geltek one, and the best, i heard, is flubenol or something

Tommy Gun · 07-15-2007, 09:44 AM

Quote:

soaking the food in garlic extract wont help

Sorry to disagree Penna, but the garlic will help out quite a bit with internal parasites...and the overall health of your fish. In a pinch one time, I soaked some brine shrimp in the juices of some minced garlic that I got at the grocery store for hamburgers and such and to be honest, I think that worked better than some of the other garlic based products I was using before that time. Also, I have been noticing more and more prepared foods that already have garlic 'built in' so keep an eye out for those at your LFS. I have even used a garlic-infused food for algae eaters. As far as I have read and heard, garlic is probably one of the best methods to approach internal parasites and probably the safest treatment for your fish.

penna32 · 07-15-2007, 10:35 AM

oops

.. i was always told garlic was just the remedy to get the fish to actaully eat the medicine soaked food .. my bad

Jay · 07-15-2007, 11:25 AM

If you look into it a little further, you will discover just what an amazing food garlic really is

Chef
Jay

Tommy Gun · 07-15-2007, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by penna32

oops

.. i was always told garlic was just the remedy to get the fish to actaully eat the medicine soaked food .. my bad

Don't get me wrong, that is common advice as far as I have noticed as well...I have read this advice a lot especially when speaking of Discus, but also for other fish as well...so I am not implying that this part is not true; only that garlic is good for internal parasites as well.

And I also agree with Jay...certainly any food that can stop a vampire in its track has to be a good thing!