The Puffer Forum

My dragon puffer has some white worms on his gills. He is acting normal but they’ve just popped up today. Can anyone tell me what they are and how to treat them? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Add Prazipro to the water as per the directions.

I need help with this as well!

I first got Ruby the dragon puffer in March of this year. I have been trying to determine how to help her with these white worms that have been on her since I got her. I have done extensive research thinking they were anchor worms, but they lack the forked tail. I just finished a 3rd dosing of PraziPro with 80% water changes in between. The worms are still there. Can anyone help identify and assist with a course of treatment.

She is incredibly healthy and eats well aside from these blasted worms.

It may take different chemicals to irradicate different worms. Try levamisole.

Pufferpunk wrote: ↑Mon Aug 02, 2021 10:34 am It may take different chemicals to irradicate different worms. Try levamisole.

Thank you so much!! I will definitely try this next!!

Did you find out what those worms were? My dragon puffer also had them when I first got him. Shortly after noticing it, i too treated the tank with varying medicines with no luck of removing them without physical intervention. I eventually used tweezers to pull the 2 that were visible to me. For at least a year now he's been totally free of these worms, but just today i noticed another one, a single tiny one starting to show again. Still wondering what these worms are, if they are actually an external parasite of some kind or just loose skin? How did you end up treating your puffer, and did you get rid of it completely?

What meds have you used & for how long?

I have treated the tank with Para Cleanse, Expel P, Ich X, PraziPro, ParaGuard, and Maracyn. This is over time at different occasions, however 2 weeks ago today I started dosing with PraziPro again, I am up to 3 doses now with no actual improvement. The puffer is lively, energetic, on the prowl trying to hunt other fish, as well as ferociously eating night crawlers. Just worried about what these worms actually are, because I also tried doing research and still am since the day I got him without a definite answer. I am unsure if they even spread.

Gill flukes?

I thought that too at first, but how could the flukes survive through all those meds. Then i started to lean towards some kind of external parasites, but they look nothing like anchor worms. When you tweeze them off they are attatch on there pretty deep, and from what i could see it was some kind of worm because it looked like it had a head once i got it out.

Can you get a good pic of the worms?
https://fisharticle.com/anchor-worms-in-fish/

I haven't yet gone full in with removing this new tiny one appearing on my lil dragon puffer called Drogon. I wish i took pictures and documented the last procedure. Once I decide to remove the current one I definitely will post it. He's just so lively i don't wanna mess up his attitude, getting all timid and not eating.