Possible Parasite Infestation

[spongy]

Hi peeps, I have a problem in my tank.

It's a relatively new set up, its been up and running since the end of june, its a 180 litre juwel vision running with a fluval 205 external filter and I was slowly stocking, but in the last week I've lost 5 fish suddenly.

I lost a dwarf cichlid after 3 weeks and this week I've lost 2 Bolivian rams, an electric blue ram, and a female paradise fish.

The cichlid died suddenly without warning or symptoms, one ram went up to my outlet pipe one night, which was strange, and was dead the following day, same with my female paradise fish, the other rams slowly went down hill, starting with being lifeless on the bottom, very lethargic, then their colour went and died.

I also have 11 cardinal tetra , 5 harlequins and 3 forts in there are they have so far been unaffected. I think.

All my cardinals, although still young and under an inch in length do look a bit thin but they're behaving normally and active, the harlequins seem completely fine, as does my male paradise fish. All my fish seem to have a normal appetite and accept food.

Here are possible symptoms of illness.

On some fish, their poo is white and stringy.

I have seen one of my harlequins acting a bit strange, it was "flicky" and flicked into plant leaves for about 15 mins then stopped and has appeared normal since.

I wanted to get rid of my coral gravel and replace with black fine gravel which I did on sunday.

When I was draining some water I thought I saw a parasite free swimming in the water but as soon as I saw it it went up the syphon tube! It was about 6mm long, white, and very thin, I saw it because I caught it in the light otherwise I wouldnt have seen it, and was very jerky in its movement.

Is this columnaris that I've read about on here today?

Is this a parasitic worm? And did it kill my fish? Will my other fish be infected?

Any ideas on what it is/was? And how do I treat it? Would be local maidenhead aqautics stock the treatment?

I'm open to suggestions, this is my first tank in a long time and I'd rather not lose my whole stock

 

[WILDER]

Can you please post water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.

Do any of the fish show any of these symptoms.

Enlarged anus. Red inflamed anus?
Worms protruding from the anus?
Do gills look pale with excess slime.
Do any fish show signs of a sunken in belly?
Do any fish show signs of a curved spine?
Any excess mucas, or slime, on gills, body, fins?
Is there a greyish film on fish body?
Do gills look red and inflamed?
Do the fish swim in a jerky movement?
Do any fish keep spitting there food out of there mouths?
Any red sores, or red pin pricks marks on the fish body, fins?
Do any fish gasp at the top of the tank, or any signs of laboured breathing?
Do any fish dart around the tank, or signs of erratic swimming?
Have you seen any tiny white worms floating in the water, crawling on the glass?

Did the worm have a y shaped tail.

 

[spongy]

Here are some answers for you. I dont have the best test kits but Im reading them as

Ammonia - less than 0.5ppm,
NO3 - 25mg/l
NO2 - 0mg/l
PH - between 7.2 and 7.6 (hard to tell exactly, between 2 readings

Enlarged anus. Red inflamed anus? No

Worms protruding from the anus? Not that I have ever seen

Do gills look pale with excess slime? No

Do any fish show signs of a sunken in belly? Some Cardinal Tetra do

Do any fish show signs of a curved spine? Possibly, not sure how bent you mean.

Any excess mucas, or slime, on gills, body, fins? No

Is there a greyish film on fish body? No

Do gills look red and inflamed? No

Do the fish swim in a jerky movement? No

Do any fish keep spitting there food out of there mouths? No

Any red sores, or red pin pricks marks on the fish body, fins? No

Do any fish gasp at the top of the tank, or any signs of laboured breathing? Cardinals breathe fast but I thought they did anyway?

Do any fish dart around the tank, or signs of erratic swimming? Occasionally

Have you seen any tiny white worms floating in the water, crawling on the glass? No

The worm I saw had no tail at all, but I only saw it briefly.

Ive got home from work and watched them carefully for 20 minutes and noticed some things.

1. My remaining Dwarf Cichlid looks healthy but he cant get off the bottom of the tank, he did briefly but then sank like a stone back to the bottom, no signs of any of the above questions on him, still has his colour too.he is currently hiding in an ornament and refusing food so I dont think he has much time left

2. Harlequins look perfect and are behaving normally at the moment.

3. 2 of my Cardinal Tetra are now missing tails and one has half a tail, and when watching them, the one with half a tail had what I can only describe as an epileptic fit for 2-3 seconds.

4, Male paradise fish is normal and as inquisitive and active as he always is

Ive tried to take some photos but I only have a phone so not best quality......

and a bad picture of my first ram to die.

 

[WILDER]

Is the spine curved, bent, or an s shape.

