strange parasite worm on fish ??

[kimhanks]

I have no ideal what this worm is or how to treat it.seems to show up about 3-4 weeks after receiving the fish. Has been found on anthias, eels, trigger and now maroon clowns.

 

[jay0705]

It comes on fish your buying? Stop getting them from there.
2nd the first fish, have they gone away?

 

[beth]

Do you have a quarantine tank to treat this fish??

 

[kimhanks]

They are coming from a distribution supplier. On trigger and eel over a long period of time it was killed by a product called Clout. I was able to pick the few off the anthias. These clowns are covered. The photo is of one of them dead. I don't have a quarantine tank.

 

[kimhanks]

They are being treated in isolation now with Clout. No one seems sure exactly what they are. I think maybe the fish are being wild caught even though they are supposed to be tank raised.

 

[beth]

I'm stumped with those things as well to be honest. You are using a good medicine to start with and hopefully it will work. How long has treatment been going?

Is your isolation tank recently set up?

Do they look more like this:

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Planaria&qpvt=Planaria&FORM=IGRE

 

[kimhanks]

Thanks Beth. The clowns are all deceased now. 3 green chromis still in isolation. Saw one parasite that fell off with freshwater bath. Hoping for the best just would really like to know what this is.the worms look black but lighter if magnified. I do believe they are wild caught.

 

[beth]

Did you look at the link I posted above?

 

[kimhanks]

Yes I did. It could be those. Before I saw any sign of the worms I noticed the clowns do a swimming backwards motion like against the current. Don't know if that was a sign of impending infestation or not. A neon goby wouldn't go near them. Guess they were too much for him.

 

[jay0705]

Stop getting fish from that distributor

 

[bang guy]

Those look like Nematodes of some type. Be careful when handling these as humans are not immune to some of them.

 

[kimhanks]

Oh my!! Thanks Guy !! I have searched and looked at Beth's link but nothing looks like them exactly. They are almost black to look at them but when I magnify they look a clearish color. I'm not sure what to think. Do you feel this is a parasite only a wild caught fish could have ?? Geeze...I was looking at them in my hand. Thanks for the warning. Gonna look up nematode.

 

[beth]

Guy, is there a treatment?

 

[bang guy]

I don't know Beth. Internal parasites are difficult. I'm not sure if there's even a cure for humans.

 

[kimhanks]

I know this is crazy but they honestly look like blood worms. I feed them frozen but not live. I do believe they are nematodes. Hardest thing I've ever seen to kill. They lived even thru euthanasia to one of the fish. Chromis are doing better. No treatment seems to kill them though. H2O changes and fresh H2O dip is all that has relieved some. Have pulled some off with tweezers. It takes a real good tug to pull them off !! Thanks for the advice !! They make my skin crawl !!

 

[bang guy]

IIRC Blood Worms are mosquito larvae.

 

[beth]

Those look like they are attached to the exterior of fish, so can they be external variety?

Here is a link I found. Can't vouch for the info, but at least its a start. Go to the section on nematodes.
http://www.aquarium-pond-answers.com/2007/03/trematodes-and-nematodes-in-fish.html

 

[kimhanks]

Thanks Beth. It's been determined those are a parasitic copepod. To treat them as I have been. Now if I can just figure out how not to get them. Really think the frozen blood worms were contaminated.

 

[kimhanks]

Here is another photo. I did euthanize this fish.

 

[bang guy]

I question the Copepod ID. Got a link?