# Parasite?!?!?



## Johnpe123 (May 10, 2003)

ok .. i have around 20 maybe 30 at the most there so small its hard to count..hard to see but they hook on to my plants and dirftwood.. they look like squid sorta.. they have a head (cylinder shape) and about 4-5 long thin legs sorta like tenticals or something idunno wut are they? if u want i cna TRY to take a picture but since there so small it will be hard. i tryed to turn up the temp i did 50% water change and there still there. any ideaS??!?!


----------



## mtx1 (May 21, 2003)

those are probably fish lice...best thing to do is to give it a salt bath...it will kill them quick....one sec lemme get u a link on that


----------



## mtx1 (May 21, 2003)

http://www.petlibrary.com/goldfish/fishlice.htm is where i got this info...heres what it says 
Fish Lice (aka Argulus) 
Symptoms: goldfish may scrape against objects to get the lice off, parasites of up to 1/4 inch may be visible, attached to the fish's body 
These parasites are a kind of crustacean which are capable of swimming from fish to fish. It appears as a very flat, round, transleucent louse. It punctures the fish's skin with a poisonous proboscis spine as it holds fast to the fish with its suckers.

The female louse will lay her eggs on the tank bottom or on tank decorations in straight lines where she coats them with a jelly-like substance. There they stay until they are ready to hatch.

remedy: 
The first thing to do is to contact your vet or petstore for further instruction - treatment is not recommended without expert supervision as treatment may involve pulling out the lice with tweezers or giving the fish a chemical bath. General medications are also available. It is wise to treat your main tank in order to destroy any larvae. Fish lice are somewhat difficult to treat, and may reoccur after treatment has appeared successful, so patience and careful observation are necessary. It is advisable to move your sick goldfish to a quarantine tank during treatment.


----------



## mtx1 (May 21, 2003)

Argulus is a crustacean or branchiurian parasite most commonly encountered in ponds, but they are also found in aquaria. They are easily detected when they strike. They are greenish disc shaped organisms with suckers and small legs. They even have a pair of eye spots on the anterior end. They spend their time darting around in the water away from, and also directly on the fish. They lay their eggs in tubular structures on the glass and ornaments.

They can be very destructive to fish stocks.

They carry Aeromonas and other bacteria on their feeding stilletto and thus infect each fish they bite.

Treatment is by the application of the insect growth regulator, Dimilin, or Diflubenzuron.

Another method is more dangerous: Organophosphates like Trichlorfon, masoten, Dylox, Dipterex, FLAW, Malathion and Fenthion. Anchors Away is also an organophosphate. I resist the use of these, because losses may result. Dimilin is superior to these compounds when fighting Argulus.

that info was found here http://www.fishdoc.net/faq/faq_details.php?faqId=132

is that what it looks like?


----------



## Johnpe123 (May 10, 2003)

na , thanks for the great info but i have something else ill try to find a pic give me a sec.. idunno there very small they dont attach to the fish.. just to my plants/driftwood.. they aren't green they are clear/white.


----------



## Johnpe123 (May 10, 2003)

heres a pic my digi isn't working right now.. i just drawed it in paint.. but this is wut they look like../


----------



## mtx1 (May 21, 2003)

i think those are just worms from feeding too much....they arent harmful to your fish


----------



## Heartless-Dealer (Aug 3, 2003)

wow...ur a great artist...


----------



## Johnpe123 (May 10, 2003)

hehe thanks ! , so how do i get them out of my tank?!


----------



## mtx1 (May 21, 2003)

if they are what im thinking of you can do gravel vacs until they are done...and next time not to feed them too much cuz thats what causes it if they are what im thinking of...wish someone else would input on this heh but gravel vac all u can up thats what i would do if i were u


----------



## o snap its eric (Feb 19, 2003)

Hahaha your picture is funny. If they hop around they sound like spring tails. They are also harmless.


----------



## Johnpe123 (May 10, 2003)

k thanks for help!


----------



## DonH (Jan 25, 2003)

They are hydra. Usually introduce with live plants or feeders, they are harmless to adult fish. Copper-based meds will take care of them. Follow the directions on the box. You might need to half-dose it for pirahnas. Check with your LFS.


----------



## Johnpe123 (May 10, 2003)

yah thanks donh, but do i really need to spend money on copper-based meds? or can i just try to suck em out with graval vac? or will they just keep on coming..? heres a better pic i found online for people.. since my drawing sucked


----------



## tecknik (Jul 18, 2003)

Whoa! I wouldnt know what to do either if I saw that in my tank!







But good luck in getting rid of those suckers.


----------

