What is this??

[Tyler_Fishman]

I came home today to find my rummynose with a lump or light patch inside it? Not sure, I would like some clarification on this, cant test parameters atm besides ph which is at 6.8 not sure of the cause? Possibly my betta got it while it was sleeping? The cardinal it's with bullies it to no end, (I need more tetras)

 

[Colin_T]

This is an old thread and the info I am providing will not help them, but it might helps someone else.

The rummynose tetra has a parasitic worm in the muscle tissue on its back. These are usually tapeworms or other intestinal worms from animals. The fish ingests the worm egg and it hatches out and the worm larvae gets lost in the fish and ends up wherever. The same thing can happen to people and animals if they ingest a parasitic worm egg. Tapeworms that naturally occur in sheep can get lost in humans and end up in our lungs or other organs. In this case, the fish has a worm that got lost and is now living in the muscle on the back.

General tapeworm treatments usually work, if it doesn't then try a broad spectrum fish wormer that treats all intestinal worms in fish.

 

[Tyler_Fishman]

This is an old thread and the info I am providing will not help them, but it might helps someone else.

The rummynose tetra has a parasitic worm in the muscle tissue on its back. These are usually tapeworms or other intestinal worms from animals. The fish ingests the worm egg and it hatches out and the worm larvae gets lost in the fish and ends up wherever. The same thing can happen to people and animals if they ingest a parasitic worm egg. Tapeworms that naturally occur in sheep can get lost in humans and end up in our lungs or other organs. In this case, the fish has a worm that got lost and is now living in the muscle on the back.

General tapeworm treatments usually work, if it doesn't then try a broad spectrum fish wormer that treats all intestinal worms in fish.

I did find out later that this fish in particular had callamanus worms, possibly that was the reason?

 

[Colin_T]

camallanus and capillaria worms don't get lost in fish. They stay in the fish's intestine and are thin and red from the blood they ingest.