hex-a-mit and hexamita

[daddyg70]

Question for all--Do most people here follow the instructions of the manufacturer for hex-a-mit and the treatment of hexamita?

It states 250 mg capsule/10g every other day for 5 days. Since a lot of us WC every day do you:

a) WC before next dose (WC on day 3 and 5)
b) WC as usual and add hex-a-mit to the water you replaced for 5 days
c) no WC until after 5th day
d) none of the above (please explain)

Thanks for your replies

Greg 8)

[Carol_Roberts]

I use 400 - 500 mg per 10 gallons everyday after a 50% wc for 3 to 5 days. Full dose everyday. Temp is at 92, feed sparingly favorite foods like bloodworms to see if they will eat. Keep heat up for a week or so after treatment then slowly lower a degree or two per day until back to normal. May take a couple of weeks before they are eating really good.

Some people dose full amount ever 8 hours instead of once per day.

[daddyg70]

Wow! Thats a lot of metro. Do you use Aquatronics hex-a-mit or another brand? Is 250 mg too small of a dose?

Thanks for help
Greg 8)

[Carol_Roberts]

I've used hex-a-mit and metronidazole powder

[Ardan]

Hi,
I use the higher rates that Carol mentioned. 400 to 500 mg/10 gal every 8 hrs for 3 days . temp 94F (metro has a short life span at the high temp)
Keep the temp at 94F for 10 days.
I do 50% wc/ day.

hth

[daddyg70]

That's a lot of drugs and heat! There goes my electric bill. I will try Carol's method for two more days. They are eating better already. Thanks for your help.

What caused hex in your fish? Jeff said my problem could be related to not rinsing the CBW well. I agree. I have been rinsing once a day and I feed CBW twice a day. Jeff states I need to rinse before you feed, not straight from the fridge.

Greg

[Carol_Roberts]

Most all discus carry some intestinal flagellates. When stressed the flagellates get the upper hand.

Many different things can stress discus. Shipping new arrivals, new tank mates added, harassment, maintaining dirty tank or water, coming down with another illness or parasite, filter or heater malfunction, etc.

Upon arrival I rinse my worms until they run clean. Generally I rinse once per day. I Feed worms at noon and rinse prior to feeding. Many days I give babies and juveniles an extra worm feeding with no extra rinses and have not had a problem. I keep clean, bare tanks and religiously change water and rinse filters.

[April]

ok but heres where im confused. do you add back the meds for the water removed or full dose meaning all the tank water....when only 50 percent was renewed?
i have a 30 gallon added 500 ml. metro tabs for those 30 gallons. so.today i do 50 percent. now do i redose for all 30 gallons or.do i redose for 15 gallons i redid?
never really did get that....havent had to use metro really alot. but have one now off her food.

[daddyg70]

Carol,

What determines whether you do 3 days, 4 days, or 5 days? I may have to buy another box of hex-a-mit. Its time to do order some from bigalsonline.com. 30 dollars for 100 capsules. I figure it is cost effective to have a lot on hand. Is there any better deals out there?

Greg 8)

[April]

i get tubes of straight metro powder from seachem. try that maybe....it comes with a little measuring spoon on the lid. one spoon is 100 mg. http://www.seachem.com/seachemframeset.html

[daddyg70]

Thanks April,

1 dollar per gram on bigalsonline.com. 4.99 for 5 grams. You just saved me some money. :D But is all metro the same regardless of brand name?

Greg 8)

[discus_nw]

I suggest Ardan's dosage and temp protocal for metro. Full dosage is given with each dose after water change is made. Metro's half life is such, that it is spent after 8 hrs.

Are you sure you have intestinal flagellates? Did you look at a stool sample micrscopically? I attribute many maladies to CBW's, but Heximita is not one of them ;). What are you basing this diagnosis on?

As Carol stated, alot of discus have some flagellates in their gut and they can be tolerated in a healthy discus. Stress allows them to gain an upper hand and cause problems.

Metro is pretty much Metro. The packaging of the drug and marketing add to the cost.

[daddyg70]

I'm basing my diagnosis on the observation of white poo. Huge chunks of it! It wasn't tapeworm because I have treated for that before. Also, one fish, the smallest one (violet reflection), was not eating and facing the back corner. He usually is the one that eats the most.

I see you are not a big fan of CBW ;)

Thanks for your replies,

Greg 8)

[Carol_Roberts]

Redose full amount.

Chunks does not sound like hex. Stringy, snot like muscous is hex. Are you feeding white foods?

[daddyg70]

Not chunks. It looked like normal poo but white, clumpy too!

I don't think I feed food that is white? (CBW, FBW, ONF1/2, colorbits, Wattley BH) It did not look like casing of FBW. I have pic but do not know how to shrink it.

Going to stick with Carol's method. Every day 400mg/day 3 days. 92F. I'm going to stay conservative. Do you guys add salt also?

[daddyg70]

I just figured it out! Let's hope this works! Kinda blurry

[Carol_Roberts]

Is that fairly large and like gelatin? Have you wormed your discus in the last month? I wonder if it could be disolved worms (if there is such a thing). Hex is usually a long, thread-like string of mucous.

[daddyg70]

No, not that large, kinda long. Definitely not worms. Had to deal with worms with my first batch of discus. I now have new ones from Jeff. I got a total of 7. The smallest is a violet reflection and he was having the problems. It started after I introduced a ABD and a leopard diamond from Jeff last week. Maybe it got stressed by them. They are about 4+ inches. Here is a picture of my Violet.

Greg 8)