ropefish parasites! help needed (I did my homework!)

[Ben Krunson]

I have a problem! Before you delete this post, let me just say I did check
on Google, and I did check with a book. I could not come up with anything
conclusive. Your help is appreciated.

Some sources state that ropefish (erpetoichthys calabaricus) are sometimes
affected by external parasites of some sort - tiny white worms visible
with naked eye:

http://www.aqualandpetsplus.com/Oddball,%20Ropefish.htm

"Teeny Worms: Occasionally, you used to see these guys come in
covered with teeny parasitic worms - each firmly anchored between his
tough scales. You rarely see the worms these days, because most
suppliers treat their ropefish long before they hit the market."

This closely matches what my all of my ropefish developed recently (one
month after the purchase). Other fish seem to be not affected, but all
ropefish have tiny, hair-thin, short white worms attached to their
forehead, and, more sparsely, to other parts of the body. They do not seem
to mind it, but nevertheless, I would like to cure them.

I could not find anything more specific about the parasite or how to cure
it. I do not want to do something stupid. If you know the answer, or know
anyone who sells or deals with ropefish, your help would be greatly
appreciated. What I am looking for:

* What is the name of the parasite?

* What is the synopsis, what medications work best?

* Is the disease ropefish-specific, or do other fish need treatment too?

* Can I treat ropefish in a separate tank, or is the parasite capable
of surviving in free-floating form for a longer while?

Thanks!

[Mean_Chlorine]

Thusly Ben Krunson > Spake Unto All:

> * What is the name of the parasite?

The description sounds like anchor worm, Lernaea. Do a search for that
and you'll finde lots of info on it, and how to fight it.

[Benign Vanilla]

"Ben Krunson" > wrote in message
news:Pine.LNX.4.58.0412182233510.3592@dione...
> I have a problem! Before you delete this post, let me just say I did check
> on Google, and I did check with a book. I could not come up with anything
> conclusive. Your help is appreciated.
>
> Some sources state that ropefish (erpetoichthys calabaricus) are sometimes
> affected by external parasites of some sort - tiny white worms visible
> with naked eye:
>
> http://www.aqualandpetsplus.com/Oddball,%20Ropefish.htm
>
> "Teeny Worms: Occasionally, you used to see these guys come in
> covered with teeny parasitic worms - each firmly anchored between his
> tough scales. You rarely see the worms these days, because most
> suppliers treat their ropefish long before they hit the market."
>
> This closely matches what my all of my ropefish developed recently (one
> month after the purchase). Other fish seem to be not affected, but all
> ropefish have tiny, hair-thin, short white worms attached to their
> forehead, and, more sparsely, to other parts of the body. They do not seem
> to mind it, but nevertheless, I would like to cure them.
>
> I could not find anything more specific about the parasite or how to cure
> it. I do not want to do something stupid. If you know the answer, or know
> anyone who sells or deals with ropefish, your help would be greatly
> appreciated. What I am looking for:
>
> * What is the name of the parasite?
>
> * What is the synopsis, what medications work best?
>
> * Is the disease ropefish-specific, or do other fish need treatment too?
>
> * Can I treat ropefish in a separate tank, or is the parasite capable
> of surviving in free-floating form for a longer while?

This page may help you identify the parasite,

http://www.iheartmypond.com/topic.asp?article=99725


--
BV
Webporgmaster of iheartmypond.com
Check out the IHMP forums, ihmp.net/phpbb
I'll be leaning on the bus stop post.

[Ben Krunson]

On Sun, 19 Dec 2004, Mean_Chlorine wrote:

> The description sounds like anchor worm, Lernaea. Do a search for that
> and you'll finde lots of info on it, and how to fight it.

Unfortunately (or fortunately), this does not seem to be anchor worm.
Below is a list of main differences I see.

The disease would appear to be what Aqualand website mentions as a common
ropefish problem. Quite unfortunately, I know no ropefish experts, and my
mails to Aqualand went unanswered. I feel really stupid now, having found
a vague reference to a condition that is apparently routinely treated in
those fish, but having no specifics and no success helping them.

Differences:

- Those critters are very small and thin, just barely visible, some 1-2
mm long, and have no distinguishable features - whereas anchor worms,
as I understand it, are larger and have a specific shape. I have
watched them for a week, but they do not seem to grow any longer or
more vicious.

- Despite of my three ropefish being in my tank over a month, other fish
are not affected in any way. The life cycle of the parasite does not
appear to be long - I believe I brought it in with a ropefish that
came from a different LFS than two others. I visited this LFS and
they have the exact same problem, and apparently no clue what to do
with it.

- These worms infest ropefish's "forehead", with some 10-15 tiny worms
attached to each fish, more scarcely in regions where scales are
tougher. There are no worms in or near gills. It is my understanding
that anchor worms would far more likely infest gills of such a
tough fish; that they do not immediately infect fish in such numbers;
and that if they did, the fish would be doing quite poorly by now.

I have attempted the following:

- Mechanically removing all worms, then dipping fish in broad spectrum
disinfectant/antibiotic. No complications, but parasites returned
after less than a week.

- Treating main tank with Sera Ectopur (sodium chloride, sodium
perborate and sodium borate). This is supposed to disrupt life
cycle of many external parasites, but does not appear to be
working, despite of doubling the dose.

- Putting affected fish for several hours in a copper sulphate
/ chloride medication. Nothing.

- Raising temperature to 88 F, this supposedly kills some parasites.
Ropefish, being ropefish, did not mind, but same goes for the
tiny worms.

I am sort of running out of ideas...

[[email protected]]

Well, it could be a specialized ropefish parasite, although from your
description I would still say it is a species of Lernaea - there are
several species of different size, and the head region is one of the
favourite haunts, not the gills. The chief alternatives would be either
gyrodactylus flatworms or fish leeches - there's not that much else to
chose from - and those are mobile.

I would not personally put much faith in either ectopur or temperature
rise; it is however strange that copper did not kill them. Copper ions
are extremely toxic to, AFAIK, all invertebrates, and I am at a loss to
explain why it had no effect. Flatworms would have been very quickly
destroyed, and leeches not much more resistant.
Lernaea are crustaceans and have a thick protective cuticle, but I
would still expect them to die fairly quickly when exposed to copper.

I note that there are specialized medications for parasitic
crustaceans. One of those, e.g. Dimilin or Para Ex (both contain
different insecticides; crustaceans are sensitive to the same poisons
as insects) would be my next choice, if I was you. Be sure to follow
recommendations for dosage.

There is also an off chance that the worms are nematodes, round worms,
although I don't know of any species which lives with one end
protruding free from the scales - skin-dwelling nematodes tend to live
under slime layer or even under the scales of the fish. For treatment
of nematodes search the net for treatment of the common intestinal
parasite Camallanus.