Metropkex/api general cure alternative

morrisDR · Mar 28, 2025

I have this yellow tang which randomly stopped eating flake food. It's breathing very fast especially at night.

All the other fish are fine. Nothing on the fish itself.

Symptoms:

Eating food than spitting out than eating it again. Looks like flake food is to hard to handelen will still take pellets and frozen after some time.

Sunken belly

Already tried the following treatments without succes:

Esha gdex (praziquantal) 2x

Esha ndex(Levamisole) 1x

Esha oodinex (methyline blue) 1x

Also did 4 freshwaterdips nothing came of it does look less stressed in freshwaterdip.

It looks like something irritates it mouth but could also be something else. I'm pretty sure it's an internal parasite.

Since I've tried everything except for metroplex or api general cure I'm looking for an alternative to metrodionazol. This ingrediënt is banned in Europe so not available.

Any alternative that would work or someone who knows what my fish has?

Here a vid

morrisDR · Mar 28, 2025

Clownfish also suffer from it but only at night for now they eat fine in the morning but in the evening rapid breathing and spitting out food.

All the other fish are fine.

You can change the quality of the video to high you to see it better.

It's been weeks now so it can't be a parasite that's a fast at killing.

morrisDR · Mar 28, 2025

#Humblefish @Humblefish

morrisDR · Mar 28, 2025

During the treatment with ESHA ndex the fish stopped eating completely and some weird things came in the water colum this could be a coincidence the fish got very stressed from it. Now eating again just not flakesm whenever it eats you can see him breathing faster and having trouble with its mouth.

Fish Fan · Mar 28, 2025

Are you feeding the Tang pellets and flaked foods specifically for herbivores? Have you tried feeding the tang nori?

I don't believe Humblefish is on this forum anymore. There are experts in fish disease and injury here at R2R, maybe they can help you here: #fishmedic

Good luck!

morrisDR · Mar 28, 2025

Fish Fan said:
Are you feeding the Tang pellets and flaked foods specifically for herbivores? Have you tried feeding the tang nori?

I don't believe Humblefish is on this forum anymore. There are experts in fish disease and injury here at R2R, maybe they can help you here: #fishmedic

Good luck!

Feeding it herbivore pellets and nori. It will take the nori after it gets soft in the water.

Already contacted vetteguy and Jay Hemdal, but they couldn't ID the disease/parasite.

The most important symptom is probably the spitting out food and trying it again.

Looking it any reefers have had the same experience

MnFish1 · Mar 28, 2025

morrisDR said:
Feeding it herbivore pellets and nori. It will take the nori after it gets soft in the water.

Already contacted vetteguy and Jay Hemdal, but they couldn't ID the disease/parasite.

The most important symptom is probably the spitting out food and trying it again.

Looking it any reefers have had the same experience

Was the fish quarantined, how long have you had it? Have you tried other foods like mysis or brine shrimp, etc (I don't know what brands you have available in the Netherlands) - Most of the time fish spit out food is that they don't like it. Especially since it's eating Nori.

The medication you used was levamisole based - and will not treat/help the most common fish diseases. I would wonder about flukes? Is there a reason you chose to use it - i.e. did you have evidence that the fish had roundworms or another worm type infection?

EDIT - I just noticed that you used praziquantel - how many treatments and did you use a quarantine tank? I ask because often praziquantel is destroyed by bacteria in a display tank and it's easier to keep a separate tank clean. Some flukes require 3 treatments (usually 7-8 days apart) .

Lastly freshwater dips may temporarily help for flukes but it is not a treatment and is stressful for the fish - I would avoid doing them further. Methylene blue is not very helpful for marine diseases.

vetteguy53081 · Mar 28, 2025

morrisDR said:
During the treatment with ESHA ndex the fish stopped eating completely and some weird things came in the water colum this could be a coincidence the fish got very stressed from it. Now eating again just not flakesm whenever it eats you can see him breathing faster and having trouble with its mouth.

As I mentioned ESHA likely would not work, I gave you alternatives. If you need them , I can repost. This is not a quarantine issues you have been working on this 3 weeks with fish in QT. Add an air stone to tube as the rigid tube is barely applying oxygen increase
You are using wrong meds and based on what you are describing, I believe you want to treat for gill flukes or bacterial or both. Again, the med for your country would be Sera Tremazole

MnFish1 · Mar 28, 2025

PS - to answer your question about metronidazole- I believe you can get it with a prescription either from a human doctor or better yet a veterinarian. However, I'm not sure it will be very helpful

MnFish1 · Mar 28, 2025

vetteguy53081 said:
As I mentioned ESHA likely would not work, I gave you alternatives. If you need them , I can repost. This is not a quarantine issues you have been working on this 3 weeks with fish in QT. Add an air stone to tube as the rigid tube is barely applying oxygen increase
You are using wrong meds and based on what you are describing, I believe you want to treat for gill flukes or bacterial or both. Again, the med for your country would be Sera Tremazole

I believe tremazole is praziquantel - which he as tried (as far as I can understand) - he was wondering about a substitute for metronidazole.

MnFish1 · Mar 28, 2025

morrisDR said:
I have this yellow tang which randomly stopped eating flake food. It's breathing very fast especially at night.

All the other fish are fine. Nothing on the fish itself.

morrisDR said:
Clownfish also suffer from it but only at night for now they eat fine in the morning but in the evening rapid breathing and spitting out food.

