Eye Parasite, Palembangensis

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
User avatar
vuphy
Puffer Fry
Posts: 39
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2006 2:16 pm
My Puffers: Tag - GSP
Stumpy - F8
Location (country): USA
Location: Milwaukee, WI

Eye Parasite, Palembangensis

Post by vuphy »

Hi everyone,

just was wondering if anyone can identify this parasite?

Image

it was removed from our Palembang's eyelid, and had been moving around ontop of his eye since we got him. we tried a mild dose of an external parasite removal, but i think it was just too big, and we didnt want to hurt our puffer so we stopped.

Image

thats what it looked like a couple of weeks ago, it had grown a good 25% larger since. i used the info on the "teeth trimming" for clove oil, but i upped the dosage just a bit due to his size, and put down the puffer while i removed the parasite. it was attached pretty good, but i got it off. theres a very small wound where it was, so i put in some melafix, and some bio coat, since his skin didnt handle the affair to well. his got a bit of ich also, which is why we didnt do this sooner. his eye was starting to show signs of irritaion tho recently.

so, any additional things that i might due to help the healing process would be helpful.

thx
55g / 2 - F8 | 4 - Bumblebee Goby
40g / 1 - GSP
10g / 2 - Dwarf
10g / 1 - Knight Goby | 1 - wood shrimp | 1 - molly
56g / 1 - SAP | 2 - DP
Top
Pandora114
Green Spotted Puffer
Posts: 397
Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 1:28 pm
My Puffers: C. travancoricus RIP both of you little guys. Tank will be a F8 after GSP goes full marine
T. nigroviridis Named Pepsi
Location: Comox Valley, BC, Canada
Contact:
Contact Pandora114

Post by Pandora114 »

Looks like one of those face huggers fromt he Alien movies...
Top
User avatar
Boxermom
Former Staff Member
Posts: 2182
Joined: Sun Mar 12, 2006 8:34 pm
Location: Wisconsin
Contact:
Contact Boxermom

Post by Boxermom »

Poor thing, he's not looking too good. I think you're doing all of the right things though.
Tina

Puffers: Auriglobus silus x1, Tetraodon travancoricus x1, Tetraodon turgidus x1, Tetraodon miurus x1, Tetraodon nigroviridis x2, Tetraodon baileyi x2, Tetraodon lineatus x1, Tetraodon palembangensis x1
Top
User avatar
Hilly
Mentor
Posts: 1903
Joined: Sun Jan 15, 2006 6:36 pm
Gender: Male
My Puffers: Current: Tetraodon Lineatus
Previous:
Tetraodon Sabahensis
Montrete Abei
Tetraodon Biocellatus
Carinotetraodon Salivator
Location (country): UK
Location: Nottinghamshire, UK

Post by Hilly »

Pandora114 wrote:Looks like one of those face huggers fromt he Alien movies...
I agree, that has hr giger written all over it.

You are right to go with melafix for the wound, adding some aquarium salt and upping the temp a little will help to eradicate the pesky ich. Hopefully he will have a speedy recovery.
Hilly
Top
User avatar
Browncloud
Puffer Fry
Posts: 20
Joined: Mon Oct 23, 2006 4:54 pm

Post by Browncloud »

Looks like a Monogenetic Trematode fluke of some discription... i see these on marine fish occasionally.Like your puffer they attach to the eye,perhaps the easyest place to get a grip with no scales or mucus protection?I would normally freshwater dip the marine fish and this has an effect within three mins...but i realise you have a differant scenario.
Top
andregurov
Puffer Fry
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Feb 16, 2007 12:49 am
Location: future wetlands, Louisiana

Post by andregurov »

Looks like argulus, a fish louse. Easily removed with tweezers or a fingernail.

Salt and high heat with supplemental oxygenation should be enough to help the puffer to heal. Good luck!

J
Top
User avatar
vuphy
Puffer Fry
Posts: 39
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2006 2:16 pm
My Puffers: Tag - GSP
Stumpy - F8
Location (country): USA
Location: Milwaukee, WI

Post by vuphy »

well.. as it would turn out.. ive now had to remove 3 more of them, one of which was just smaller than a dime.... and theres another out break... of at least 10 on one fin. anyone recommend any treatments for this??
55g / 2 - F8 | 4 - Bumblebee Goby
40g / 1 - GSP
10g / 2 - Dwarf
10g / 1 - Knight Goby | 1 - wood shrimp | 1 - molly
56g / 1 - SAP | 2 - DP
Top
User avatar
Boxermom
Former Staff Member
Posts: 2182
Joined: Sun Mar 12, 2006 8:34 pm
Location: Wisconsin
Contact:
Contact Boxermom

Post by Boxermom »

