Signs my fish has worms?

aly.234 · Jul 30, 2020

Hi there,

In one of my tanks, I noticed that my bristlenose pleco has something that looks like callamanus worms. I double checked with PetSmart and they said it looked normal. My water levels are fine and I have not introduced any new fish or plants to my aquarium for over a month now. My pleco seems to be fine, he is still as active as before and has no loss in colour. I checked my other tank and I noticed that my bristlenose pleco in there, seems to have the same issue. In this tank, I have 2 bristlenose plecos, 2 angelfish, and a Betta. I recently noticed one of my angelfish has developed a lump, and my Betta seems to have one as well. I have been giving them a few peas with tropical flakes, as well as reduced feeding for a few days, to see if it was constipation and it is still there. I haven't seen any "worms" potruding from the Betta or angelfish, they just appear to be swollen. Is my whole tank infected, or are these seperate issues? Please help!

mbsqw1d · Jul 30, 2020

Yeh the plec looks like it has callamanus worm as you suggest

It was over 10 years ago that I had to treat my fish for this and, if i remember correctly, because I'm based in the UK, it was impossible to get my hands on Levamisole HCL (for fish) so I ended up using the same chemical sold as worming treatment for pigeons!

Anyhow.. look up Levamisole as a treatment, all the best

aly.234 · Jul 30, 2020

Thank you so much for responding! Do you think that's also the issue with the angel and Betta?!

mbsqw1d · Jul 30, 2020

Most issues can stem from the water condition. Do you have a water test kit so you can share ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels?

Also do you know what size tank you have?

I think, as a slightly seperate issue, other members here are likely going to suggest that keeping the betta with these other (particularly the angel) fish, is a problem.

If we can kick off with the water parameters and tank size that would help. If you can't see any worms protruding from the other fish we could rule that out for now.

aly.234 · Jul 30, 2020

I don't have a water test kit yet, but I have been going to PetSmart to have my water tested. I was told that everything was good, except my alkalinity was slightly high in both tanks, but that I shouldn't be concerned.
Tank 1: 15 gallons
- Betta fish
- 2 female cherry guppies
- 1 bristlenose plecos

Tank 2: 30 gallons
- 2 angelfish
- 1 bettafish
- 2 bristlenose plecos

mbsqw1d · Jul 30, 2020

K, few more questions please!
Would you consider your water to be hard or soft do you know?

How often do you change the water in the tank and how much water do you change?

Do you have any other spare tanks/containers and equipment (filter, heater)? Ideally youd want to quarentine the betta and, tbh, in the immediate future and long term, keep it in a tank seperate from the angels

aly.234 · Jul 30, 2020

aly.234 said:
I don't have a water test kit yet, but I have been going to PetSmart to have my water tested. I was told that everything was good, except my alkalinity was slightly high in both tanks, but that I shouldn't be concerned.
Tank 1: 15 gallons
- Betta fish
- 2 female cherry guppies
- 1 bristlenose plecos

Tank 2: 30 gallons
- 2 angelfish
- 1 bettafish
- 2 bristlenose plecos
One of the plecos from tank 2, has the worms. The Betta, and the 1 angel in this tank are the ones with the swelling. The plecos in tank 1, also has the worms, but everything else in the tank seems fine.

aly.234 · Jul 30, 2020

mbsqw1d said:
K, few more questions please!
Would you consider your water to be hard or soft do you know?
- It is hard
How often do you change the water in the tank and how much water do you change?
I change it approximately every month and I change up to 10%.
Do you have any other spare tanks/containers and equipment (filter, heater)? Ideally youd want to quarentine the betta and, tbh, in the immediate future and long term, keep it in a tank seperate from the angels

I do have a spare bowl for the Betta as a temporary use, but I don't have another tank. I'm new to fish keeping, so bear with me. When I originally talked to the fish specialists at my local stores, they said it would be fine to keep the Betta with the angels. So far, I haven't had any issues with them, but is there something that I should be aware of?

mbsqw1d · Jul 30, 2020

In all honesty ive no personal experience in keeping both together, but I've read countless times on here that it's not advisable. They're both territorial so if they get in one another's way all hell breaks loose.
Seeing as we don't know the water parameters, my best advice to begin with is performing a decent water change, at least 50% (if you havent already done of course).
Depending on the lumps, if they're cysts, prognosis isnt great so hopefully theyre abscess or ulcers. Treatment would be antibacterial and/or salt.
Be good to get @Colin_T 's input

aly.234 · Jul 30, 2020

mbsqw1d said:
In all honesty ive no personal experience in keeping both together, but I've read countless times on here that it's not advisable. They're both territorial so if they get in one another's way all hell breaks loose.
Seeing as we don't know the water parameters, my best advice to begin with is performing a decent water change, at least 50% (if you havent already done of course).
Depending on the lumps, if they're cysts, prognosis isnt great so hopefully theyre abscess or ulcers. Treatment would be antibacterial and/or salt.
Be good to get @Colin_T 's input

I just did another water change, I can get the water changed tomorrow and post the parameters. I've had the angels and the Betta for 3 months now, and they seem to be fine, but I will definitely keep an eye out and buy another tank if need be.

mbsqw1d · Jul 30, 2020

aly.234 said:
I just did another water change, I can get the water changed tomorrow and post the parameters. I've had the angels and the Betta for 3 months now, and they seem to be fine, but I will definitely keep an eye out and buy another tank if need be.

Cool.. like I said, I expect more experienced members here will voice their opinion in time.
Water changes are very effective especially when we can't know the level of ammonia.

Would be good to know your water hardness level. Its often posted online by your water supplier and might be shown as dgh or caco3 ppm
If not, see if your local fish store (LFS) will also check this for you.

AfflictionX · Jul 30, 2020

I’ve had quite a few bettas over the years... I’ve learned they are all different and have different personalities like a dog or cat. What this betta won’t do, the next one will etc... I’ve put single females in communal tanks And had to pull them out they were so aggressive. And right now I have one Male in my 55 that’s probably one of chillest least aggressive ones I’ve ever had. Been in there a year. He won’t even approach the Cory cats. But he has his own place to defend keep his distance and I’ve never had an issue. Idk what size you angels are... but when they get significantly bigger than the betta u might experience more issues? Idk. Best of luck treating your fish. I Can offer no advice there. Beyond my knowledge for sure, I learn from experience and that’s something I’ve been fortune enough to not encounter.

Essjay · Jul 31, 2020

When you get your water tested, ask them for numbers rather than 'good'. It is not uncommon for shops to say everything is OK when it's not. Good levels are:
ammonia - zero. Anything above zero is not good.
nitrite - zero. Anything above zero is not good
nitrate - below 20 ppm. It used to be said that nitrate was only a problem in the 100s but we now know it should be under 20 ppm.

Alkalinity (KH) does not matter. It is what comes out of the tap. The only way KH affects fish is by stabilising the pH. If KH is high, pH is very stable; if KH is low, pH can fall.
GH or hardness is more important. Next time ask them for that - and get a number.

Fish shop advice cannot be trusted. So may workers either don't know or don't care and will say any rubbish. Never believe anything they say until you have researched it for your self.

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