The Puffer Forum

I have 10 SAPs in a 240g. Ph 6.6, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 10. 10% of the water is replaced with RO every day. All puffers have good appetites and are acting fine. However, 3 of them have an external parasite of some sort. These three all have a few white cylindrical or conical protusions. Maybe around 1/2mm or less. (it is not ich). I have treated the tank twice with Jungle Parasite Clear with no effect. Today we removed these 3 puffers for obsveration and treatment in a hospital tank. While examining one fish, we used a tweezers to pull one of the "cysts" off the fish. While removing the cyst, it detached from the fish's body and contained a thread-like filament that extended into the fish's body. This filament came out with the cyst, and we placed it on a glass to observe under magnification. I have a drawing of it to give you an idea of the arrangement of the cyst and worm on the fish. Enjoy the stick fish.

Can anyone help with ID and possible treatment?

Do a Google search on "gill flukes" and "anchorworms" and see if either of those are something like what you are looking at.

Definitely not anchor worm, and I don't think it's gill flukes because there aren't any other symptoms except these "cysts" you can see.

Possibly Roundworm? They have a soft "cyst-like" structure with a extension in to the body.

Picture http://badmanstropicalfish.com/fish_pal ... ymous.html

Here are some links you can look through (It's really depressing pics):
http://www.fishforum.com/tropical-fish- ... ases-8179/
http://www.carolinafishtalk.com/forum/f ... luded.html
http://www.jbl.de/onlinehospitaluk/perp ... alleryId=2
http://www.fishyfarmacy.com/fish_diseas ... rders.html

You can also have a look through this topic (you can click on the small pics to enlarge them). It's in Norwegian, so you can't read it. But if you find something that looks like what your fishes have, I can translate it for you. But not all the pics here have a diagnosis.