Microscope video - HITH

[DiscusBass]

Hi guys!
As some know i recieved my new discus and they came with Holes in the head. Two of the have turned dark and wont eat.
So ive been treating them with Metro in both water and food for 8 days..
Today i took this video with the microscope of a poop from the fish...

So what is this?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk7wxJki5uc

[lipadj46]

They look like they are having fun. I can just imagine those buggers saying, "yeah we're playing in poooooooooo!" sorry no help here but cool video. did you catch the poo directly from the fish's butt or did you scoop it off the ground?

[laborelch]

actually no idea, but maybe this site will help: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fa041

[Coffee1stLife2nd]

wow i have no idea if all that is good or bad BUT very cool to see.. it will be nice to see what kind of comments you get on this... i will be interested in the info...Thanks for posting....

[Laurent]

I'm not an expert, but that video is consistent with hexamita or similar protozoans, and not cestodes, flatworms, or similar organisms. When I had a case of HITH I found similar protozoans in my poop slides, but I had far fewer of them than you have. My guys responded well to a week of metro in water and food. Your guys may be significantly weaker given the extent of the infection.

[judy]

shriek. yuck. have you contacted the seller for resolution on this? sounds like you may lose a couple, and the seller really should replace them all with clean fish...

[Eddie]

Personally, I dont think those are flagellates. When did you get the poo, it has to be like literally dropping out.

[DiscusBass]

Hi guys!
Eddie, im not sure if its 100% but i tried to pick up a new poop =)
They didnt look well at all! ... but they are starting to get in shape. After Metro i used Esha Hexamita and they responded well to that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOgK38umHwg&hd=1

[jimg]

Personally, I dont think those are flagellates. When did you get the poo, it has to be like literally dropping out.+1 they look like tetrahymena to me. they can get into the fish and become a problem, but I think this feces was floating around the tank or on the bottom for awhile.
If they responded well to the metro and are eating get some metro in their food for awhile.

[pcsb23]

Not flagellates (spironucleus or hexamita), wrong shape and would need 600x or 800x to see them. Agree with Jim, looks like tetrahymena and these are found externally to fish, so from the bottom of the tank. They can infect the skin of fish where there is damage.

[Laurent]

Learn something from the experts here everyday! My understanding from other web sites re fish diseases was that hexamita could be viewed at 200x, and that you cannot "see" the flagella in a living specimen because it moves too fast for the human eye to see. Does anyone have any video of what hexamita or spironucleus look like at 6-800x?

[Laurent]

While looking for videos of tetrahymena, I came across this cool video showing tetrahymena being attacked and eaten by something called "lacrymaria" -- cool!


http://youtu.be/1TEzxzR-gMo

[jimg]

Cool!! that is something, thanks!