I have a parrot fish, a couple years old, and it has these disgusting red tubular growths protruding from both gills. I've been trying to find information on it, and apparently this has happened to other people. It is exactly like this picture:
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=parrot+fish+gill+flukes&hl=en&biw=1920&bih=907&tbm=isch&tbnid=ZkeRdArzwvQ-NM:&imgrefurl=http://parrotcichlid.com/node/606&docid=g4qWANF1fqC7XM&imgurl=http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y149/internets4nerds/fishyvm8.jpg&w=432&h=432&ei=ME1UT7q4IKju0gG1r_nYDQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1656&vpy=131&dur=569&hovh=225&hovw=225&tx=212&ty=134&sig=102487977590973355349&page=1&tbnh=129&tbnw=136&start=0&ndsp=50&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:0
Problem is, all the info I read about this is contradictory. I guess a lot of people have said it's gill flukes, but I've also read that gill flukes are not easily seen without magnification. These things need no amplifying, rest assured. Also, I've read that some people who have had these have tried treating for parasites/gill flukes and have been unsuccessful getting rid of them. I've read one account of someone whose fish has survived ages with these, another who's lost 2 who had them.
If anyone knows what these things are, the dangers to the fish, and most specifically, how to get rid of them, I'd be most grateful.
My particular fish seems alright for the time being. I know it's had these things for a couple months at least, I just didn't recognize it as a problem until recently--as they have gotten a bit bigger, and clearly protrude from the gills. It is breathing normally as far as I can tell visually.
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=parrot+fish+gill+flukes&hl=en&biw=1920&bih=907&tbm=isch&tbnid=ZkeRdArzwvQ-NM:&imgrefurl=http://parrotcichlid.com/node/606&docid=g4qWANF1fqC7XM&imgurl=http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y149/internets4nerds/fishyvm8.jpg&w=432&h=432&ei=ME1UT7q4IKju0gG1r_nYDQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1656&vpy=131&dur=569&hovh=225&hovw=225&tx=212&ty=134&sig=102487977590973355349&page=1&tbnh=129&tbnw=136&start=0&ndsp=50&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:0
Problem is, all the info I read about this is contradictory. I guess a lot of people have said it's gill flukes, but I've also read that gill flukes are not easily seen without magnification. These things need no amplifying, rest assured. Also, I've read that some people who have had these have tried treating for parasites/gill flukes and have been unsuccessful getting rid of them. I've read one account of someone whose fish has survived ages with these, another who's lost 2 who had them.
If anyone knows what these things are, the dangers to the fish, and most specifically, how to get rid of them, I'd be most grateful.
My particular fish seems alright for the time being. I know it's had these things for a couple months at least, I just didn't recognize it as a problem until recently--as they have gotten a bit bigger, and clearly protrude from the gills. It is breathing normally as far as I can tell visually.
