Parasites..? in pond fish, Gambusia to be precise -12/14/07
Hello Crew,
<Nicole>
I am writing this in a bit of a hurry, so my apologies if this sounds disjointed. I'm at work and it's just about time to lock up.
<Okay... similarly, please make allowance for my incoherency... am just waking up>
I was visiting my friend today, and he pointed out something very odd in his pond. Three fish were covered with what looked like tumors at first. The affected fish were mosquitofish. Upon netting one and observing it more closely, by putting it in a glass and holding it up to the window, it became apparent that these fleshy growths were not subcutaneous but loosely attached to the skin. Some of them fell right off while the fish was swimming in the glass. I don't know how to describe the growths, except to say that they are light brown gelatinous blobs, slimy and mucus like, oval shaped, and they appear to cover the fish from head to tail, including near the gill area. The affected fish are moving slowly and seem emaciated, perhaps just from being too slow to get food amongst all of the competition.
<Good descriptions>
This pond is stocked with native FL fish that he's collected from various bodies of water and populated his pond with over the years.
Mosquitofish primarily, but it seems some minnows and killifish too.
More recently, a few bass and the fry of what appear to be bluegills, have been discovered in there.
<I see... possibility of contamination from vectors>
This is a very basic round pond, maybe 15-20 feet in diameter, which started as a hole dug in the clay and filled with water with plants of all sorts added over the years. It's about 10 years old, in case that matters. Recently he let it "go wild" and it became overrun with cattails, duck potato, pickerel weed, etc. Finally this winter, he drained it, moved all of the fish to other ponds (he has 3-4 other small ponds, which he digs himself with a backhoe) and removed most of the plants, leaving only a few huge root balls in the mud which will probably take hold again. I just thought I would mention this in case this gives any clue as to why these parasites (I am assuming that's what these are?) would suddenly appear, after 10 years of having small pond fish without any signs of such trouble.
<Many possibilities... could even have been "something" brought in via waterfowl...>
Incidentally, I don't have any idea what the water quality is like in the pond, except the water does seem very tannic (lots of acorns falling in and such) and is unfiltered, but regularly topped off.
Lately the water has turned green sometimes, but it seems to come and go. The clay soil around the pond makes the water rather turbid anyhow. I'm sorry, I wish I could be more scientific, but I know next to nothing about ponds! I'm just trying to help him find out more about this, as he is sort of a backwoods guy and not computer literate.
<No worries>
I know this is almost impossible to comment upon without a picture ID, and next time I see him I will bring my digital camera. However, in the meantime, is there anything you can recommend?
<Mmm, yes... some water changes mostly... perhaps even just water addition; if the system is "percolating" as many such ponds do in FLA... adding a slow running hose pipe to dilute the acorn et al. effects>
Any clue as to what this might be?
<Likely "just" environmental in cause... the result of "dead sea effect"... cumulative metabolic accumulation... Though could be pathogenic (trematodes, other possibilities), even idiopathic tumour...>
Or perhaps you could point me to a resource, either
online or in print (as I work at a library, and could probably have a book interlibrary loaned if need be) that could show me pictures of diseased fish to compare to?
<There are several Ed Noga, "Fish Disease, Diagnosis and Treatment" I especially like...>
I have looked a bit online and have found excellent websites with lots of written description, but the pictures, if any, are microscopic images. What I was hoping to find was pictures of diseased fish, or a picture of the parasites as they are seen by the naked eye. If there is anything obvious that I am missing here or failing to see?
<Mmm, not likely. There are no good to great works of this kind online as far as I'm aware>
Sorry, this email did get a bid wordy after all. In any case, if anyone could help, I would be most grateful!
Thanks so much,
Nicole
<For now, the simple water changes... Is what I would do. Testing for quality next... Bob Fenner>

