weird parasite

Oh no! Sick fish?! Come here and see if someone can help!
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Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.

1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.

2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.

3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)

4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.

5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.

We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.

While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.

Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
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Polish
Puffer Fry
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Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2006 3:51 pm
Location: Kitchener ontario

weird parasite

Post by Polish »

there is a bunch of puffers at my work and one had a baige looking soar it was round about the size of a dime a bit smaller and was bigger in the center. a guy at my work took the puffer out of the water and cut it off on to the table. the puffer was fine and went back in to his tank the thing he cut off started to CRAWL ON THE TABLE. anyone know what this is i was not there when this happened but everyone told me about it.
YBeNormal
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Post by YBeNormal »

Probably a nematode, not uncommon in wild-caught fish including puffers.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA091
--Bob
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Pufferpunk
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My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
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T miurus
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C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
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suvattii
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Post by Pufferpunk »

What kind of puffer? You work in a fish store?
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!"
ChesapeakeSwellfish
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Post by ChesapeakeSwellfish »

Could have been an encysted nematode (some are blood red) or any of several hundred other possibilities. Crustacean parasites (isopods, copepods, branchiurids) penetrate the external layers of the skin and the site can get infected. The fish should have been isolated and treated after the parasite was removed
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Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32976
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Greenville, SC
Contact:

Post by Pufferpunk »

Infection will probably set in.
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!"
Polish
Puffer Fry
Posts: 34
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2006 3:51 pm
Location: Kitchener ontario

Post by Polish »

it was a green spotted puffer and yup i work at a fish store. even if i said to isolate him the guy at my work wouldn't listen he puts puffers on the floor to puff up and laughs i don't really like him.

Edited for content - this is a family site, watch your language please if you plan on remaining on this site. RTR
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Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32976
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Greenville, SC
Contact:

Post by Pufferpunk »

Is he the owner?
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!"
demented_lullaby
Dwarf Puffer
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Post by demented_lullaby »

You should report pita on his butt....lol
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Spot(GSP), Fancy Fin Goldfish, One Danio (Sanchez, last of the tribe)
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Sari
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Post by Sari »

Wow, that is super upsetting, I wish I'd never read that. If he's not the owner, tell the owner ASAP. or..something! Can't somethign be done??
When life gives you lemons, make grape juice.
Then sit back and watch as everyone tries to figure out how you did it.
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