Who has had success against Cryptobia?

[DonMD]

So I sent two juvies to VATech Vet Lab for analysis. In addition to the "massive infestation of flukes" that I figured they had, the doc says:


your fish are also infected with a protozoan parasite that causes pathology (i.e. granulamatous lesions) in the stomach/intestine area of discus. The pathology this parasite causes basically results in the fish decreasing its feed intake over time and ultimately becoming malnourished. I've attached a publication on the parasite and pathology it causes in discus for your files. The recommended treatment is not very well investigated, but at least one drug (dimetridazole) appears to have some efficacy against this parasite.

So I searched Simply on dimetridazole, and found some VERY DEPRESSING POSTS from John Nicholson and Liz. Hmmmmm. The thing is: my juvies are infected, but growing humongously big and putting on color, it's hard to believe that they are compromised. Although I must admit that some of the breeders are showing some signs of malaise in their tank.

What to do? Try to find the med, and treat? Or, just let it go, and see what happens over time. So, if anyone has been successful treating against Cryptobia, I would sure like to know about it.

[Second Hand Pat]

Don, some members suspected Cryptobia as an issue in the "Very Suddenly Sick" thread and Andrew Soh suggested super heavy dosages of metro based meds. Now my symbols included whirling and darting as final just before death but up until then the fish looked good and ate well so no slow demise. If any of this sounds familar I can look up some of the key points in the thread for your review.

[Vee]

The pathology results of your fish spur me to wonder what my fish are secretly infected with. Scary.

[yim11]

http://www.discusnada.org/discus/cryptobia.html

[Vee]

http://www.jedds.com/Detail.bok?category=Medicine+%3E%3E+Canker%3ADimet ridazole&no=521&searchpath=10773445

[jimg]

There is no cure for cryptobia. the meds metro,dimetri. will only knock back some for short periods. the ones that are granulomas are embedded. they can live for awhile provided they are not stressed and have no other parasites.
did he identify the parasite as cryptobia? did he do acid fast test to see if it was tb?

[LizStreithorst]

You've searched the subject and read my posts. Nicholson says that he eradicate it. I followed the same protocol and did not eradicate it. The pain of dealing with this parasite is enough to make all but the strong of heart quit the hobby forever. I hope for you that the lab did not do the correct tests and that is NOT Cryptobia that you are dealing with.

[DonMD]

Don, some members suspected Cryptobia as an issue in the "Very Suddenly Sick" thread and Andrew Soh suggested super heavy dosages of metro based meds. Now my symbols included whirling and darting as final just before death but up until then the fish looked good and ate well so no slow demise. If any of this sounds familar I can look up some of the key points in the thread for your review.

I haven't had those symptoms, mine are much more alike to what John Nicholson described in his post of several years ago.


The pathology results of your fish spur me to wonder what my fish are secretly infected with. Scary.

I've read that all discus have pathogens, but that a healthy fish's own imune system keeps them in check, and that only when they become stressed, due to poor husbandry or water quality issues, they become suseptible to those pathogens.


There is no cure for cryptobia. the meds metro,dimetri. will only knock back some for short periods. the ones that are granulomas are embedded. they can live for awhile provided they are not stressed and have no other parasites.
did he identify the parasite as cryptobia? did he do acid fast test to see if it was tb?

This is what I'm thinking too, from what I've read. He did say it was Cryptobia, although I didn't ask about any specific test. I'll ask him about the tb, he's really a great guy to work with, very responsive.


You've searched the subject and read my posts. Nicholson says that he eradicate it. I followed the same protocol and did not eradicate it. The pain of dealing with this parasite is enough to make all but the strong of heart quit the hobby forever. I hope for you that the lab did not do the correct tests and that is NOT Cryptobia that you are dealing with.

Yeah, Liz, that's my fear. I once did what you did, got rid of all my fish, cleaned out my system, let it sit dry for 4 months, and then bought this batch of fish. But I must have had a few pockets of old water somewhere because they got flukes again. As for the origin of the Cryptobia, I don't know. But I'm going to keep growing out my juvies, they're just over 2 months old and look beautiful. I'm taking this as a science experiment!

[Skip]

yikes!! don sorry to hear about this issue :(

[jimg]

I recently had to sterilize everything and cull every fish I had due to cryptobia and microsporidians. about 8 years worth of wild discus in the garden.