guppy help

[Tomo]

hi, I brought 2 more guppies home from the lfs, the next day i checked on them 1 had a red worm around 2mm long comin from its bum but didnt think anything of it. I checked again the next day and now theres 2 worms, 1 about 10 mm the other about 5mm, they are not wrigly and look like they come to a sharp point. the guppies came from different tanks in the lfs and the other guppy looks very healthy. my water is ok and all my other fish are fine but i dont know what it is thats coming from its bum. can anyone help.

 

[ferrikins]

sounds like Internal parrasites. Sadly when I had to deal with them, I desided that the treament I could get was likely not to work, and I had to kill all my fish in the tank, and restock.

I'll consult my books, and see what I can come up with. For now I would seperate the affected fish.


EDIT: found this, hope it helps Round worm

 

[Tomo]

Thanks for the great info, I think it is the Camallanus Species. Ive bagged him up and iam gonna take him back to the lfs tommorow and explain. When i was bagging him up i noticed it had disappeared. I now fear it may be in my tank and infect all my fish,any advice?

 

[WILDER]

My algae eater has worms saw a red worm coming out of his bum, first time I've had it using cat worming tablets, luckily I only have two neons and one platys in the tank if the worming tablet dosn't work, wish you could get hold of a med in the uk for internal parasites.

 

[WILDER]

http/www.guppylog.com/story/2004/12/20/1366/5618

 

[Dakota Ice]

ACK! I got these from a bottle of bloodworms. They are the Camallanus worms. They LOVE guppies. I lost an ENTIRE tank of 30 or so SHOW GUPPIES to this disgusting thing. The worms attatch themselves to the walls of their host's intestinal tract, and go back inside when the fish moves. It reproduces through the water column with microscopic larvae. When I had them, I had to kill off ALL my stock, bleach the tank, get rid of all gravel, rocks, wood, and plants. Get rid of your nets, your birthing devices. These things spread like mad.

I'd watch VERY carefully for them on the other fish, but I'd probably bet money they've already got in your tank and will only be a matter of time before they show up again.

 

[Tomo]

Thanks wilder, iam gonna keep the guppy bagged up and keep checkin to see if more worms appear. I am not sure how there life cycle works, if it is this parasite what part of its life cycle does it come from its host and does it leave the lava inside the host when it does. If ive bagged the guppy up will it be carrying the lava or would they be in the worm that came out of it before i bagged it. will the worm still be alive? i believe this is the only guppy to have it because it came from a seperate tank in the lfs.

If it is Camallanus Species it doesnt look good for my tank or my lfs by the time ive finished with them. I need to buy a hospital tank so i can monitor the fish before i put them with my own fish nevermind we learn from our mistakes.

 

[Dakota Ice]

Thanks wilder, iam gonna keep the guppy bagged up and keep checkin to see if more worms appear. I am not sure how there life cycle works, if it is this parasite what part of its life cycle does it come from its host and does it leave the lava inside the host when it does. If ive bagged the guppy up will it be carrying the lava or would they be in the worm that came out of it before i bagged it. will the worm still be alive? i believe this is the only guppy to have it because it came from a seperate tank in the lfs.

If it is Camallanus Species it doesnt look good for my tank or my lfs by the time ive finished with them. I need to buy a hospital tank so i can monitor the fish before i put them with my own fish nevermind we learn from our mistakes.

In my post I stated the way they reproduce. I'm not sure if you read it or not, as you posted shortly after me..

 

[Tomo]

I didnt see your post dakota, thanks for the info. but i still dont understand what you mean ? at what stage of there life cycle do they reproduce? do you think my tank will be infected with the larvae within 48 hours ??? omg this isnt looking good at all, apart from seperating the infected guppy what else can i do now?? i cant get meds till tommorow and i need to make sure it is the Camallanus Species before i even think of starting to medicate.

Dakota you said the worms go back inside is this what could of happened instead of goin in my tank?

from some of the info ferrikin posted for the prevention i read this : -
As a copepod or other crustacean host is required to complete the life cycle, avoiding the use of copepods or related crustaceans as food items will help reduce potential for infection.

What are copepods and crustaceans and how would i go about removing them from my tank to stop the life cycle?? do i have them??

 

[Dakota Ice]

Okay, the worms can reproduce the second they are visible to the naked eye. If you can see it in your guppy, its making babies.

Your tank was probably infected 5 minutes after you put him in there.

There is nothing you CAN do. The right medications are so d*mn hard to find, like PIG dewormer? It's nearly impossible to treat because no pet stores carry stuff like that for fish. It's why I gave up and killed the ones that had it, which was all of them. I just could not find any cure anywhere.

I know for sure this is what you have, no doubt in my mind. Yes, thats what it did. It "tucked" itself back in to hide. I doubt a grown worm besides that one is in your tank right now but I bet tons of larvae are in your gravel. Best best is to take ALL the fish out that dont have it and clean your tank out entirely. Bleach the glass and dont chance re using the infected gravel, plants, etc.

Post back if you have anymore questions.

 

[Tomo]

i edited my post above more questions thanks dakota.

 

[Dakota Ice]

They are snails. They have nothing to do with your case. The LFS infected your tank through that fish. THEY were the ones with a snail that had it.

The worms in your tank have already gone through the copepod, or snail stage, that they need to survive. Your tank has them. No way around it.

The only way to get rid of them is to find pig de wormer, or to throw out everything.

 

[Tomo]

so the lava dont need the copepods before they go to my other fish?? why do they need the snail part of there lifecycle then?? i dont understand sorry.

ooh yes i do, thats for prevention so the guppies dont catch in first place but snails and copepods are the usual carriers?? am i right?

 

[Dakota Ice]

I dont believe the larvae in your tank need the snails to infect your other fish. The snails are a host, they carry the worms from one place to another. The worms can live fine without them.

 

[Tomo]

thanks, iam gonna watch the guppy and make sure because its took me ages to get the tank the way it it and i dont want to destroy it without makin sure it is this parasite (i hope it was just it guts hangin out for a while )