Liquid PraziPro is a liquid concentrate treatment you can add to either freshwater or saltwater aquariums. It offers an effective way to control parasites in your aquarium. Adding PraziPro can help remove tapeworms, flatworms, and turbellarians as well as other parasites safely and effectively.
Paraguard is another liquid concentrate that eliminates parasites in aquariums. Paraguard is fish- and filter-safe and is non-toxic because it does not contain formaldehyde or methanol. Paraguard is safe to use in your tank and does not alter pH.
This article discusses PraziPro and Paraguard, the differences between the two products, and whether or not you can use them together.
What is PraziPro?
PraziPro is a liquid concentrate that can be used as a parasite preventative or treatment to remove parasites from your aquarium. It is a non-toxic solution to parasite problems in aquariums and ponds. It is easy to use, safe, and effective.
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To get the most out of this treatment, start the treatment after a water change. The new water should be conditioned with ULTIMATE or a combination of Liquid Buffered ClorAM-X and Stress-X so that there is no ammonia, chloramines, or chlorine in the water.
You can keep the filtration running, but remove activated carbon and stop foam fractionation and UV sterilization.
Next, distribute the proper amount around the edge of your aquarium or directly into the filter box. Repeat this process every 5 to 7 days until it is no longer necessary.
What is Paraguard?
Paraguard is a liquid concentrate parasite-control treatment that is safe and effective. You can add it to your tank using the above method.
Paraguard is aldehyde-based and uses a blend of aldehydes, malachite green, and fish protective polymers to effectively eradicate ectoparasites. It also fights against external fungal/bacterial/viral lesions like fin rot.
You should use Paraguard if you have fish in your tank that show parasitic infections. This includes Cryptocaryon (twitching, flashing, signs of stress or irritation), Amyloodinium (small, grey-gold spots), and bacterial infections such as fin rot (shredded, frayed, or decayed fins).
PraziPro vs. Paraguard
PraziPro and Paraguard are two different medications. Paraguard is used for external parasites that are causing infections in your fish. You should only use Paraguard if you know you have a parasite problem or if your fish have ich.
PraziPro treats and prevents parasites and flukes in your tank, while Paraguard is more of a disease management tool that also eradicates parasites that cause lesions. Paraguard is best for treating parasitic infections in your fish.
PraziPro does not help ich in your fish. It is better used for flukes and worms or as a preventative medication. Paraguard is best if your fish are showing signs of ich or other bacterial infections.
Can you use PraziPro and Paraguard together?
It is not recommended to use powerful medications and treatments together. It is better to try one at a time (after a water change of at least 50%) and see which works better for your tank. Medications like these take a lot of time to start working, so be patient before you try adding different treatments together.
Both PraziPro and Paraguard are sufficient on their own to clear out external infections, so it is not necessary to use both. Using both increases the risk of stressing out your fish.
Using two strong medications together will affect your biological filtration and stress out your fish. If you must use two medications, you can put one medication in the water and the other in the food to minimize stress for your fish.
Paraguard is a reducing agent, so you should not add other reducing agents with Paraguard. Too many reducing agents will reduce the oxygen content in the water. You also should not add products that interact with reducing agents when you are using Paraguard, which is a reducing agent.
If you plan to switch medications, it is essential to wait at least forty-eight hours. It is even better to wait a few days before switching. The reason you have to wait to switch medications is because two products may interact with each other. Waiting forty-eight hours allows the first medication to run through completely until it reaches the end of its active lifespan.
How to get the most out of Paraguard or PraziPro treatments in an aquarium
To get the most out of these medication treatments, do not add them when making major alterations in the water chemistry.
Also, you should not use chemical filter media. Medias like carbon remove medication. So, to get the most out of either Paraguard or PraziPro, it is best to remove all chemical filter media. Biological media is fine to be left in the tank.
Another way to get the most out of liquid concentrate medication is to spread out the dosing by about 15 to 30 minutes to avoid a sudden drop in oxygen levels, which could shock or stress your fish.
Also, as mentioned before, you should not use products that interact with reducing agents, since Paraguard and PraziPro are reducing agents.
PraziPro and Paraguard are both liquid medication treatments that can be added to freshwater tanks, saltwater tanks, and ponds. They both effectively and safely eradicate parasites. Adding PraziPro to your tank can help remove tapeworms, flatworms, and turbellarians as well as other parasites.
Paraguard is used to treat infected fish as well as eradicating parasites. You should use Paraguard if your fish are already showing signs of infections. Paraguard fights bacterial infections in your fish such as Cryptocaryon (twitching, flashing, signs of stress or irritation), Amyloodinium (small, grey-gold spots), and fin rot (shredded, frayed, or decayed fins).
PraziPro eradicates and prevents parasites and flukes in your tank, while Paraguard is more of a disease management tool that also eradicates the parasites that cause lesions.
It is not recommended to use both Paraguard and PraziPro at the same time. This is because they are both powerful liquids concentrates. Using them both could shock or stress out your fish.
References:
- Common Parasites of California Marine Fishes https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Parasites