Help!! I've got parasites... I think

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danimal

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 10, 2008
5
0
0
Midwest
I awoke this morning to one of my 3 oscars having some peeling around his head. I thought he may have had an altercation and got the worst of it... however upon closer inspection of the water there are little brownish gray white little worms or something swimming in the tank. Whatever they are the live ones are thrashing around pretty violently, but i don't see any on the fish. i still think they might be the culprit. there is also a strange brown stringy algae like substance on some of the rocks... This is a definite curveball for me i don't really know what to do. I don't know if antibiotics work on eukaryotes without hurting my fish(if that is what these are??) someone who knows more than I would be greatly appreciated. i keep my temp around 76-78 and I keep my salt concentration on the lighter side of 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons. Please help!!!:nilly:
 
How big is your tank? How big are the Oscars? What are your parameters? There is a great sticky on different illnesses.
 
i dont think these would cause the things on the oscar. can u get a picture of them?
 
the small white worms all over the tank but not on the fish sound like planaria. planaria are a sign of slack maintenance and overfeeding. cut back on feeding and do a waterchange and really vac the gravel. make sure you do regular water changes and gravels vacs. if the worms are planaria they are harmless to fish and the peeling has another cause.
 
cichlid2006;2539846; said:
the small white worms all over the tank but not on the fish sound like planaria. planaria are a sign of slack maintenance and overfeeding. cut back on feeding and do a waterchange and really vac the gravel. make sure you do regular water changes and gravels vacs. if the worms are planaria they are harmless to fish and the peeling has another cause.
Click to expand...

Took the advice right outta my mouth.
 
The tank is a 75 gallon and I change the water pretty regularly... The oscars are all still pretty small. the largest being about 5-6 inches the smallest about 3 inches... the one peeling is about 4 inches long. The overfeeding is hard to tell... i never put in more than they eat and i feed two times a day... they always look hungry, if i notice their bellies are distended i hold a feeding. Is that to much? i'm kinda new to the hobby! To HOB filters penguin 330 and 350 if that helps.
 
:nilly:YOU got parasites? i would panic:nilly::nilly:
hehe :p

anyway.... watever it is, i would just do a water change first
 
once a week... i don't have a camera that would give a good enough picture to diagnose anything... they are very, very small. barely visible to the naked eye.
 
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