Deworming Question

[Bart V]

Hi SD members.

I've had my Juvies for six months now and last night I saw one expel what I believe to be a worm from its MOUTH! The thing was nearly two inches long, very consistent in diameter, which was kite-string thin and bright white in color under my moonlights. I suspect it sas dead since I removed it and saw no movement in the creature after I removed it from the water column.
Since I have never dewormed my fish I am thinking that I should try this first. From my reading here it seems many members deworm on a monthly or less frequent basis. I've also learned that Praziquantel, Flubendazole and Vermisol are all valid treatments for worms, so I will be heading to my LFS to see what is available locally.

I was thinking that i will deworm in my main display, since any or all of the fish could have worms. Do you guys think that these medications going to crash my biofilter? That would be bad!!!

[qiyanfeng]

For biofilter, those drugs are pretty safe.
Never heard a worm comes out of MOUTH. :D But whatever it is, a routine deworming is neccessary.

[Chicago Discus]

Hi SD members.

I've had my Juvies for six months now and last night I saw one expel what I believe to be a worm from its MOUTH! The thing was nearly two inches long, very consistent in diameter, which was kite-string thin and bright white in color under my moonlights. I suspect it sas dead since I removed it and saw no movement in the creature after I removed it from the water column.
Since I have never dewormed my fish I am thinking that I should try this first. From my reading here it seems many members deworm on a monthly or less frequent basis. I've also learned that Praziquantel, Flubendazole and Vermisol are all valid treatments for worms, so I will be heading to my LFS to see what is available locally.

I was thinking that i will deworm in my main display, since any or all of the fish could have worms. Do you guys think that these medications going to crash my biofilter? That would be bad!!!

Fill out the disease questioner I would like to hear more about this..http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?38545-Disease-Questionnaire-please-complete

[Bart V]

Here it is Snoop...


DISEASE QUESTIONNAIRE


Problem

1. Please explain the problems with your fish/when and how they started

I like to watch my fish each night right before bed I have moonlights so I can see what is going on pretty well. Last night on of my larger specimens stuck his tongue out at me, kinda like Gene Simmons. I thought this was wierd. The process took three or four minutes or so, with the fish spitting this string-like white thing out and sucking it back in. Looked like a snake's tongue, or spaghetti, in and out, over and over. Eventually the intact thing (i believe worm) came all the way out. I removed it and observed it in a cup. There was no movement. My best description of this thing is that it was of very consistent diameter throughout its length. The diameter was like a single strand of kite string. Under the blue LED's it looked VERY white, upon removal and observation under a flashlight it maybe looked a little tan. It tapered to a point at each end i think but it was very thin, so it was hard to tell. I'm kicking myself that I did not take pictures.



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)
None of these things are present in any of my fish, although I do have a "Low Man on the Totem Pole" fish that doesn't eat. He is a quarter of the size of the other Discus.





3. What medications/ treatments that you have already tried and results. Include dosages and duration of treatment.

None





Tank/Water

4. Tank size and age, number and size of fish

120 gal display set up as freshwater for 10 months, 30 gallon sump, 15 gallon wet/dry filter before sump full of bio-balls.

Inhabitants: 7 Discus averaging 5 inches plus one runt at 2 1/2 inches or so, 14 black neons, 4 Cardinals, 4 green corys, 2 siamese algae eaters, 2 tiny albino bristlenose plecos.

There are a few plants in there too. They have been there for at least two months.



5. Water change regime/ how long has tank been running/ bare bottom or gravel/ do you age your water?

WC 40 gallons every other day (this is the total sump volume). Fine Sand Bottom, vacuumed every morning (this removes five gallons). WC water is aged, heated and aerated for 48 hrs.



6 Parameters and water source;

- temp 85

- ph 7.2

- ammonia reading 0

- nitrite reading 0

- nitrate reading 5-10

- well water no

- municipal water yes

7. Any new fish/plants added recently Added the two plecos 2 weeks ago after 3 weeks QT

[brewmaster15]

I would suggest that you start with Deworming with Praziquantel for tape worms... Its very common for a fish that has tapeworms to expel the them in pieces with their feces.... These pieces can be inches long... The fish in the tank will often then ingest them... if too big they'll spit them out..
Read on tape worms here..

http://www.simplydiscus.com/library/disease_medications/internal/tapeworms.shtml

If you see any more, look closely to see if the worm is segmented .

hth,
al

[Bart V]

Thanks AL, will do.

Tape worm is what I was thinking, but i looked at this thing VERY closely, looking specifically for segmentation, and was unable to confirm any. Looks like its time to invest in a microscope!

[Bart V]

And thanks for the link... Great article and really creepy too!

[Bart V]

What do you guys think about the "Parasite Guard" product from Tetra? Active Ingredients: Praziquantel, Dflubenzuron, Metronidazole and Acriflavin.

costs $6.00 per treatment on my tank. Seems to combine Metro and Prazi-Pro all in one tablet... I wonder what this stuff might do to my biofilter...