Wild-caught Apistogramma d39

[apistofishman]

Hi,
I’d like some advice. What is the correct procedure when I bring home wild-caught Apistogramma d39?
I plan to place them in quarantine in a separate tank. Is there any product or natural remedy I should use for prevention?
The seller did not provide me with the water parameters from which the fish were caught, nor the conditions during transport. So I plan to measure the water parameters upon delivery and set up the water in the quarantine tank according to the recommendations on the Tomc website.
Thank you for any advice.
Best regards, Brano

 

[MacZ]

Besides Catappa leaves you might want to have something against internal parasites at hand. Flagellates and worms require different active ingredients so one each would be necessary. That's the only medication treatment I would do when quarantining. Everything else only if something crops up.

Set up the water as soft as possible (pure RO), do drip acclimation and all should go well.

 

[apistofishman]

Okay, thank you

 

[anewbie]

This has some information on at least one catch location for D39:

Welcome to Toms Homepage

 

[apistofishman]

Yes, I know, thank you. I was mainly wondering how to proceed with acclimatization, quarantine, and the preventive treatments that breeders have tested on their Apistogramma.

 

[Bach]

Besides Catappa leaves you might want to have something against internal parasites at hand. Flagellates and worms require different active ingredients so one each would be necessary. That's the only medication treatment I would do when quarantining. Everything else only if something crops up.

Set up the water as soft as possible (pure RO), do drip acclimation and all should go well.

Are you recommending prophylactic treatment or only if symptoms emerge during quarantine?

 

[MacZ]

Are you recommending prophylactic treatment or only if symptoms emerge during quarantine?

Usually if you get your fish from the trade, I advice against prophylactic treatment. But if I understood the OP right it's a direct import and then I'd treat for intestinal parasited as a precaution.

 

[apistofishman]

Yes, these are wild-caught fish imported directly. I will follow your instructions and add the drops as you recommended.
If I may ask one more question, I read on this forum about using PRIME in the bag if the water is contaminated. What do you think about that?
As I read here on the forum, sellers don’t always correctly identify Apistogramma species, so I’ll just have to hope that these are indeed Apistogramma D39.
Thank you for your response

 

[apistofishman]

Can you recommend a specific product that you use in such cases?

 

[Frank Hättich]

As I read here on the forum, sellers don’t always correctly identify Apistogramma species, so I’ll just have to hope that these are indeed Apistogramma D39.

"don't always" is quite euphemistic ;-) Show some pictures of them, preferably in different moods, then it should be possible to tell whether they are in fact D39.
Btw. the correct name is A. sp. D39.

 

[apistofishman]

Hi, the fish won't arrive for another two weeks. In the meantime, I'm setting up the quarantine tanks and gathering information, since I don't have any experience with wild-caught fish. I'll definitely send a photo once they're here so you can see if they're actually Ap. sp. D39.

 

[MacZ]

Can you recommend a specific product that you use in such cases?

You live in the EU, right? I can only recommend active ingredients (which are legal in the EU).

My friend Eddy @Eddy. E. is the one to ask.

 

[illumnae]

I usually would use metronidazole and praziquental as the basic prophylactic treatment for wild caught fish.

If you have access to levimasole/flubendazole/fenbendazole you can use that too but note that it doesn't kill the worms, only stuns them and causes the fish to expel them so this treatment is best done in a bare bottom tank with vacuuming of the tank done 24h after treatment to siphon out the expelled worms.

 

[KenL]

Does this look of any use?

Cloverleaf Absolute Aquarium Wormer | from Aquacadabra

Absolute Wormer from Cloverleaf with its added pH buffer is effective against outbreaks of skin flukes, gill flukes, internal worms, Hexamita, anchor worms, leeches & fish lice.

aquacadabra.com

 

[MacZ]

I usually would use metronidazole and praziquental as the basic prophylactic treatment for wild caught fish.

Not available in the EU, even if you have a vet.

Levamisole is the most likely to be prescribed.

If you have access to levimasole/flubendazole/fenbendazole you can use that too but note that it doesn't kill the worms, only stuns them and causes the fish to expel them so this treatment is best done in a bare bottom tank with vacuuming of the tank done 24h after treatment to siphon out the expelled worms.

Also the treatment has to be repeated after 10-14 days to be absolutely sure.

 

[apistofishman]

Hello, first of all, thank you for your response and advice.
Here’s what I’ll do. I’ll put clean RO water and the medication into a quarantine tank without substrate or sand. After 24 hours, I’ll drain the water and refill it with clean RO water. After 10–14 days, I will repeat the treatment, and after 24 hours, I will transfer the fish to the established tank.
Is this procedure correct??? Will the fish be able to tolerate clean RO water mixed with the medication and an aquarium bottom without substrate or sand for 14 days??

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[KenL]

About 30 years ago, I managed to buy a large bottle of levamisole hydrochloride from a farm supplier.
A couple of doses and I never saw Camullanus worms again.
This is the UK.

 

[anewbie]

About 30 years ago, I managed to buy a large bottle of levamisole hydrochloride from a farm supplier.
A couple of doses and I never saw Camullanus worms again.
This is the UK.

How times change

 

[MacZ]

After 24 hours, I’ll drain the water and refill it with clean RO water. After 10–14 days, I will repeat the treatment, and after 24 hours, I will transfer the fish to the established tank.

Quarantine for 4 weeks, meaniung for 2 more weeks after the second treatment.
Where did you get the 24 hours timeframe from?

 

[apistofishman]

Oh, I see. So after 24 hours, I just vacuum the bottom and remove the worms (not the entire tank). The fish stay in the water with the medication. After 14 days, I repeat the treatment and keep them in quarantine for another 14 days. Only then can they go into the established tank.
And one more time, my question:
Can the fish survive 28 days in a quarantine tank with RO water + medication, without substrate/sand and without leaves (in an empty tank)???
Sorry for my perhaps silly questions, and thank you for your patience with me.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)