Prazipro and pipefish

[Dizzle63]

I recently got two potters leopard wrasses and I would like to treat them for internal parasites. Has anyone used this with pipefish? I would hate to mess up my pair.

[ann83]

Prazi is safe to use with pipefish, of course it isn't safe with inverts so you'll still want to use it in a QT tank so you don't end up with die-off and messed up params. I assume you are going to gutload the prazi-pro into live food and then feed it to the fish, since you're wanting to treat for internal parasites?

[Dizzle63]

Prazipro is reef safe. It will be added directly to the tank per the instructions on the bottle. I just wanted to make sure about the pipes since they are doing so well.

[ReefNutPA]

Use in the tank at your own risk. Food for thought - how do you think the medicine can distinguish between and internal worm and the worms and other inverts in your main tank? Answer.... it can't. A worm is a worm is a worm. Again, use at your own risk. Ann, and I, speak from experience on using anti-parasitic medicines in regards to internal parasites in syngnathids.

The correct way to kill internal parasites is to have the pipefish (or any fish for that matter) INGEST the medicine by gut-loading some form of food. The medicine must get into the digestive tract, etc directly to erradicate the parasites/worms. Adding an anti-parasitic to the water will kill EXTERNAL parasites. NOT internal parasites.

Best of luck with your decision.

Tom

[Dizzle63]

Thank you for your input. In the reef fish forum, many wrasse owners have used this in their reefs. It may be that the medicine targets certain types of worms, the same way that interceptor targets crustaceans. I am not sure how it works. It may be a reproductive inhibitor or a type of cellular disrupter.

[ann83]

I've used prazi in a cycled QT tank without much of a disruption, but it did definitely put a significant dent in the populations of amphipods, mysis, and bristleworms. It may not be something that the reef keepers are even noticing, and if it works without adding too much ammonia from die-off to your tank, then super. I do not think that it sticks around the way fenbendazole/panacur does, to continue killing off inverts for practically the life of the tank, so it isn't as critical that you don't use it in the display. I am inclined to believe that it isn't selectively killing off the worms, and instead, your fish are not ending up quite as "de-wormed" as you were hoping.
I still feel that if you want to effectively treat internal parasites in the gut (or for that matter, those that have migrated from the gut to other organs like the swim bladder, liver, etc. during their larval stage), you are not giving yourselves the best chance by using a bath. I'm sure it is at least a little effective, since some is metabolized when the water passes through the gills, etc. but personally, I feel a lot more confident making sure my fish ingests a medication (or is injected with it) when trying to treat for an internal problem, provided that is an option to me. Delivery method always makes a difference. Deworming your pipefish wouldn't be a bad idea anyway, and it really is not very hard to gutload praziquantel into adult brine shrimp to feed to the fish. You only need to do it one day a week for 3 weeks (feeding two meals in that day, 12 hours apart), so it's not that involved a process either. And, as long as you are just gutloading adult brine shrimp, and you have some on hand, you can do a round of metronidazole/flagyl after you are done with the prazi, and then really feel confident that you've targeted the majority of the types of internal parasites your fish might be carrying. ;)

[ann83]

Oh, and additionally, I hadn't thought of this before... are your pipes eating prepared foods? If they're not, and you're counting on them to scavenge, then the praziquantel could be harmful in the sense that it will decrease the populations of whatever they are feeding on. If they're on frozen foods, though, then, like I said before, you're safe.

[Dizzle63]

Thank you for your input. I am really new to the medication game. I generally believe in buying healthy looking fish and providing the best environment with varied diet and vitamin and garlic supplements. I know I should quarantine, but most of the fish I like don't do well with quarantine. I have run into a problems with various wrasses eating and doing well then turning skinny and passing on. After reading the leopard wrasse primer, it sounds like prazipro is the best solution. I agree about the ingestion, but I would imagine it would be ingested with the fish "drinking." not sure, just my guess.

[Dizzle63]

I have a pair of Doryrhamphus baldwini that are eating very well. They even eat PE mysis despite the size differential.

[Ralph ATL]

Don't QT the Leopards, use Prazi as instructed (3 x's), and no worries on your pipes. My pod population remained healthy after treatment, btw. You can always wait a week or so after the last treatment and add some more.

[Dizzle63]

I didn't QT the leopards. They are doing well and eating, but I need to start treatment today. Thank you for the insight.

[pledosophy]

One of my favorite fish of all time. Nice choice. This is Harry. Get it, Harry Potter. My wife names the fish.

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s306/pledosophy/pottersleaporadwrasse.jpg

[Dizzle63]

Gorgeous! I just got done with a six day treatment if prazipro. Everything in the tank is doing well. I will start another round of treatment in six days.

[pledosophy]

Glad to hear it is going well.

Have you noticed a change in your pod population. You do want to be careful to not kill the food source for the pipes.

Have fun,

[Dizzle63]

Pipes eat frozen very well and are able to get to many places the wrasses cannot. Plus, the wrasses do not seem to pick too much. They eat a ton when I feed though.