Please Help: Dilemma in Using Levamisole HCL

[Ld23]

As a beginner wild discus fish keeper, I purchased 2 greens and a heckel blue from a reputable breeder in Florida. After several quarantine steps which include preventative treatments for flukes, tapeworms and HITH via prazi, garlic food and metro, I reached the point that preventative deworming (nematodes) should be done.

However, I have a big dilemma. My heckel has an external bump (maybe a nodule) at its swim bladder since day 1. The fish is fine, poops normally and eats aggressively. I saw the fish swimming normally and putting on a decent amount of weight within 1 month. My only concern is that the bump may be a sign of nematodes invasion in the fish's swim bladder. As far as I know, if this were the case, deworming may bring more bad than good to the fish and it could kill the fish. I reached this situation and do not know how to proceed.

1. Is the external bump at that location normal for some wilds?
2. If you were me, how are you going to handle this? Reduce dosage to, say, 1ppm to start with? BTW, I do have Furan 2 just in case extreme inflammation after deworming. How about oral administration of Levamisole HCL using food?
3. I have purchased Levamisole HCL from Subquaria. Is this a common brand where other hobbyists get their Levamisole HCL?
4. Are there any institutes where I can send fecal samples for internal parasites check? I do not mind if it is a paid service.

Thanks a lot in advance.

[danotaylor]

A picture would be very helpful if you can upload one. Needs to be <2MB to load to the site.

[Mando]

Welcome to the forums!

A picture would help. Only one breeder comes to mind when purchasing Heckels in Florida, reach out to him/her and sometimes they offers free medication and gives you proper steps to medicate your fish. Is the bump on both sides or just one side?

what are your water parameters like?

kindly fill out the questionnaire found in the link below.

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showth...lease-complete