worms ? parasites ?

Oh no! Sick fish?! Come here and see if someone can help!
Forum rules
Read this before posting!!

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.
Post Reply
L33N
Puffer Fry
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Feb 22, 2006 1:42 pm
Location: BOSTON MASS - GO RED SOX

worms ? parasites ?

Post by L33N »

hey guys...

i just went to feed my GSPs.. and i noticed white stuff on the front of the tank.. it looked like pocket lint lol.. but upon further inspection.. they were worms! or parasites.. something.. i have no idea.. they were really really tiny, but when i stared at'em, i could seem them movin, likel il amoebas (sp)... any idea what this is ? i did a 60 % water change right away. Im thinkin perhaps it came from whati feed them.. maybe the shrimp, or the mussels ? all bought at the grocery store frozen.. any advice would be much appreciated, these guys have been so healthy, i dont want anything bad to happen to'em.. thank you so much

-leen.
RIP Dimebag Darrell ::CFH::
L33N
Puffer Fry
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Feb 22, 2006 1:42 pm
Location: BOSTON MASS - GO RED SOX

Post by L33N »

oh and, there was no sign at all, of any of that stuff on the puffers.. they are acting totally normal.. thanx
RIP Dimebag Darrell ::CFH::
User avatar
Phaedrus
Former Staff Member
Posts: 1402
Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2005 8:34 pm
Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Contact:

Post by Phaedrus »

i think what you're describing is completely normal. i can't recall the name of them, or how to describe them at the moment, but they won't hurt your puff.
L33N
Puffer Fry
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Feb 22, 2006 1:42 pm
Location: BOSTON MASS - GO RED SOX

Post by L33N »

awesome.. thank you! i was literally sittin here, refreshing, waitin for a reply lol. was so worried! thanx again.

-leen
RIP Dimebag Darrell ::CFH::
RTR
Mentor
Posts: 6155
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 4:39 pm
Gender: Male
Location (country): East Coast, USA

Post by RTR »

Usually nematodes, but sometimes planaria.

Numbers of either are commonly symptoms of excess organics in the tank, most often in the substrate.
Where's the fish? - Neptune
User avatar
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 »

Try not to overfeed & clean up after you puffers after dinner.
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!"
L33N
Puffer Fry
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Feb 22, 2006 1:42 pm
Location: BOSTON MASS - GO RED SOX

Post by L33N »

so, can i get rid of them ? maybe remove all or most of the substrate and put new stuff in ? .. i have been slacking on removing the excess food, and i deff wont from now on. thanks.
RIP Dimebag Darrell ::CFH::
RTR
Mentor
Posts: 6155
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 4:39 pm
Gender: Male
Location (country): East Coast, USA

Post by RTR »

Just clean up the existing substrate by through vacuuming and then vacumm it routinely to keep it clean.
Where's the fish? - Neptune
ChesapeakeSwellfish
Mentor
Posts: 283
Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 9:54 pm
Location: southern Maryland

Post by ChesapeakeSwellfish »

could also be chironomid "midge" larvae on the glass. Have you seen any tiny flies around the tank?
L33N
Puffer Fry
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Feb 22, 2006 1:42 pm
Location: BOSTON MASS - GO RED SOX

Post by L33N »

sorry for the late reply..
no, i havent seen any flies around. I have been doing 25% water changes every other day, and doing as suggested, removing excess food stuff. And they are pretty much gone. There are a few lingering, but i think i am filtering them out pretty good. And they never appeared on the puffs, just on the front glass of the tank.

again, ty for all the replies, this forum is a life saver! literally! :)

-leen
RIP Dimebag Darrell ::CFH::
Post Reply