Worms or Parasite?

NilusFishFamily

Exodon
MFK Member
Nov 7, 2018
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Have you tested your water?
Yes
If yes, what is your ammonia?
0
If yes, what is your nitrite?
0
If yes, what is your nitrate?
0
If I did not test my water...
...I recognize that I will likely be asked to do a test, and that water tests are critical for solving freshwater health problems.
Do you do water changes?
Yes
What percentage of water do you change?
21-30%
How frequently do you change your water?
Every week
If I do not change my water...
...I recognize that I will likely be recommended to do a water change, and water changes are critical for preventing future freshwater health problems.
Do sailfin pleco spray milt or do they have a penis?
see picture.
My son insists he’s had this for at least 6 months (that he noticed it a long time ago when he was in our smaller tank). I really hope this isn’t a worm, we were going to bring our new fish out of quarantine and put him with our pleco in the 120g today.

It’s small- maybe 0.25 inches, could it be poo? But it’s not coming out... he had squash for dinner, which is white. I’ll keep checking & if it passes (turns into a poo rope) I’ll delete this.

I don’t think I’ve seen it before. I usually look at his upper fins and back tbh though.

Will repost this in a more health related forum as well- if thiS violates any rules I apologize.789C0FB9-4049-4141-B258-6CE6DDDAAC29.jpeg
 
Last edited:

kno4te

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Not sure what it is but looks like something stuck on the pleco. Looks like the top of the fish and not underneath.
 

NilusFishFamily

Exodon
MFK Member
Nov 7, 2018
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it’s definitely coming out of him, I’ll try to zoom in a bit next time.

Others in the family confirmed it’s been there for months- so we are back to the either a arasite, other growth, or poop that we are all happening to catch at the same moment at the same length...

Not sure what it is but looks like something stuck on the pleco. Looks like the top of the fish and not underneath.
 

NilusFishFamily

Exodon
MFK Member
Nov 7, 2018
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This is a new picture today. Hopefully it’s a little clearer- the ‘worm’? Looks bigger today and has a darker bit at the end now it didn’t have before.
My husband swore he saw him ‘poop out of it’ but it happened so fast when I questioned ‘did it come out through it or from behind it or ?’ He wasn’t sure.

behavior otherwise seems ok. Eating his veggies 2x a week, wafers and sinking pellets other days. Water changes 30% x1x week (midweek test after veg/2nd change if needed-rare). He’s in a 120g tank. 7years old.D109D17A-D667-4AA3-B09D-A5FEEFDE7278.jpeg
 

NilusFishFamily

Exodon
MFK Member
Nov 7, 2018
119
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Ok -he pooped and it lengthened. In the picture you can see poop on the bottom of the tank, and how much longer the main part hanging out of him is. We’ve seen him poop- it’s been 7yrs- this hanging business is all new.

3048037D-9537-4AC6-B4CD-60E0E1BDA937.jpeg177A16B1-62EE-45FC-8A5F-64A2ED10F393.jpeg
 
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