Heat treatment for internal parasites

Not sure if it will also work on bristlenoses but a friend sent me a PM on treating a sick discus I had (unfortunately I had already lost it before I got the PM )

"Not sure if you still have that sick discus but this is worth a shot. Wish I had known about this about a month ago.
Obviously but the discus in its own tank before doing this.

"Heat Treatment for Internal Parasite/Worm Issues"
Just wanted to share my experiences using heat treatment to deal with internal issues for discus.

I've always had at least one picky eater in my tank that eventually stops eating and dies over a period of several months. Last year, one of wilds I got from Han earlier that spring started to lose its appetite and eventually stopped eating. He went on almost two months without eating. I tried metro and levamisole treatment, but no improvement. I talked to Hans and he recommended heat treatment for the fish.

Slowly bring up the temp to at least 96 to 98, leave the fish in the tank for 5 days, bring the temp down slowly, and put it back in the main tank. I tried this method on the sick fish and it regained it's appetite and now eating like it never did. It's been over six months since the treatment, and he is doing very well.

Since then, I tried the same method on three more fish. I lost one fish because I only left the fish in the heated tank for barely three days. Hans told me the fish must be in the tank for at least four days and really five days to be safe. When fish is in the heated tank, the fish gets weaker, and when you stop the heat treatment and parasites/worms are not completed dead, they will attack the fish in weakened state and fish could suffer from it. Two other fish have completely recovered and eating really well. Now, I don't even bother with the medication when I am dealing with issues that appear to be internal parasites/worms.

If you have treated your fish with medication and didn't work, might as well try the heat treatment and see how it goes.


Worth a shot if all else fails basically its about 36c."

great bit of advice kfenk to know will try if worms or parasites start to show many thanks

Glad to help Only wish I had have known about it sooner

I use this trick for a long time and always works. Whether white spots, worms I increase the temperature at once to 30-32 Celsius (that is roughly 86-90 Fahrenheit). After 4 days take back the temperature, again, at once.

(The temperature of the water will not jump up/down, due to its volume.)