How did my fish get internal parasites?

duanes

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Bacteria are always there, most don't need be imported, and most are benign, unless there is one (or a few) stress factors working to compromise the fishes immune system, then, normally benign bacteria can become problematic.
Stress factors can be anything from too hard water for soft water fish, (or vice versa) a bullying tank mate, temps out of line, or simply elevated nitrate from too few and small water changes.
I find the last one, is the most common reason and most responsible, because as fish grow they produce more waste, so need more and larger water changes. If not done, cause conditions for the bacteria to thrive becoming internal vectors in the digestive tract
 
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RD.

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Sorry, for some reason I didn't get notified when tagged. Rocksor's advice was/is spot on.
 
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RD.

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Just an FYI, to the best of my knowledge that Epsom salt treatment is only effective for treating Spironucleus vortens, and in cases where the flagellates have become systemic and already travelled to organs, blood, etc, it may already be too late. Good luck
 

imabot

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Can't give any advice but would fill out this questionare...
Default Disease Questionnaire

Please complete this questionnaire if your fish are sick (copy and paste). The more details you can provide, the better we are able to diagnose and help you treat your sick fish.

DISEASE QUESTIONNAIRE


Problem

1. Please explain the problems with your fish. When did you notice the problems and did anything unusual happen that you think started them?


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).


3. What medications/ treatments have you already tried and what were the results. Include dosage and duration of treatment.



Tank/Water

4. Tank size and ages, numbers and sizes of fish.


5. Water change regime (What percentage and how often).


6. How long has tank been running? Is it bare bottom? If you have substrate, what type and how deep is it?


7. Do you age your water? If you do for how long and what is the pH swing?


8. Parameters and water source;

Note: Water Parameters are important in diagnosing problems within a tank. If you don't own test kits for the following information, you can purchase them, test your parameters and post this info as soon as possible.


- temp _____

- pH _____

- ammonia reading ____

- nitrite reading ____

- nitrate reading ____

What type of water or combinations of water sources do you use? If it is an RO/tap/well water mix, please list percentages in the mix.

- well water ____

- municipal water ____

- RO water ____


9. Any new fish, plants or inverts added recently?


10. What are the fish fed? How much and how often?


11. Include any pictures or videos you have which shows the symptoms. If you can't add them to this post, please provide a link to them.
 
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BichirMohawk

Jack Dempsey
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Oct 7, 2016
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^ thats quite a lot and ill try to fill it out when I have some time. Everything is pretty normal except I see white poo and brown poo both and some clear poo, they dont appear to be stringy. They eat their food right now. I tested ammonia (0.5ppm) and nitrates (10ppm) so its not water quality that's the issue. I've been doing the epsom salt treatment for like a week and theres still white poo so I don't think it'll work anymore. Does anyone know a medication designed to eradicate all internal parasites?
 
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