Unwelcome Hitchers (External Parasites?), FW  11/9/07
I found what sounds exactly like what seems to be my issue. However, I do not see a clear answer. The question was named Unwelcome Hitchers (External Parasites?).
I found it here http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fshwrmdisfaq2.htm
FAQs on Parasitic Worm Diseases 2
Just wondering what it could be. I have noticed these things for some time. Like the previous person said, it does not seem to bother the fish. They must fall off in after feeding because when I am cleaning the tank I find these little thingies.
<... a drawing, photo?>
Normally just one or two. The last time I found several. I just want to get rid of them. I do recall once that it may have been just attaching itself to the fish and it was like a clear round small bubble? (best way to describe it right now). I treated it with Quick cure and it kind of released itself soon after (not sure if it was the med or the life cycle).
<The former... has formaldehyde in it... just get the open bottle near your eyes... wait, don't!>
I saw it floating through the water and it appeared to have a tiny red dot in the center. A few days later, I was cleaning the tank and found this little disc, but hardened. Like a contact lens. Please, help. You may not have the answer, but seeing how this seems to be common in my tank for right now, if I find a treatment that gets rid of it (and it stays away for longer than a few weeks). I will let you know.
<Sounds like Flukes... I'd try a dewormer... Prazi-Pro, Praziquantel... Bob Fenner>
 

Question on white spots   12/16/06
Hello sir, I'm brand new to owning fish and have bought a Red Swordtail female and a  Red Platy male. I've had the fish for about 2 weeks, and the night I bought them the Female gave birth to several fry. Well tonight I was watching the fish swim around as I was feeding them and I noticed that the Female had 2 White Spots on her. I've been searching sites looking for diseases and most point to ICH, but with the pictures I've seen of ICH it doesn't look like it. The 2 spots are approx. the size of the head of a nail. I'd say maybe 1/8th of an inch or so in diameter. Any suggestions would be wonderful.
<Mmm... well, there are other such appearances other than parasites that this might be... and the presence of the young fish makes any sort of chemical treatment impractical... And two weeks is a good long time if indeed this were something pathogenic to evidence itself... If it were me, mine, I'd hold off at this point, and just keep a close eye on your livestock... Perhaps making preparation to isolate one, some, if indeed this does become an infectious issue. Bob Fenner>

Possible FW Parasite?  5/31/06
I need some serious help?
<Yikes!>
I often find myself turning to your site and have always found it helpful but I have searched your entire website under parasites internal and external and found a lot of useful info on treatment but still don't know what exactly I would treat. Since what I think might be a parasite or lice is too small to truly tell exactly what it may be to treat. I have a 55 gal FW tank that I have had now for 9 months. As of a month ago I had a Pleco, 5 neon tetras, 3 zebra danios, 3 diamond tetras, 2 pineapple swordtails, 4 various platys, 2 black mollies and 9 fry in breeder (about 2 months old/ inside same tank).  I have also noticed now a couple of snails in there shortly after I had added a couple of the female platys.  In the last 1 1/2 weeks I have had 1 platy, 1 molly and 2 fry die on me.  The black molly that died looked like he had a worm coming from the gills (not moving) but since it took me about a day to notice he was missing I figured he was just decomposing.  A female platy did not show any signs of stress before she passed and the fry got bloated bellies and became really lethargic.  My remaining black molly has had a cloudy looking film on her left eye and mouth that is subsiding on it s own.
<Mmm, well mollies do "like" hard, alkaline water... often people put salt in their water... but your other fishes don't all like this...>
I tested the water and ammonia, nitrate and nitrite levels were zero or what appeared  as zero since the test kit I own is not strips but droplets and compare tubes to a color chart.  pH is consistent and staying at 7.4 and did a 30% water change 2 weeks ago,  I added a small container with 2 oz of aquarium salt and gravel on top to slowly disseminate through out the tank 2 days ago.  I sat and examined the fish behavior (eating and social) when I noticed a lot of what appeared to look like lint (very thin and poss. white in color) about 1/8
inch long in my tank but upon a closer look at those on the glass I noticed they were moving (slowly like worms). From most of the articles I have read on your postings I still don't know if these are flukes, internal/external parasites looking to attach, lice or what.
<Most likely either worms of some sort...>
Did these come from those snails?
<Not unlikely>
  I have seen some slimy patches with white dots on my plants but are gone by the next day and have also cleaned it off the breeder the fry are in.
<Mmm, maybe snail eggs>
Please help! I don't know how to treat if I don't know what I'm treating before the rest go fatal.  There was so much in regard to so many kinds of remedies for different parasites. I'm sorry to have given such a lengthy explanation but knew from reading prior postings too little information is not very helpful.  Especially when explaining something like this in such a distant forum.  Thanks in advance for any help you may be able to offer!!!!
Angie
<The only assured way to "tell" what you might have here is microscopic examination... of the affected (live or freshly dead) fish... There are some "general" treatments folks can try... If it were me/mine here I'd start with Praziquantel (sold under a few names)... and see if this brings relief. Bob Fenner>

