AquaticSuppliers.com     Cafepress Store

Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: Possible parasite problem?

  1. #1
    Registered Member AdamChick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Omaha, NE
    Posts
    19

    Default Possible parasite problem?

    1. Please explain the problems with your fish. When did you notice the problems and did anything unusual happen that you think started them?

    The issue initially started about 10-14 days ago. I've been having issues with snails in my tank and added a group of assassin snails to try and help the problem. I'm not sure if this is the underlying source for the outbreak, but nothing else has changed with the tank. I first noticed symptoms of HITH with one of my discus. After making several water changes and checking water parameters, I started to add Metronidazole to the tank. The sick discus was not eating so I was adding it to the water column per the instructions on the box (Metroplex). The symptoms would seem to improve, but another lesion would develop a few days after the first. I continued dosing the Metronidazole every other day and have been doing so for around 8 days. I've also been dosing ParaGuard for the past 5-6 days. This first discus has continued to have symptoms of HITH and I have moved him to a quarantine tank to dose a higher level of Metronidazole. A second discus began having odd symptoms a few days ago. He is still in the main tank has been receiving the same treatments I spoke of above. He has what I can best describe as a growth of tissue from his left gill. The right side seems minimally affected. He has continued to eat and shows no sign of stress or discomfort. I have two questions: (1) Has anyone seen this before or have recommendations for treatment (I was thinking flukes, but I would have thought the ParaGuard should be helping) and (2) Has anyone had problems treating HITH with Metronidazole? I have been frustrated that the symptoms seem to be lingering in the other discus despite water changes and Metronidazole.


    2. Symptoms (i.e. turning dark, excess slime, not eating, clamped fins, flashing, darting, clamped gills, white/yellow/green poop, hiding, headstanding or tailstanding, white on tips of fins, rotting or fungus, blisters/white zits on fish, bloated, cloudy eyes, wounds).

    See above.

    3. What medications/ treatments have you already tried and what were the results. Include dosage and duration of treatment.

    Metronidazole and ParaGuard. I started out with the recommended dosages for both. I have increased the Metronidazole to 2 scoops per 10 gal of water every other day. The ParaGuard is dosed at 1 capful per 10 gal daily.


    Tank/Water

    4. Tank size and ages, numbers and sizes of fish.

    60 gal, 6 adult discus ranging from 5-6.5", a few neons, corys and rummy nosed tetras (all fish have been in the tank for several years). Only new addition are some assassin snails about 3-4 weeks ago.

    5. Water change regime (What percentage and how often).

    50% weekly, but have increased this to 30-50% every other day (I have been dosing Metronidazole and it is dosed every other day).

    6. How long has tank been running? Is it bare bottom? If you have substrate, what type and how deep is it?

    3 years, heavily planted, pool filter sand substrate, 1/2" deep.

    7. Do you age your water? If you do for how long and what is the ph swing.

    The r/o water is aged about a week in storage. I mix it with tap water before being placed in the tank. pH is steady at 7.4 and has been so for a long time. KH is a constant 4. I run pressurized CO2 so the pH does drop while this runs as expected, but this has been in place for several years.

    8. Parameters and water source;

    Note: Water Parameters are important in diagnosing problems within a tank. If you don't own test kits for the following information, you can purchase them, test your parameters and post this info as soon as possible.


    - temp __84___

    - ph _7.4____

    - ammonia reading _0___

    - nitrite reading _0___

    - nitrate reading _30___

    What type of water or combinations of water sources do you use? If it is an RO/tap/well water mix, please list percentages in the mix.

    - well water ____

    - municipal water ____

    - RO water __about 30% RO water and 70% tap__


    9. Any new fish, plants or inverts added recently.

    Assassin snails 3-4 weeks ago

    10. Please tell us what you feed your fish and how often. This can be critical information for solving the problem so be as specific as you can.

    Beefheart and blood worms

    11. Include any pictures or videos you have which shows the symptoms. If you can't add them to this post, please provide a link to them.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  2. #2
    Registered Member AdamChick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Omaha, NE
    Posts
    19

    Default Re: Possible parasite problem?

    Last edited by AdamChick; 03-31-2019 at 05:44 PM.

  3. #3
    Homesteader Filip's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Macedonia-Europe
    Posts
    3,639
    Real Name
    Filip

    Default Re: Possible parasite problem?

    I think this is called Gill Hyperplasia and it comes as an after effect of some gill disease(bacterial or parasite ) the fish was struggling with .
    I got one discus that got this after a heavy disease(it was oodinum I guess ) that he has overcomed for more than a year now .He struggled very hard to breathe during the disease outbreak so I guess his gills were severly affected back then . Today , more than a year after , he is in fairly good health but have this growth on both of it's gills ever since .
    Recently ive read an advice from Discus Hans on FB that this can be safely cut off with scissors without any harm or pain to the discus , im hesitant to do this my self though .

  4. #4
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Moselle, MS
    Posts
    13,067

    Default Re: Possible parasite problem?

    With your nitrates at 30 you need to change water every single day until you get it down to 5. One 50% change weekly is never enough. The problems your fish are having are due to poor water quality. Your HITH and not eating are most likely due to hex and the gill problem is probably due to gill flukes.

    Ideally treatment would be preformed on all fish in a BB tank with 90% WC daily until treatment is over. I always use PP for flukes but others use formalin. I have also heard that prazi does a good job on flukes. I have had no experience with ParaGuard. I like the PP because it's only a 4 hr treatment. Don't expect the gill tissue to go back inside the gill as the damage has already been done. Next I would use pure metro (available from Jehmco) at the rate of 400 to 500 mg daily for 12 to 14 days.
    Mama Bear

  5. #5
    Homesteader Filip's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Macedonia-Europe
    Posts
    3,639
    Real Name
    Filip

    Default Re: Possible parasite problem?

    Quote Originally Posted by LizStreithorst View Post
    With your nitrates at 30 you need to change water every single day until you get it down to 5. One 50% change weekly is never enough. The problems your fish are having are due to poor water quality. Your HITH and not eating are most likely due to hex and the gill problem is probably due to gill flukes.

    Ideally treatment would be preformed on all fish in a BB tank with 90% WC daily until treatment is over. I always use PP for flukes but others use formalin. I have also heard that prazi does a good job on flukes. I have had no experience with ParaGuard. I like the PP because it's only a 4 hr treatment. Don't expect the gill tissue to go back inside the gill as the damage has already been done. Next I would use pure metro (available from Jehmco) at the rate of 400 to 500 mg daily for 12 to 14 days.
    All very good advices if you ever choose to medicate and change your current discus keeping practices .

  6. #6
    Registered Member AdamChick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Omaha, NE
    Posts
    19

    Default Re: Possible parasite problem?

    Thank you both for the replies. I had a read a little about gill hyperplasia a few years ago, but this is the first time I've seen it. It doesn't seem to be causing the fish any bother so I think I'll watch it for right now rather than try to cut it off. This is probably one of those "primum non nocere" (first, do no harm) cases haha. If he begins having issues with it, I may try to remove it at that time.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

Cafepress