Outside pond fish... possible Lernaeid  10/21/05
Hi, this is our first time on your web-site, and we have a question.
We have an outdoor fish pond with 4th generation goldfish!
Today I noticed something on one of the fish.
It is gold in color, protruding ( from under his skin)? or sticking out of  
his skin, I can't really tell. It looks like a thick wire sticking out.
He doesn't look or act different, eating as normal. I didn't see anything  
like this on the other five fish.  
Do you think this is some sort of parasite?
<Mmm, possibly... Lernaea... "Anchorworm"...>
What would you suggest we do?
<Mmm... place this/these terms on the WWM, general search engines... read... If this is the cause/parasite, removing the adults by tweezing, inspecting all fishes, using a organophosphate to kill intermediates is suggested. Bob Fenner>
Thanks
Donna

DTHP use, marine, dips 7/7/05
Hello, Crew,
It's me, dum-dum, again.
Okay, so I was reading about DTHP for the treatment of various and sundry parasites and other general nastiness.
Recalling what I'd read already about QT, freshwater dips, Methylene blue, and so forth, I was wondering if anyone had ever established a protocol of a DTHP dip as a precautionary step prior to introducing species to the main tank. Perhaps during the last four or so days of QT?
<Some wholesale outfits have used this, other organophosphates to rid fishes of "worms" and crustacean fauna (parasitic and otherwise) en-route... I would not, do not encourage home-hobbyists to do this. Too much likelihood of damage, toxicity to the livestock and themselves. Bob Fenner>
Joe Kraska

DTHP
Dear Robert,
         Read your web article about DTHP. Where can I get this material
<Is sold as such, by itself and in concert with other materials for pet-fish use in various products... mainly labeled as Masoten, Dylox... see a LFS re if you're looking to treat small volumes. We can chat if this is for thousands, much more volume.>
and have you heard of it being used against Gyrodactylus?
<Yes... you can see this through a literature search... the most recent work of Ed Noga, Nelson Herwig... Bob Fenner>
Steve

What's in Fluke Tabs?
Hi Chuck! I bought the Fluke tabs. Do you know what are the active ingredients? It's not written on the product. Thanks! Dominique
<The active ingredients are Mebendazole and Trichlorfon.-Chuck> 

Can't Get the Right Medication
Hi Chuck, I really appreciate your replies on this. I get what you're saying about how nasty these things are to get rid of.
I'm in the UK so Fluke tabs and 'Clout' aren't available here as far as I  know. Have you any idea what's in them?
< To treat these worms the Fluke tabs have Trichlorofon and I am not sure what the ingredients are in Clout. The next step I would try would be copper. Be very careful, usually the dosage required to kill parasite is very close to the same dosage required to kill a fish. There are suppose to be some newer less toxic forms on the market here in the US but I have not personally used them.-Chuck> 

Gill & Skin Fluke Treatments in the UK
Dear Robert
Hi, I'm Martin from Cornwall in England. I've been keeping Koi for 8 years and have a gas heated 6000 Imp gallon pool in my back garden. For me 2001 was a terrible year, I have lost 6 nice carp because of ulcerated wounds caused by a very persistant infestation of gill and skin flukes. These flukes seem resistant to treatments like potassium permangonate and chloromin T.
The only thing that seems to control them properly is organophosphates, in the form of a product called 'Metosan'.
<Yes... aka many other names. My standard "pitch" on DTHP archived here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pndparasitcont.htm and the associated FAQs... in fact, just had a query today from a pond-culture scientist in India, stored here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/dailyq&a.htm re the use of this economic poison and others for treating Argulus on cyprinids...>
This type of product is difficult to get hold of in the UK. do you know of any companies in the UK or USA who would be able to supply these types of products by mail order.
<Mmm, no, don't... but would ask re this compound under the various names cited in the article above... and Dimilin... of friends, associates at TMC: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/tmcpropc.htm I strongly suspect they will know where to refer you>
I have been able to get my hands on enough Metosan for one treatment, the are looking better than they have looked since last May. But I now need to repeat the treatment to kill the latest juveniles to have hatched out!
<Yes... three treatments three days apart likely...>
Hoping you will be able to help and look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks Martin Yardley
<Cheers my friend. Bob Fenner>

Argulus (food, pondfish culture, disease control)
Dear Dr.Fenne Rober,
I am a veterinarian working in State Bank of
India(biggest Bank)
financing agricultural and aquacultural schemes in
India.
2.Fish farmers raise Major Indian Carps(Catla
catla,Labeo rohita etc.,)
in big freshwater ponds with an extent of 10 acres
to 100 acres Water
spread area.The culture period is 8 - 10 months
-Weight 1-2 Kg each.
To minimise the feed cost and cost of production,our
fish farmers are
using heavy doses of dried poultry droppings(organic
manure) to fertilize the
pond waters and for production of Phyto & Zoo
plankton.The demerits of
this practise is too much infection with Argulus(sea
lice).As a result,
farmers are using pesticides
Viz.,Deltamethrin(Butox),Dichlorovos(Nuvon)
which are retarding the growth of the fish.Plese
enlighten me onthe
following two pointss:
a.whether anyeffective biologicalcontrol against
Argulus is available?
<None that is practical as fas as I'm aware... most practices are as yours, involving economic poisons in the class of organophosphates (acetylcholinesterase inhibitiors)... as these crustacean parasites metabolisms are similar to arthropod pests>
b.whether Diflubenzuron/lufenuron (Dimilin) can be
mixed with the
above chemicals to decrease the dosage and
frequency of chemical
application?
<Yes, once again, as far as I'm aware. Dimilin supplanted the use of DTHP (Neguvon, Dylox...): http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pndparasitcont.htm in ornamental pond use (on cyprinids like Cyprinus carpio (koi carp, nishikigoi) and Carassium goeblio (goldfish) in the U.S. some years ago. Should be miscible.>
Please send technical information on the life cycle
and control methods
in big fish ponds.
<I don't have ready access to such, don't even know if this is part of the literature... would have to search as you are>
3.Please help me in the upliftment of fish farmers.
<I will gladly assist you in what ways I can. Understand that though my academic background is in fisheries, I have spent the last decades in ornamental aquatics... not production. Bob Fenner>
Thanking you.
Yours sincerely,
Dr.A.Purna Chandra Rao,
Chief Manager(Technical),Region-4,Zonal Office,State
Bank of India,VIJAYAWADA-520 010,A.P; INDIA
e-Mail: ap_purna@yahoo.com ap_purna@rediffmail.com

Re: Argulus
Dr.Robert Fenner,
Thank you very much for your detailed reply.I will be
contacting you frequently and hope you will help me.
with regards,
yours sincerely,
Dr.A.Purna Chandra Rao
<I will do my best my friend. Bob Fenner>