Ivermectin experiment for AEFW

[New Wave]

I've been reading alot lately about AEFW chemical control... So I've decided to try a total tank experiment... Using a 65g mixed reef as a test dummy... I have dosed with ivermectin 1% injectable... I'm an attempt to knock out AEFW.

I dosed 2mg / l

Actually a little less because I did buy enOugh.... So probably more like 1.9 mg/l

I have lps sps anemone snails crabs fish mushrooms zoas... Everything...

I added an air stone because other experiments showed fish seemed to stress... My guess was oxygen deprivation... So why not...

After 15 minutes... Snails dead... I tried to pull them... But by the time I got to them it was too late... Rip cleanup crew

At about the same time copes and bristle worms started floating out...

No stress on fish is visible...
Most coral no showing signs of stress but some of them have closed up.

2hrs....

The water is cloudy... Tons of copes floating... 50/50 on he coral closed up... With minimal signs of stress
Fish still seem perfectly fine
Anenome closing up...
AEFW Still alive and well

Hr 3...

Nothing visibly new...
Water seems to have cleared a little...
AEFW still kickin

Hr 4...

I have removed the fish from the experiment... They were acting very unfish like... I knew it was time to remove them... They were easy to catch... So I doubt seriously they would have lasted the experiment... I will keep posted their recovery...

AEFW... there seem to be less of them... And the ones I see seem to be less active... If you're wondering... I'm removing the coral pieces and visible inspecting the pieces with a microscope to monitor the AEFW... Still not
Seeing te results I was hoping for... Buy still 2-4 hours left in the experiment...

The lps and sps seem to not be too effected by the medicine so far... Mostly closed up minus a mushroom leather and a few zoas and button polyps... Still no major
Signs of stress...

Hr 5

Unfortunately the fish have continued to decline... I'm not expecting them to make it

Still only mild signs of stress on the coral.. And the hammer coral is actually opening back up...

AEFW still do not seem too effected...
With the coral seemingly ok and the fish removed... I may continue to medicate overnight if I don't see dramatic decreases in the AEFW in the next hour...

Hr 6

Nothing has changed... Coral actually seem to be rebounding... AEFW seem to be effected very little... I've decided to leave the ivermectin in the system for the night...
I'll check the status In the mornIng

 

[islander84]

Are you trying the levamisole as well or just the ivermectin? Did you find any thing on the 2 to see what was the chemical difference being they are both used for the same purpose?

 

[New Wave]

Just ivermectin for now... I've only found a few places to buy levamisole.. But I'm not sure of the shipping... Some charge 75$ hazmat fee... If this does t produce the result I'm looking for... I will order some tomorrow... And do it again next week... Only with levamisole

Both are for the same purpose... Different ingredients

 

[islander84]

Wow thats ridic. shipping charges! Cool keep the updates coming im interested to see how this stuff works.

 

[pickupman66]

have you looked at Tractor supply or a Farmers coop? I seem to remember dealing with it at one time at tractor Supply in a reset we did or something... I am sure they sell the other as well

 

[New Wave]

Yea... Checked... Tractor supply used to sell it... But the ones I went to... Don't carry it anymore... And can't get it for me.. They now sell "atgard" in it's place

 

[NeedBiggerTank]

ivermectin is a horse wormer (but also used on other livestock). I obviously don't know much about marine FWs, but this wormer is meant to kill internal larval worms in a horses intestinal tract. A dose for a 1,250 pound horse is like 6 grams.

How did you come to decide to put this in your tank? Just curious.

 

[New Wave]

It's been used in tests to control red bugs plenaria and bristle worms... Some have speculated is should work with marine flatworms.. There has been success in acoel flatworms In outside of tank applications... So I said why not... I have really nothing to loose...

 

[New Wave]

Plus... I'm sure MANY would love to see this... As they probably have contemplated it themselves

 

[New Wave]

Other experiments have seen that ivermectin has not seriously effected marine fish... The two fished used in this experiment were healthy and more hardy... Unfortunately.. My experiment doesn't return a supporting result.

 

[NeedBiggerTank]

Is this the stand-alone tank you had set up in your fish room Mel?

 

[New Wave]

Yea

 

[TinaFoster]

The fish didn't make it ? :sad:

 

[ronnie]

I'm trying bayer insecticide - out of tank of course.

Still getting the right dosages, but things look promising.

An in tank treatment that is safe for fish would be phenomenal for sure. Definitely keep us updated if you find anything that seems to work.

 

[New Wave]

Ok... Well I ended up leaving the ivermectin in for 18 hours... Although I have seen a decrease in AEFW... I haven't seen enough of a decrease to call this method effective... Neither if the two fish recovered... 1 of the sps rtn'd in the night... The others don't seem to be effected to terribly... I did a water change and added a carbon reactor to remove the ivermectin...

My experiment concludes that ivermectin is not an effective chemical against AEFW.

I Will post further on the behavior of the coral in days to come

 

[pickupman66]

Mel, good to konw.. great info. I ll make sure not to keep teh ivermectin anywhere near the sump!

seriously though. love seeing fresh new treatemts for pests. I know there is a lot of buzz about using Hydrogen peroxide on algaes and other organisms.

 

[New Wave]

System went septic today... I had to remove the coral... Sps pretty much all dead... Lps still ok... There was too much "dead" in the tank ie... Bristle worms... Sand dwellers.. Etc to remove with carbon... Maybe more massive water change and skimmer would have helped...

Project FAILED!

AEFW seem to be the only thing that would have survived should I have kept going...
Experiment terminated...

Softies are much happier already

 

[New Wave]

2-Frogspawn 2-elegance hammer zoas mushrooms bubble coral and anenome all fully recovered

Blasto and moon coral recovering quickly

Mushroom leather still pouting

 

[islander84]

any info on the levamisole? i think i might try to get some. let me know if you can make it up next week some time. i think im going to gather my pieces next weekend while i am in SpringHill. if you cant make it maybe i can bring a few pieces to you. LMK

 

[poolkeeper1]

any info on the levamisole? i think i might try to get some. let me know if you can make it up next week some time. i think im going to gather my pieces next weekend while i am in SpringHill. if you cant make it maybe i can bring a few pieces to you. LMK

I have Info on Levamisol, After several treatments in my personal tank I started to get a Rash that got worse by the day and finally went to the Dr. They believe I am having a Allergic reaction to the levamisol as the rash is only on parts of my body exposed to the water or where i may have touched myself with wet hands.
After this experiance i would not use this without protection from contact with any water containing this chemical Period.
So far I have not seen any Flatworms in my tank but I'm very leary of doing the last 2 treatments for my own health reasons. If i do it will be fully protected from contact with any tank water and as you all know that is very hard to do. I started to be aware of just how much we are in the water after this happened, Just getting water to defrost fish food or fixing a fallen frag or whatever reason I find that i was in my tank a lot.
Anyone thinking of using this product should take steps to protect themselves from contact with the water after treatment JMO
Bill