Fish Scratching on Rocks and Agitated Fins... Worms likely  
Ok I found a few things out about what I think may be wrong with my tank, read below, sent in earlier.  I had a snail in my tank that I believe brought in yellow grub/black spot parasite.  One of my fish has it pretty bad, little black dots on body and in the eye.  I got rid of the snail, most info I read said to get rid of birds flying around and or snails, obvious which problem I had.  Snails gone.  Was wondering though if my fresh water crabs could keep the cycle going also or if I should be ok on this end.
Please let me know ASAP.  Thank you so much.
< To get rid of external parasites it is hard to beat formalin. Add a teaspoon of rock salt per ten gallons of water and try treating with formalin or rid-ich for the parasites. You might have to move out the crab for awhile until treatment is complete.-Chuck>
Jeff Fortier
 

Sick guppies
       Hello, I'm having a problem with guppies dying. They are in a community tank (20 gal) with a couple mollies, two white clouds, a SAE, and a 1-inch FW puffer (adult size, no worries, he doesn't even try to eat the baby guppies).
>>Hello :D I think will eventually have a problem with keeping puffers and guppies together. Puffers are notoriously aggressive fin nippers, and will start shredding tails at some point. The mollies can also be quite aggressive. What is the scientific name of the puffer? (Tetraodon travancorius?) These are two species that I would NEVER recommend to put with guppies, as generally, guppies should be only kept with non-aggressive fish.<<
Oh, and there are currently two adult male and two adult female guppies (the number of small guppies varies with time, of course... maybe three tiny guys right now). This problem has been going on for a couple of months, and I'm at the end of my rope trying to figure it out/solve it. The symptoms are rapid breathing and progressive loss of energy, and a decreased interest in food. Some of the fish occasionally flick against the bottom. Only the guppies show symptoms/die.
>>Normal, since guppies are the least resilient fish you have in the tank.<<
I've treated the tank with Maracyn and Maracyn 2, thinking that this is an infection of the gills, but no success in eradicating it- every few weeks another fish starts having breathing problems. I have added aquarium salts to the tank (tsp/gal), having read that that will help with the breathing and should make an inhospitable environment for the infecting agent... not inhospitable enough, apparently! I have checked my water quality for pH and ammonia-
7.4 and 0 ppm (comes out of the tap at 7.2ish). I change the water regularly (every 1 to 2 weeks).
>>You will need to treat with an anti-parasitic medication, like Super Ich Cure, or Quick Cure. I like Quick Cure because the Formalin in it helps against gill flukes. Remove your carbon, of course. Your pH is a tad low for mollies, and perhaps the puffer, too, depending on the species of puffer you are keeping. You have tested ammonia, but what about nitrite and nitrate? We really need to know this. Nitrite is just as toxic as ammonia, and a nitrite spike can last quite a long time. How much water do you change? What percentage, that is..<<
Part of the reason that this has gone on so long is that only one fish at a time ever shows symptoms then dies, so I've thought that I had cleared up the problem previously, only to go through the same agonizing process a week or so later. Also, a friend who has many years of fish experience told me not to worry, that the guppies that were dying were probably just old... 
>>I doubt this.<<
I won't take advice like that again from anyone who regards my fish as just a food source for bigger fish! It's now affecting fish that I know are only 7 months old. Please help if you can! I feel so awful watching them get sicker and sicker, not knowing what else I can do for them! Thank you! Sarah O PS I think I comb through your site about once a week, learning a bit more about aquaria and fish each time. It's a great resource, thank you for providing it!
>>As I mentioned, go to your local fish store and buy an anti-parasitic medication. Your fish have gill flukes, a parasite. -Gwen  

