White worms on dragon puffer gills. Help!!!

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Mal009
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White worms on dragon puffer gills. Help!!!

Post by Mal009 »

My dragon puffer has some white worms on his gills. He is acting normal but they’ve just popped up today. Can anyone tell me what they are and how to treat them? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
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Pufferpunk
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Re: White worms on dragon puffer gills. Help!!!

Post by Pufferpunk »

Add Prazipro to the water as per the directions.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
MissRubyPuff
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Re: White worms on dragon puffer gills. Help!!!

Post by MissRubyPuff »

I need help with this as well!

I first got Ruby the dragon puffer in March of this year. I have been trying to determine how to help her with these white worms that have been on her since I got her. I have done extensive research thinking they were anchor worms, but they lack the forked tail. I just finished a 3rd dosing of PraziPro with 80% water changes in between. The worms are still there. Can anyone help identify and assist with a course of treatment.

She is incredibly healthy and eats well aside from these blasted worms.
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Pufferpunk
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Posts: 32764
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Re: White worms on dragon puffer gills. Help!!!

Post by Pufferpunk »

It may take different chemicals to irradicate different worms. Try levamisole.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
MissRubyPuff
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Re: White worms on dragon puffer gills. Help!!!

Post by MissRubyPuff »

Pufferpunk wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2021 10:34 am It may take different chemicals to irradicate different worms. Try levamisole.
Thank you so much!! I will definitely try this next!! :D
amovs3s
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Re: White worms on dragon puffer gills. Help!!!

Post by amovs3s »

Did you find out what those worms were? My dragon puffer also had them when I first got him. Shortly after noticing it, i too treated the tank with varying medicines with no luck of removing them without physical intervention. I eventually used tweezers to pull the 2 that were visible to me. For at least a year now he's been totally free of these worms, but just today i noticed another one, a single tiny one starting to show again. Still wondering what these worms are, if they are actually an external parasite of some kind or just loose skin? How did you end up treating your puffer, and did you get rid of it completely?
Last edited by amovs3s on Tue Sep 20, 2022 1:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Pufferpunk
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Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
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My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Re: White worms on dragon puffer gills. Help!!!

Post by Pufferpunk »

What meds have you used & for how long?
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
amovs3s
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Re: White worms on dragon puffer gills. Help!!!

Post by amovs3s »

I have treated the tank with Para Cleanse, Expel P, Ich X, PraziPro, ParaGuard, and Maracyn. This is over time at different occasions, however 2 weeks ago today I started dosing with PraziPro again, I am up to 3 doses now with no actual improvement. The puffer is lively, energetic, on the prowl trying to hunt other fish, as well as ferociously eating night crawlers. Just worried about what these worms actually are, because I also tried doing research and still am since the day I got him without a definite answer. I am unsure if they even spread.
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Pufferpunk
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Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Re: White worms on dragon puffer gills. Help!!!

Post by Pufferpunk »

Gill flukes?
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
amovs3s
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Re: White worms on dragon puffer gills. Help!!!

Post by amovs3s »

I thought that too at first, but how could the flukes survive through all those meds. Then i started to lean towards some kind of external parasites, but they look nothing like anchor worms. When you tweeze them off they are attatch on there pretty deep, and from what i could see it was some kind of worm because it looked like it had a head once i got it out.
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Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32764
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Re: White worms on dragon puffer gills. Help!!!

Post by Pufferpunk »

Can you get a good pic of the worms?
https://fisharticle.com/anchor-worms-in-fish/
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
amovs3s
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Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2022 12:08 am
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Re: White worms on dragon puffer gills. Help!!!

Post by amovs3s »

I haven't yet gone full in with removing this new tiny one appearing on my lil dragon puffer called Drogon. I wish i took pictures and documented the last procedure. Once I decide to remove the current one I definitely will post it. He's just so lively i don't wanna mess up his attitude, getting all timid and not eating.
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