Shrimp Meds?

[ucanbyteme]

I know this sounds like an odd question, but many of us who have fish have found specific meds for things like parasites.

I was just wondering if there is any info or if anyone has tried to use meds to get rid of parasites or other shrimp problems? Invererts are more sensitive, so I would assume some of the same meds could kill.

[YuccaPatrol]

I am not aware of any diseases of shrimp that are treatable with medications.

I will warn you that many of the antiparasitic medicines for fish contain a lot of copper which can and will kill shrimp and other inverts.

[Neonshrimp]

I my experiences when shrimp are sick/dying they will progress until they die and there is nothing that has stopped or reversed this. There have been cases where shrimp have had fungal infections/growths and recovered after molting, but their habits/behavior were not changed by this particular infection.

[rugie]

Meds used for shrimp most always do more harm than good, There are no specific meds mfg'd for shrimp. Wild caught shrimp will often have problems, so, like fish, etc quarantine of new animals is a good practice. When shrimp are well cared for, closely monitored parameters, fed well with proper foods, and a clean tank kept, there should be no problems with their health or longevity

[badflash]

I agree that shrimp diseases are both hard to treat, rare, and normally fatal. That being said, some members have had success with Melafix and Primafix. Both are relatively inexpensive and made from natural ingredients. These products appear to be shrimp-safe when used as directed.

[YuccaPatrol]

In my opinion, Melafix and Pimafix work through the placebo effect. Animals treated with them that survive would have survived with or without treatment.

[Neonshrimp]

Up until now I have used Pimafix only on my fish for fin rot and it has not worked well at all . Does anyone else have experience with these treatments? Please let us know the results of your use.

Thanks.

[zapisto]

In my opinion, Melafix and Pimafix work through the placebo effect. Animals treated with them that survive would have survived with or without treatment.

i am not considering thoose product as med.
but as helper to regeneration specially in the case of melafix.
dont expect more from them

[CAF]

Up until now I have used Pimafix only on my fish for fin rot and it has not worked well at all . Does anyone else have experience with these treatments? Please let us know the results of your use.

Thanks.

I have lost an entire tank of fish after using these medications at the specified doses. It apparently blocked the oxygen process from worked correctly or something as within 5 minutes all the fish werre on the bottom of the tank lying on their sides and gasping. Even doing an emergancy water change right then did not help. If I use these chemicals now, I use well below the recommended doses.

[Neonshrimp]

Thanks for the explanation. Why don't let us know about this before letting us use it How did you find out about this CAF?

Thanks.

[CAF]

Thanks for the explanation. Why don't let us know about this before letting us use it How did you find out about this CAF?

Thanks.

Unfortunately I found out about it the hard way. Nothing in any of the literature I was able to locate mentioned anything about it. So I use around 1 mL per 20 US gallons and then aerate the water alot... I will state I have had fish that were not doing well and used both products together at the doasge above and they did seem to get better. But again, as someone mentioned above that could be placebo effect as they may have gotten better on their own. Generally, water changes and the occasional salt is all I do anymore. The only exception is recently I had a red shoulder peacock develop "Hole in the Side" and I am using BioBandage to keep the wound sealed up. I will report more on it as things turn out...

[badflash]

Here are some things I've learned the hard way.

1. keep at least 1 hospital/quarenteen tank cyced at all times. Use a UV filter on that tank. Cycle all new fish/shrimp/plants through that tank for at least 2 weeks before putting in an established tank. Diseases don't just "appear" they are introduced.

2. Keep a different net/ turkey baster, etc. for each tank or have a way to sterileze them before going between tanks. This is how any number of bad things make it from one tank to the next. Don't think that letting it dry out will do it.

3. Measure your pH, nitrates, ammonia, and phosphates on a regular basis. That includes your makeup water. Know what is in your make-up water. See if your water company will tell you if they change anything. It doesn't hurt to ask. Stress from bad water can make fish & shrimp easy prey to bugs of all sorts.

4. Shoot for a 50% weekly water change, but don't change more than 50% at a shot unless the alternative is losing the tank. If your water conditioner says it works instantly, they are fibbing. Give it 10 minutes to work.

5. Most importanly, check them every day. The gardener's shadow is the best fertilizer.

I'm sure most of you know this already, but sometime a reminder is a good thing. #4 cost me more than half my stock. Chloramine!

[Neonshrimp]

Thanks badflash, I will see if I can get a UV filter on a hospital tank.

I think #5 is key for all hobbyist myself

[badflash]

The UV filter is a magic bullet. If used correctly it will kill all virus and bacteria in the water. The downside is it kill everything that passes through it so there is no living microfood in the water. It also removes nothing, list turns live little things into dead little things.

Still it is great to stop things like ick, bacteria, and similar ills. It also stops algae blooms in their tracks, but does not remove the cause.

I would never consider it in my main tank unless I was treating an outbreak of something as it kills all the good little critters along with the bad.

Just think of it as a de-con before going into the clean room.

[Pugio]

I posted a few weeks ago that I bought a couple P. paludosus grass shrimp hosting some kind of (relatively common?) nematode parasite - maybe horsehair worm (I don't really know). I posted a pic here: http://mygrassshrimp.googlepages.com/parasite_s2.JPG

So with a "little knowledge is dangerous" attitude I thought I'd treat the isolated shrimp with fenbendazole (a canine dewormer, aka "Safe-Guard") mixed with flake food to see if the parasitic worm died. After about 3 weeks I've had NO LUCK. Nematode still lives. Although I learned fenbendazole doesn't seem to harm the shrimp one bit...and its not soluble in water.

Now I'm thinking of trying praziquantel.