Sick Goldfish with Odd Behavior
>I hope I am addressing my question to the correct place.
>>We hope so, too. ;)  Marina today.
>I think my goldfish has some sort of disease, but the symptoms don't exactly match anything that I've found in my many hours of searching the web.  Ok,  the fish is young--about 1 year old.  It was a fairly pale orange and seemingly healthy and active.   Then I noticed that only his head was turning a milky white color.  The white color is becoming whiter by the day.  It spends most of it's time down on the bottom corner of the tank pushing itself between the side and the air tube like it's trying to swim right through the glass.  
>>This is very odd...
>It has done this so much, it is wearing the scales off of that side that it is rubbing.  Its respiration is also faster than the other two goldfish that are in the tank with it.  The other two fish are perfectly healthy, active, and hungry.  The sick fish is not eating and it kinda looks like it cannot open its mouth.  About 1 week ago,  I tried separating the sick fish and treating it with salt.  This did not help---I put it back in the main tank.
The sick fish is beginning to look emaciated in the head area.   The rest of it's body and fins look fine.
>>Decidedly strange.
>Do you have any ideas?    Thank you very much for any help you may be able to give me.     Jody Louis
>>This is SO odd that I'm putting my money on a parasitic infection.  I would suggest putting it in a separate system and treating with Hex-a-mit, see if that garners any results.  This sounds like NOTHING I have ever encountered, though, so I am sort of shooting in the dark.  I think we can easily rule out the more common diseases; ich, furunculosis/ulcers, or the usual internal parasites that tend to lodge in the gut.  This is why I'm suggesting the Hexamit first.  If anyone else on the crew has any ideas and reads this, PLEASE chime in!  Sorry to hear of this, Jody, and let's hope this treatment works.  Marina

Mysterious freshwater parasitic disease?
>Hello Marina -
>>Hello Bill!
>Not so long ago, you helped me with a question, and while I hate to impose and become a nuisance, I have another one I hope you might have some thoughts on.
>>Not to worry, Bill, "nuisance" away my friend.
>Not too long ago, a white angelfish that I have in a 55 gallon tank with several other fish, including a clown loach and a Bala cat, developed what I interpreted to be ich. A white spot that indeed resembled the proverbial grain of salt appeared on each of her front flippers. Because of the presence of the clown and the Bala cat, I treated the tank with only a half-doze of "Ick Away" for about a week.
At the end of that time, I detected nothing similar on any of the other fish, including the clown loach and the Bala cat, but the salt-grain-like things persisted on the angel. So I moved the clown and the Bala into another tank, and have since been treating the 55 with a full dose - for five days now.
>>Interesting that the Bala and loach haven't expressed any symptoms, especially being scale less.
>The salt grain like things persist on the angel, the other fish remain symptom less. From what I read, I understand that those salt-like things ought to break open and spread their young about every three days, and that is when the ick medicine attacks and kills them, so, as nothing seems to be happening either on removing the grains from the angel (who, in all other respects, seems fine and healthy) and nothing similar has appeared on any of her tank mates, I am wondering if this is ich at all.
>>In my opinion it probably speaks more the efficacy (or lack thereof) of the IckAway.  It seems to me that the prudent course of action would be to add salt, starting the angel off with a saltwater dip (yes, just like seawater).  Purchase a small amount of salt mix, or if your LFS carries it, you can use real seawater.  Dip the fish for several minutes (till fins are erect with the fish losing equilibrium).  I am going to link you to two articles, with other links within for more specific treatment information (and options).
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwfshparasites.htm
>It presents me with a bit of a quandary, as I do not want to continue subjecting the fish to the medication if it is not ich, yet, if it is, I do not want to stop prematurely.
>>Indeed, a prudent caution, but you also cannot allow the infection to continue this way.  Read the articles, I'm sure they'll give you a good overview of treatment and future prevention.
>Worse yet, I travel frequently and when I am gone my wife feeds the fish, but it will be asking a lot of her to medicate and change the water (I have not yet done a water change but have one planned for tomorrow). I leave for about 10 days Friday.
>>If utilizing salt to treat, she won't have to do anything other than the usual feeding.  Neat how some stuff works, eh? ;)
>Any thoughts? Could this be something other than ich?  
>>As above, I believe that this information will help you greatly.  Best of luck to you, Marina

Unknown Disease Killing Fish
First, thanks for your swift reply.
<You’re welcome.>
Second, I read that one inch of tropical water fish requires twelve square inches of surface area. My tank has 200 square inches available and with all the original fish it still came under my tank limit of 16 inches of fish. Is that right? 
<Yes, some people do measure this way and your calculations are correct for this method. I always go with just the basic rule of 1” per gallon, this way I know the fish aren’t overcrowded.>
I think my ammonia was high because I had switched to a new type of food that the fish couldn't eat so the pellets just floated around in the tank.
<Very possible. Now that you’ve switched back, has the ammonia dropped?>
Also will Organophosphates affect aquarium plants? And is there a cure all for parasite infection?
<Shouldn’t. Most medications that are safe (and I use that term loosely!) for fish are safe for plants. There are a few exceptions to this of course.>
There are some other parasites that cause some of the symptoms that I have seen, but I won't know for sure unless I take the dead fish to a vet, which I would rather not do.
<Not really a “cure all” but there are several medications that treat multiple parasites. Check at your LFS to see what they have available.>
Thanks again.
<You’re welcome. Ronni>

