Parasitic Worm?

[dylema]

Hello,

I just recently found a pleco fry dead, he had a bent tail and was tiny compared to the others so I think he had a problem for a while. On close inspection of his body I found a red thread like thing sticking out of his side so I carefully pulled it out (I am a science student). To my eye (with a 10X magnification hend lense) it looks like a worm. I will try to find out some more info and will borrow my Mums microscope tomorrow but I thought this might be a good place to start since there are so many knowledgable people on here. So any info/advice would be greatly apreciated. I am wanting to find out if it is likely to be a parasite or something trying to decompose the body or if it might even be part of the pleco like part of a gill or something.

Sorry about the picture quality but the pleco is about 15mm and the thread/worm is only 5mm x 0.1-0.2mm so it is hard with standard equipment.

ps I have not tested my water tonight but it is usually always Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 10-20ppm pH 7. I have fine gravel substrate and appart from the fry the tank details are in my sig.

I will post this in the pleco section as well.

 

[black angel]

Dont know what type of worm but if one them then chances are more of them will have them.
Hope someone can come up with a med to treat the whole tank for you.

 

[WILDER]

Camallanus worms and they are nasty and probably the other fish will have them too.


There is a med but it hard to get hold off, you can buy it on the net, or go to a vet.
It called levimsole a pig worming tablet.
http/inkmkr.com/Fish/CamallanusTreatment/

 

[dylema]

Thankyou for that link. It could be that, I hope it is something else but reading the articles it sounds possible. I have had a couple of platies die mysteriously one did bloat out which could have been a bacterial infection caused after infection with this nasty nematode. I can't see any more worms but maybe they are not big enough yet.

I will see if I can find the treatment. Sounds like it can't hurt anyway.

 

[WILDER]

That levimsole is hard to get hold of, plus for it to be effective you need a certain ph, and it a strong med.

http/www.loaches.com/faq_parasites.html

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Contact your local vet for the levamisole- vets often perscribe this, although the vet may need to pay a visit to see the tank and fish to perscribe this med. I had internal parasites in my fish, a common plec in particular, and got some levamisole to treat them from my local vet.
The common plec was too far progressed with internal parasites for the med to be of any use to it, he had stopped eating days ago and was very thin and died, but the other fish in my tank that looked like internal parasite suspects (mostly guppys) reacted well to the med and cleared up any symptoms quickly .

 

[dylema]

Thanks for the replies. I am now pretty sure that it is Camallanus worms as I have found red thread hanging out of the anus of two of my mature plecos. I am betting that most of the fish either have it or will do soon if I don't kill the parasite quickly.

A spoke to the guy at my LFS (knowledgeable and reputable people) last night and I told him the problem and he gave me a worming med. He looked it up in a reference book and it says it kills nematode worms which is apparently the phylum that this Camallanus worm is in. I hope it is effective. I will give it the time recomened on the med and then if I can still see problems I will get some levamisole. I might speak to the vet this week and check if they can give it to me if needs be.

 

[WILDER]

Ok good luck, watch out for bacterial infections common on top of internal parasites.

 

[dylema]

Ok good luck, watch out for bacterial infections common on top of internal parasites.

Thanks. I will be looking out for the usual signs of problems and will be making sure the water is in top condition even more than normal. Do you think it would be worth treating with something like melafix as a precaution when the parasite meds are done with?

By the way the ingredient in the med I have for the worms is called 'Praziquantel'and you add 1 tablet (100mg of ingredient) to 20l (5usg). Wait 48 hours do a 25% water change and repeat after 7 days to kill any remaining parasites. If anyone has used this I would like to hear how it went.

Thanks

Dylan

 

[WILDER]

Never heard of the med, but please let the board know how you do with it, so it can help other fish keepers in the future.
Wouldn't bother with the melafix more for ouside cuts and wound, then internal bacteria infections, good luck.