One of the medications for external parasites?
Tina

Puffers: Auriglobus silus x1, Tetraodon travancoricus x1, Tetraodon turgidus x1, Tetraodon miurus x1, Tetraodon nigroviridis x2, Tetraodon baileyi x2, Tetraodon lineatus x1, Tetraodon palembangensis x1
Top
User avatar
vuphy
Puffer Fry
Posts: 39
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2006 2:16 pm
My Puffers: Tag - GSP
Stumpy - F8
Location (country): USA
Location: Milwaukee, WI

Post by vuphy »

we tried one, i dont recall the name off hand, but it listed "lice". they are infact argulus we found. we took everything out of his tank, soaked the wood and clay in high salinity water and the plants in a less, but still high, salinity water for over a week, changing the water every 2 days.. and he still had an out break. we think they are in his gills... :(
55g / 2 - F8 | 4 - Bumblebee Goby
40g / 1 - GSP
10g / 2 - Dwarf
10g / 1 - Knight Goby | 1 - wood shrimp | 1 - molly
56g / 1 - SAP | 2 - DP
Top
andregurov
Puffer Fry
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Feb 16, 2007 12:49 am
Location: future wetlands, Louisiana

Post by andregurov »

Dimilin/diflubenzuron - a chitin inhibitor that kills arthropods by stopping chitin formation, thus killing the parasite. It takes time, as the parasite must molt its hard shell and then be unable to form a new one. A minimum of 2 10 day treatment cycles - without water changes - are recommended when using this. Aquarium Pharmaceuticals markets it under several names, one of which is Dimilin. I think Jungle's Parasite Guard uses it as well as a main ingredient, as does their Anchors Away. I've had excellent results using this on goldfish and koi - but I would be very careful when using it on any puffer, as I am not certain of any negative interactions on Tetraodontidae. It should be safer than several other medications, if that helps.

Another easier option would be airdrying all of the accessories, gravel, and ornaments in the tank while treating the puffer in a QT, removing all visible parasites manually.

J
Top
User avatar
manutius
Former Staff Member
Posts: 1316
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2006 3:49 pm
My Puffers: RIP Clooney the Mbu :(
Location: Southend essex, UK
Contact:
Contact manutius

Post by manutius »

great advice 8)
Top
User avatar
PuffTheMagicFishy
Figure 8 Puffer
Posts: 166
Joined: Sat Jul 22, 2006 12:51 am
My Puffers: None at the mo.
Location (country): California, USA
Location: California

Post by PuffTheMagicFishy »

Jungle Parasite Clear does have the ingredient you mentioned. Just checked my box. :wink: I've fed food soaked in Parasite Clear to my puff for IPs, but have not dissolved tablets in her tank for treatment of external parasites.

If you want to avoid using chemicals, or if the treatment doesn't work, here's what Axelrod and Schultz have to say:

"If there are many of them [fish lice], they can be removed by gently rubbing over the skin of the fish, always from the head to the tail. Parasites that are sucking so fast that they are not removable in this way may be paralyzed by touching them with a small pencil or brush dipped in a strong solution of ordinary table salt," (Handbook of Tropical Aquarium Fishes, pg. 127)

I would be especially careful if you do this because puffers have scaleless, delicate skin.

Also, they mention that the minnow, Phoxinus laevis, will eat fish lice. And then the puff can eat the minnows, I suppose. Palembangs are partly piscivorous, arent they?
Tanks:
20-gal feeder breeder (platties and snails)
75-gal West African Lungfish + snails

Other pets: Pacific parrotlet, Italian Greyhound, lots of plants
Top
andregurov
Puffer Fry
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Feb 16, 2007 12:49 am
Location: future wetlands, Louisiana

Post by andregurov »

PuffTheMagicFishy wrote:
Also, they mention that the minnow, Phoxinus laevis, will eat fish lice. And then the puff can eat the minnows, I suppose. Palembangs are partly piscivorous, arent they?
That's an idea! Not very rewarding for the poor minnow, though ... and I don't know how "patient" the palembang will be :lol:

J
Top
User avatar
PuffTheMagicFishy
Figure 8 Puffer
Posts: 166
Joined: Sat Jul 22, 2006 12:51 am
My Puffers: None at the mo.
Location (country): California, USA
Location: California

Post by PuffTheMagicFishy »

I think they meant that minnows will help with an infestation in the environment, not necessarily pick lice off the fish.
Tanks:
20-gal feeder breeder (platties and snails)
75-gal West African Lungfish + snails

Other pets: Pacific parrotlet, Italian Greyhound, lots of plants
Top
Paul Fox
Dwarf Puffer
Posts: 56
Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2007 8:14 pm
Location: Worcestershire
Contact:
Contact Paul Fox

Post by Paul Fox »

Flubenol 15 would have killed that, hope the fish recovers ok :)
Top
Post Reply

Return to “Hospital”