Re: Spotted Rafael Catfish Blisters
<Ananda here, fielding the freshwater fish questions...>
Hello Again!  I wrote in a week or two ago about a Spotted Rafael that had blisters and I was directed to your freshwater FAQs which I read through, but what I found was just a massive amount of letters about ich, and some other random things that didn't seem to match at all what I have been seeing on my fish.
<Most of the freshwater disease questions we get are about ich.>  
<<And a huge gap of "need to be written" areas on all but our marine section on WWM>>
I have been watching him very closely and calling a couple local and not-so-local fish stores looking for a definitive answer on what my fish is ill with and what I can do to fix it and all I have gotten is a consensus that this IS some sort of parasite.  What my fish has is something I have never seen before, I have kept aquarium and pond fish for 13 years and never come across this.  I am by no means an expert on fish disease, all I have ever seen really are Popeye, ich and anchor worm, so I am stumped by this one.  He has blisters, they are about half the size of a pencil eraser and after a few days away I came home to check on him and, looking closely at the blisters, saw a tiny tiny worm, like a nematode, in each blister.
<Yep, it's a parasite...though of course that's the easy part. I have been reading up on stuff for a couple of days, and am not finding much on skin-based blisters containing worms. It seems most worm infestations are more internal if they are not in the gills.>
I don't even know where to start, I bought the medicine that the fish store handed me -- something I have never used and never heard of, it's "General Cure" for parasites by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals.
<I have no familiarity with that one, either.>
Of course, none of the pictures they show on the front match what my fish has
<That would make it too easy....>
but the particular LFS said that was the answer.  I was also suggested to use Paragon (spelling??) and Maracyn 2, among others I cannot remember...I did not however pick up anything but the general cure because the store nearest to me only carried the general cure (and I didn't recognize any of the names except Maracyn 2 and the particular LFS assured me it was not what I wanted anyway,)
<I think I agree with that part of it.>
<<This is likely some sort of "worm" parasite (more likely a digenean trematode/fluke but maybe a nematode) that is erupting from your Rafael... not too rare in wild-collected South American catfishes. The Paragon might help... there are other vermicides... Levamisole, Fenbendazole, Piperazine... that might be tried. These are all administered orally... via food if nematodes are involved here. Praziquantel (as a bath/dip, injected or orally) would be my choice of therapeutic, assuming this is (most likely) a fluke infestation>>
so away I went to treat my fish and nothing has happened, it's an every-other day medication and it seems (understandably) that my fish has gotten worse instead of better.  Five days later, he developed a blister on his belly -- his blisters disappear and reappear at random, and leave very little evidence of where they used to be, they do not seem to explode or anything of that type.
<Very odd.>
But since adding the medication he has grown somewhat listless, although he still eats.  I'm so sorry of the incessant rambling!  I'm very fond of this fish and I don't want to lose him!   
<Understandable.>
I have heard a lot about using saltwater dips and the like, but I don't know if that would be appropriate in his case or if the fish itself would handle it well.
<I do not think the fish would tolerate it particularly well, and am not sure it would help, as these seem to be somewhat internal in nature.>
<<I concur>>
I have been trying to figure this out for two weeks without any clues so ANY advice/help/clues/suggestions would be wonderful.   
<I would start on an anti-parasitic food, if you can find such. How do the fish's feces look? This may help diagnose the problem. Additionally, can you get a copy of Dieter Untergasser's "Handbook of Fish Diseases"? There is one treatment method suggested in there that sounds like it should work (method C6) -- if you do not have this book please let me know and I will provide details....>
Again, I'm so sorry for this long email!
<No problem.>
Thank you for your time and great advice!
Rachael
<You're welcome...this has been somewhat of a stumper for me, too, so I am passing it along to the head "pet-fish boy" for further comment.  --Ananda>
<<Bob Fenner, who encourages you to seek out a copy of Edward J. Noga's Fish Disease, Diagnosis and Treatment.>>