What is this monster looking thing in my fish's poop!!

[frenchie100]

So I thought my Golden butterfly was doing better because I saw him eating a few times and his poop had some color in it.

Well, I did a fecal test last night and this is what I found. The color in his poop isn't from him eating but the million eggs in there!!!!!

I think this monster looking thing is laying the eggs because I could see a whole bunch of them inside one. I was wondering at first if they were super imposed but then I had both the critter and the eggs in focus at the same time, so no, they are not super imposed.

So what the heck is this thing!!! And the spike moves back and forth.

All at 400X

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l62/jcain100/IMG_1056.jpg

These are ALL eggs!

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l62/jcain100/IMG_1055.jpg

This creature is different: it had cilia on the right hand side where it looks like a mouth.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l62/jcain100/IMG_1053.jpg

This sample was taken straight from the fish too!

Please help :(

-Julie

[Wahter]

Looks almost like a rotifer:
http://water.me.vccs.edu/courses/ENV108/lesson7b.htm


Walter

[frenchie100]

OMG Walter, you are totally right!!!

Look at these ones:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.environmentalleverage.com/bug%2520of%2520the%2520month/Rotifer/ptygura%2520possibly/rotifer_23.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.environmentalleverage.com/mystery_bug_of_the_month%25208-08.htm&h=480&w=640&sz=76&tbnid=5IR2z0I2V_yGgM::&tbnh=103&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3Drotifer%2Begg%2Bpictures&usg=__rEoP4Q3EnUwI5VIE8aFjwJrjlNk=&ei=j5LySd3zBJjcMd-4ybEP&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=1&ct=image

Now the question is: what the heck is it doing in my fish's poop? Or my water for that matter!

I do at least 50% wc a day, and these things seem to be living in SLUDGE?! Wastewater?!

Anyways- Thank you so much Walter! That really freaked me out! :) It's a scary looking thing!

-Julie

[Eddie]

Julie,

That site you linked has got some good critter pictures!

Eddie

[frenchie100]

Doesn't it?!

So I have narrowed it down to Euchlanis species of rotifers. Although I don't think mine had the forked foot spike, maybe it's just the angle.

Still doesn't explain why I am seeing them?

Oh and what are these eggs too? I don't think they are from the rotifers now, because when I google it, it shows me different looking eggs...



-Julie

[MRQuad]

that is a very scary creature.. are you using a microscope to take this picture? hope you will not flame for this reply..i just wanna know where can i find a cheaper microscope.. :D

[pcsb23]

Rotifers normally live in the water and feed off debris (and poop is debris ;)). They will quickly attack any debris even when hanging from the vent!! It is highly unlikely that this came from inside of your fish.

[frenchie100]

Thanks Paul ( *sigh of relief*), so they are actually working in my favor by eating poop?

What about those egg things...or are they eggs? Diatoms maybe? :confused:

MRquad- this is an amscope T490a with a regular digital camera that I put right up one of the eye pieces. I got it on ebay. It's a trinocular scope, but if the binocular one is less expensive I would buy that one instead. I thought I needed the tri for taking pics but turns out the regular eye piece works great!

Best buy ever, although it makes me freak out a little to find all these different things, LOL! I know it is just part of the learning curve.

-Julie :)