Parasite on my new Marble Goby

Masa_Rov

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Jun 17, 2005
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DanDanThePiranhaMan said:
Once i have used the treatment and have used it for the correct amount of time any parasites that have missed on the fish will they just drop off ?
The visible anchor worms (female) will just drop off after they die. Don't try to detach anchor worms once they are dead, as that will likely cause fungal or bacterial infections. You may have to treat for secondary infections, anyway, that have already started in the lacerations produced by the parasite.

You should raise the temperature of the tank to speed the cycle (if your fish can take it, of course). Each female may contain more than 500 eggs. Once they hatch, the parasites are free-swimming and will feed off the mucous of the fish. The female anchor worm will attach itself to the fish, as you have seen. One of the problems this may cause to small fish is that an anchor worm can penetrate as deep as an organ of the fish.

You should follow the indications in the drug. I believe, but I am not sure, that the anchor worm cycle is 14-15 days at high temperatures (upper mid 80s F).

If I were you, I would contact right away local universities or high schools and talk to the zoologists there, particularly those who are ichthyologists or have a lot of experience and knowledge with fish and fish diseases. (College and high school profs and teachers are generally very helpful, in my experience.) Also, the local chapter of ornamental pond fishes in your area should be very helpful, since anchor worms are more commonly seen in pond fish. A vet could help, but it would cost you money and it would have to be a vet who has experience with fish. I think contacting local experts is the best thing to do under the circumstances. Check also with the folks at TFH--they do know their stuff.

Good luck.

Masa
 

DanDanUK

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Jun 2, 2005
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Thanks for your advice you have been a big help i'm gonna go and pick up a treatment in the morning.

I have never encountered anything like this in all the years i have been keeping fish yeah i have had some fish health problems but i have allways come through it and cured them.

It was stupid of me to put him straight in to the tank i wasn't thinking at all i have been very tired these past couple of days as i have been working nights and my body clock is all over maybe thats where i made the mistake who knows.


I'm a fool !!!
 

Masa_Rov

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Jun 17, 2005
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DanDanThePiranhaMan said:
Thanks for your advice you have been a big help i'm gonna go and pick up a treatment in the morning.

I have never encountered anything like this in all the years i have been keeping fish yeah i have had some fish health problems but i have allways come through it and cured them.

It was stupid of me to put him straight in to the tank i wasn't thinking at all i have been very tired these past couple of days as i have been working nights and my body clock is all over maybe thats where i made the mistake who knows.


I'm a fool !!!
You're welcome. We all make mistakes. (At least I do often enough.) We are dealing with closed and artificial systems, after all. In a way, we are corralling life, but life finds ways of cunningly bursting through those limits. That is why we call it life, I suppose.

Keep in mind that some (though not all) anticrustacean remedies will also kill aerobic bacteria and plants. Thus, you should keep a close tab on ammonia and nitrite levels.

Would a daily introduction of filter material from an uninfected and cycled tank ensure that your ammonia and nitrite levels don't spike upwards? I don't know; I've never tried that. On the one hand, it would seem to be replenishing aerobic bacteria colonies; on the other hand, those colonies could also be killed by the drug, thus actually making the situation worse by increasing the amount of ammonia-producing matter.

I have little knowledge and experience about this. What successful strategies have people developed to maintain aerobic bacteria colonies in their tanks during treatment with drugs that may also kill aerobic bacteria?

I mention this because fish that are very sensitive to ammonia and nitrites will really suffer, especially after having just put up with parasites and what not.

Masa
 

jenBLKAROWANA

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Jun 22, 2005
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Dan, you could try a HIKARI brand treatment - CYROPRO - this is a highly effective & safe treatment -

http://www.uskoi.com/cyropro.htm

This should help!
Jen
 

DanDanUK

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Jun 2, 2005
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jenBLKAROWANA said:
Dan, you could try a HIKARI brand treatment - CYROPRO - this is a highly effective & safe treatment -

http://www.uskoi.com/cyropro.htm

This should help!
Jen
This is the sort of treatment i would like to use because it also heal's the fish and replaces the fishes body slime,............BUT ! i'm not sure they sell that sort of treatment over here and if they do have something similar they won't sell it in the one bottle they will sell the anchor worm killer in one bottle and the skin healing treatment in another bottle thus costing twice as much and our equipment in the UK is a lot more expensive than what you would pay over in the states :cry:
 

jenBLKAROWANA

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Jun 22, 2005
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