I'm confused - in one post you say all the other fish are fine, in the second, you say the clownfish are displaying the same behavior. I would think (I don't see your other post) - flukes would be the. most likely issue - which should be treatable with Praziquantel (and you have access to that). As I mentioned above, Flukes sometimes require more than 3 treatments.

vetteguy53081 · Mar 28, 2025

MnFish1 said:
Was the fish quarantined, how long have you had it? Have you tried other foods like mysis or brine shrimp, etc (I don't know what brands you have available in the Netherlands) - Most of the time fish spit out food is that they don't like it. Especially since it's eating Nori.

The medication you used was levamisole based - and will not treat/help the most common fish diseases. I would wonder about flukes? Is there a reason you chose to use it - i.e. did you have evidence that the fish had roundworms or another worm type infection?

EDIT - I just noticed that you used praziquantel - how many treatments and did you use a quarantine tank? I ask because often praziquantel is destroyed by bacteria in a display tank and it's easier to keep a separate tank clean. Some flukes require 3 treatments (usually 7-8 days apart) .

Lastly freshwater dips may temporarily help for flukes but it is not a treatment and is stressful for the fish - I would avoid doing them further. Methylene blue is not very helpful for marine diseases.

Not sure if you got the tremazole which should have helped. Waterlife Myxazin was your better alternative

morrisDR · Mar 28, 2025

MnFish1 said:
Was the fish quarantined, how long have you had it? Have you tried other foods like mysis or brine shrimp, etc (I don't know what brands you have available in the Netherlands) - Most of the time fish spit out food is that they don't like it. Especially since it's eating Nori.

The medication you used was levamisole based - and will not treat/help the most common fish diseases. I would wonder about flukes? Is there a reason you chose to use it - i.e. did you have evidence that the fish had roundworms or another worm type infection?

EDIT - I just noticed that you used praziquantel - how many treatments and did you use a quarantine tank? I ask because often praziquantel is destroyed by bacteria in a display tank and it's easier to keep a separate tank clean. Some flukes require 3 treatments (usually 7-8 days apart) .

Lastly freshwater dips may temporarily help for flukes but it is not a treatment and is stressful for the fish - I would avoid doing them further. Methylene blue is not very helpful for marine diseases.

The fish got the disease from another fish that died within days...

Have him for a year now. It ate food just fine but now it only takes all types of frozen and pellets + nori. Sometimes even with these foods it takes a while for him to eat. Like I said it is breathing more heavy after eating like it's having trouble.

I tried these ESHA ndex for roundworms because it has a sunken belly and I already tried praziquantal . The poop is normal brown color.

I did the praziquantal treatment twice. And the other two once.

People said if the freshwaterdips do not release flukes your fish doesn't have flukes I think 4 freshwaterdips should have confirmed the disease...

morrisDR · Mar 28, 2025

vetteguy53081 said:
As I mentioned ESHA likely would not work, I gave you alternatives. If you need them , I can repost. This is not a quarantine issues you have been working on this 3 weeks with fish in QT. Add an air stone to tube as the rigid tube is barely applying oxygen increase
You are using wrong meds and based on what you are describing, I believe you want to treat for gill flukes or bacterial or both. Again, the med for your country would be Sera Tremazole

Yes I read the tremazole one thx for the info and help. Sadly tremazole doesn't say what it contains helps for flukes and tape worms but idk if I have that since esha gdex also works against these.

Im more looking for an alternative to metro since that's the only internal parasite medication that treats different internal parasites.

EDIT:

the ingredients of tremazole are just praziquantal only. So I don't think it will work.

morrisDR · Mar 28, 2025

MnFish1 said:
PS - to answer your question about metronidazole- I believe you can get it with a prescription either from a human doctor or better yet a veterinarian. However, I'm not sure it will be very helpful

Yes that's correct I don't really know how to dose it and if I am buying the correct formula etc that's why I'm a little hesitant about that...

morrisDR · Mar 28, 2025

vetteguy53081 said:
Not sure if you got the tremazole which should have helped. Waterlife Myxazin was your better alternative

Not available in Netherlands. Tremazole is the only one. I can try it I will contact sera about it what it contains but if it only contains praziquantal I don't think it will benefit.

vetteguy53081 · Mar 28, 2025

morrisDR said:
Not available in Netherlands. Tremazole is the only one. I can try it I will contact sera about it what it contains but if it only contains praziquantal I don't think it will benefit.

It does have high content Prazi which is for skin and gill flukes. If you really want an alternative, NT Labs acriflavine would help.
Sorry for any confusion with this.

morrisDR · Mar 28, 2025

vetteguy53081 said:
It does have high content Prazi which is for skin and gill flukes. If you really want an alternative, NT Labs acriflavine would help.
Sorry for any confusion with this.

Also not available

.

The only brand I know of available here:
Sera
Colombo
Seachem (only the Cupramine )
ESHA
Aquarium Munster

MnFish1 · Mar 28, 2025

morrisDR said:
The fish got the disease from another fish that died within days...

Have him for a year now. It ate food just fine but now it only takes all types of frozen and pellets + nori. Sometimes even with these foods it takes a while for him to eat. Like I said it is breathing more heavy after eating like it's having trouble.

I tried these ESHA ndex for roundworms because it has a sunken belly and I already tried praziquantal . The poop is normal brown color.

I did the praziquantal treatment twice. And the other two once.

People said if the freshwaterdips do not release flukes your fish doesn't have flukes I think 4 freshwaterdips should have confirmed the disease...

Your last sentence is not completely correct- It can tell if you have certain types of flukes - but not all flukes. Only Neobenedenia are seen with a fw dip - others require a microscope. And it's not uncommon to require 3 or even 4 praziquantel treatments.

Its hard to make sense why some of the fish have symptom at night - Unless there is a change in oxygen levels.

Can you think of any event that occurred when your tang started having issues (new fish, etc). Also the fact that its eating frozen foods and Nori tend to rule out a mouth issue