The Puffer Forum

Okay, so Steel and I have been like vultures over the dwarf tank since we've been experimenting with the various ways to get rid of internal parasites.

We were distressed to note what looked like a piece of bloodied intestine on one of our females. Our best guess was that she had gotten herself one heck of a nip and we waited sadly to collect her little dead body.

But that was a couple of days ago and the past few times we've seen her, she's been fine with no sign of whatever it was we saw.

Anyone have any idea what it might have been? Steel thought perhaps an ovapositor? I thought perhaps her pooping out a rather naasty parasite. She's fine now. Swimming, eating and begging like a pro.

The good news is that since the levamisol treatment, we've had much pooping of parasites and everyone looks healthy. We're going to do one more treatment I think just to make sure.

Keep watch on that fish and the others as well. Fish infested with Camallanus not infrequently show live worms protruding from the anus. Those may be expelled or may retract into the fish's gut. In heavy infestations you may see a fringe of multiple worm protruding. They look red to reddish. Camallanus transmits well between fish in a tank.

Are those the worms we've been using the Levamisol to get rid of or are these different?

They are one of the commonest intestinal worms in captive fish, especially captive-bred ones, as infectivity is high. So they may be the ones you have been fighting. They seem slightly less common in wild-caught fish, but that depends on how they have been housed prior to your tank.