Is your ammonia reading higher than 0

Symptoms are
Flicking and rubbing.
White waste,
Some fish look thin.

Please add to the list if I missed anything,

 

[spongy]

Is the spine curved, bent, or an s shape.

Is your ammonia reading higher than 0

Symptoms are
Flicking and rubbing.
White waste,
Some fish look thin.

Please add to the list if I missed anything,

I believe my ammonia is reading as 0ppm, I only have test strips so not the best but it matches the 0 better than anything else, the next colour up is 0.5ppm.

From the top, their backs are straight, from the side I'd say their backs are at their highest at the dorsal fin and curve down towards head and tail,

Apart from missing tails your list is correct.

My dwarf cichlid cannot move away from the bottom and is refusing food.

hanks for your help. Much appreciated.

 

[WILDER]

The fish that can't get off the bottom of the tank, sinks back down again need treating with an internal bacteria med.

Feed some shelled peas.

Internal parasites can cause fish to flick and rub.
There not showing enough external symptoms to point it towards an external parasite.

I would also think about worming your fish.

 

[WILDER]

Sera Nematol.

A sensational R & D success: sera med Professional Nematol is the first ornamental fish treatment against Nematodes that may be sold freely. It is based on a patented Emamectin/solvent complex, highly effective and easy to dose. sera med Professional Nematol is particularly effective against Camallanus and round worms of the genus Capillaria, which mainly occur in angelfish and discus. It can also be optimally used against pinworms (Oxyurida), dreaded by discus keepers. At the same time it combats the small copepods that Camallanus uses as intermediate hosts. Result: A well tolerated and highly effective ornamental fish treatment that can be sold freely is now available for the first time! It is a liquid and therefore can be dosed easily and precisely.

 

[spongy]

Sera Nematol.

A sensational R & D success: sera med Professional Nematol is the first ornamental fish treatment against Nematodes that may be sold freely. It is based on a patented Emamectin/solvent complex, highly effective and easy to dose. sera med Professional Nematol is particularly effective against Camallanus and round worms of the genus Capillaria, which mainly occur in angelfish and discus. It can also be optimally used against pinworms (Oxyurida), dreaded by discus keepers. At the same time it combats the small copepods that Camallanus uses as intermediate hosts. Result: A well tolerated and highly effective ornamental fish treatment that can be sold freely is now available for the first time! It is a liquid and therefore can be dosed easily and precisely.

Does this stuff work as a worming treatment and also the internal bacteria treatment for the fish at the bottom?

 

[WILDER]

The Sera Nematol is an internal wormer. It doesn't treat bacterial infections.

I would add a bacterial med now.
Start the treatment of internal wormer when it arrives.

You can buy sera nematol online from amazon.co.uk

 

[spongy]

The Sera Nematol is an internal wormer. It doesn't treat bacterial infections.

I would add a bacterial med now.
Start the treatment of internal wormer when it arrives.

You can buy sera nematol online from amazon.co.uk

Thankyou for your help Wilder, you have been a star, I finish work at 13.30 tomorrow so shall go to my LFS and get some internal bacterial med and I am about to hit eBay for the sera nematol.

Hope it works and I shall keep you posted on the results.

 

[WILDER]

Good Luck.

 

[spongy]

I ordered some sera nematol last night so am waiting for it to arrive, I also went to my LFS ti buy the internal bacteria meds,

I bought sterazin and have just put in my first dose after removing the carbon from my filter. Is this the right stuff? Was recommended by the staff but reading the bottle it doesn't say anything about internal bacteria. Have I got it wrong?

It says on the bottle to treat on days 1,3,6,8 and 10 and not to mix with any other meds but you suggested I use nematol as soon as it arrives, is that wise?

Just would like to clarify really.

Cheers.

 

[WILDER]

Sterazin for gills flukes, body flukes. It's a parasite med. So sorry but you can't add that to the tank.

Take it back and exchange the med for anti internal bacteria med by interpet.

How are the fish?

 

[spongy]

darn it, I put a dose in, do I have to water change before using the interpet stuff?

The fish are basically the same, the dwarf cichlid is laying on the bottom though, no change in my Cardinals, 2 with no tails, one with half a tail, and one of them is breathing very fast, almost as if its gasping. Wondering if I have a case of finrot in there too,

Would rather not kill them by mixing meds either.

Can I use the internal bacterial and sera menatol at the same time?

 

[WILDER]

Preform a 50% change, then run some new black carbon.
Than tomorrow preform another water change. remove black carbon from filter and add the anti internal bacteria med to the tank.

You would have to read the instructions that you get with the sera nematol. It should say if the product can be used with other medications.
It would be good in you could buy some medicated food for bacterial infections.