PraziPro

Stress is often the leading cause of a parasitic outbreak in tropical fish and discus fish. In discus fish aquariums a failed heater is often the culprit causing stress due to incorrect water temperature. Another common stress factor in discus fish is introducing fish to the discus aquarium that carry a bacterial infection or a parasite load the discus is unfamiliar with. In treating any tropical fish or discus fish for parasites it is important to determine if any ongoing stress factors are present. Incorrect diet, temperature, tank mates and water quality should be considered. Carbon left in a filter and neglected can lead to problems. Any area needing attention should be addressed before beginning a treatment.

Praziquantel has been used in the veterinary trade for years. It is often called "prazi". For years it was manufactured by Bayer under the name Droncit®. Added to the food, prazi has always been extremely effective at eliminating cestodes (tapeworm). Discus breeders use prazi in beef heart discus foods to treat discus fish for tapeworms. There are many types of tapeworm and prazi kills them. It was discovered that prazi was effective at eliminating external parasites (gill flukes) and internal parasites (intestinal parasite tapeworms) when added to the aquarium water. The problem was that prazi has poor water solubility. Prazi is easily dissolved in certain solvents, such as acetone but the solvents are extremely harsh on the fish and the biological filter bacteria.

For treatment of internal nematodes (such as capallaria), a dewormer such as Panacur or piperazine should be used as Prazipro is not efficient at eliminating nematodes. Any time discus fish are kept with angelfish it is a good idea to treat them for parasites.

Prazipro has solved the problem of poor water solubility of praziquantel. Prazipro™ is a liquid form of praziquantel. Prazipro does not use a harsh medium to dissolve the prazi medication. Prazipro is safe for all types of tropical fish including discus fish and angel fish. Some types of dewormers are harsh on catfish. I tested Prazipro on bristle nose ancistrus catfish breeding pairs with no problems. I then added Prazipro to the new hatched bristlenose ancistrus catfish fry with no adverse reactions. I have used Prazipro on young discus fry with no problems.

Prazipro is excellent in treating external parasites such as gill flukes in tropical fish including discus fish and angelfish. Gill flukes reproduce one of two ways. Gill flukes can be either live bearers or egg layers. Because it is impossible to determine this without a microscopic exam, it is recommended to treat gill flukes as if a second generation will hatch from eggs. The goal is to kill the young gill flukes as they hatch, before they reach maturity and reproduce. Beginning a second treatment for gill flukes five days after initially starting the treatment will usually catch any newly hatched gill flukes. Prazipro is also useful in treating planaria in aquariums. They get into the aquarium through shipping water, plants and some foods. These unsightly worms, planaria, crawl on the glass as tiny specks when young and later develop into free swimming worms. Planaria resemble tiny snakes with pointed heads. They swim in the water with a motion similar to snakes swimming. Over feeding and dirty aquarium filters contribute to planaria outbreaks. Gravel, filters and aquarium glass should be cleaned before treating for planaria.

Prazipro can be ordered by clicking the button below the photo. A PayPal account is not needed to purchase Prazipro online. Prazipro can also be ordered by phone. All medication orders are processed and shipped immediately.