Are these anchor worms?

Reefer1991 · 01/06/2018, 06:42 PM

Hey guys, so i've had a few tangs in quarantine for a little more than a month (2 weeks prazi pro and now on day 18 of cupramine with some metro soaked food every now and then) and everything is going great except today i noticed small translucent specks on the hippo tang. Its definitely not crypto(im working on getting a decent picture) but looks pretty close. They are tiny white "translucent" specks that poke out from his body. Theyre pretty hard to see unless you knew they were there.(also not velvet) I've qted my fair share of fish and have yet to come across this. Until i can get a picture, does anybody have a guess what it could be? After searching around im thinking anchor worms or a prazi resistant strain of fluke? The fish is still eating but is scratching frequently. None of the other tangs are showing these signs thus far. My plan right now is to carry on with the cp treatment for another 2 weeks, then 3 more rounds of prazi and maybe dose the tank with metro afterwards instead of feeding it. Any suggestions are appreciated. Ill go work on getting this picture

Reefer1991 · 01/06/2018, 07:11 PM

I dont think ill have much luck with a picture because the spots arent visible enough for the camera to pick up. Just to put in to perspective how small and transluscent they are here is a pic of him. The black part of his body probably has about 15 spots yet they dont pick up on camera. Picture crypto yet 10x smaller and clearish. Ill try for a better pic in the morning when they are all huddled around the seaweed clip.

Reefer1991 · 01/06/2018, 08:55 PM

Been searching around for a while and theres not much info on what this could be. After closer examination, they are all over his face also and protrude 1/16". Not sure what it is but ive come across a medication called Dimilin in a few threads now and im interested as it seems its effective in killing parasitic crustaceans. Anyone have an idea what the dosage for Dimilin is?

JustinM · 01/06/2018, 10:09 PM

I can't see anything in the picture. How is your tang eating in QT? Any chance it is the beginning of HLLE? If they are worms, I would recommend a FW dip to confirm and to provide a little more comfort. Hopefully this will dislodge them or weaken them.

If it is an anchor worm, it seems Dylox is the recommended route to take. I would catch him and see if you are able to pull anything off of him or observe and see if it is the beginning of HLLE.

Reefer1991 · 01/07/2018, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JustinM

I can't see anything in the picture. How is your tang eating in QT? Any chance it is the beginning of HLLE? If they are worms, I would recommend a FW dip to confirm and to provide a little more comfort. Hopefully this will dislodge them or weaken them.

If it is an anchor worm, it seems Dylox is the recommended route to take. I would catch him and see if you are able to pull anything off of him or observe and see if it is the beginning of HLLE.

Thanks for the response Justin. All of the tangs are eating great including the hippo. I feed a clip of seaweed in the morning and a mix of rods,mysis, and pellets throughout the day. Hes gained a decent amount of weight since i got him.

He does seem to have what looks to be the beginning of hlle on his face which i think is being caused by the copper or its just scratches from the flashing but the spots on the side are something different.
The spots protrude from the body almost like hes covered in a bunch of tiny hairs.

Im going to keep an eye on him a little longer before I try to manual remove because the fish is only 1.5" so its pretty small and would be difficult to handle. Ill try a fw dip if the fish starts going down hill. Lights are on soon so ill check him out. Thanks

Reefer1991 · 01/07/2018, 09:20 AM

Lights just went on and whatever it is looks worse. In the pictures you can see them all over his face. The fish is pretty irritated. Any ideas? There are a lot of bubbles in the tank but that is definitely NOT whats on his face. Could it be a fungus?

Reefer1991 · 01/07/2018, 10:16 AM

Just ordered this.

JustinM · 01/07/2018, 10:30 AM

Fungus is extremely rare in saltwater. I would perform the FW dip before it becomes more of a problem and see if it helps. After the dip, I would put him in a collection cup of saltwater and see if you can get a better picture.

JustinM · 01/07/2018, 10:31 AM

It claims to help with external parasites, anchor worms being one of them so hopefully that helps.

Reefer1991 · 01/07/2018, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JustinM

Fungus is extremely rare in saltwater. I would perform the FW dip before it becomes more of a problem and see if it helps. After the dip, I would put him in a collection cup of saltwater and see if you can get a better picture.

I'm going to keep an eye on him and hopefully the medicine gets delivered before anything gets too bad. Hes swimming around and eating fine except hes scratching a lot. The second I see him take a turn for the worse ill do a dip and be sure to get some pics while i'm at it. I'm a bit hesitant to do a dip on him as of right now just because the couple of fish i've performed this on didn't fare too well.

Hopefully somebody can identify this.

Dmorty217 · 01/07/2018, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reefer1991

Just ordered this.

Be sure and measure actual water volume and don't over dose. I use clout all the time but it's some serious stuff. Mix the med and put half in and watch the fish for the first hr. Add the rest if fish are acting normal.

JustinM · 01/07/2018, 02:23 PM

FW dips are extremely safe. How are you performing them?

Reefer1991 · 01/07/2018, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JustinM

FW dips are extremely safe. How are you performing them?

Aerate the water for 30 minutes and match temperature Put the fish in for 3-5 minutes then return to tank. Every fish ive done this to is very disoriented after and usually dont make it. Sometimes ill hold them gently and move them through the water to get saltwater into their gills. Maybe its just a freak thing for me but most people i know dont have luck with them either.

Reefer1991 · 01/07/2018, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dmorty217

Be sure and measure actual water volume and don't over dose. I use clout all the time but it's some serious stuff. Mix the med and put half in and watch the fish for the first hr. Add the rest if fish are acting normal.

Alright thanks for the info. Ill do a 100% waterchange before I dose it and keep track of the water going in. Is it safe to use with cupramine? The delivery date for the medicine is going to be the 21st day of cupramine treatment ,but id like to keep them in copper a little longer if possible.

Have you seen anything like this and did you have success in killing it with Clout?

Dmorty217 · 01/07/2018, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reefer1991

Alright thanks for the info. Ill do a 100% waterchange before I dose it and keep track of the water going in. Is it safe to use with cupramine? The delivery date for the medicine is going to be the 21st day of cupramine treatment ,but id like to keep them in copper a little longer if possible.

Have you seen anything like this and did you have success in killing it with Clout?

It's hard to tell from the pictures. Looks like lymph on the face but if the fish is scratching it is something else. Not sure about cupramine and clout together, I use it with chloroquine phosphate. I'm not one for FW dips for the same reasons you mentioned. I'm not a fan of TTM either

Reefer1991 · 01/07/2018, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dmorty217

It's hard to tell from the pictures. Looks like lymph on the face but if the fish is scratching it is something else. Not sure about cupramine and clout together, I use it with chloroquine phosphate. I'm not one for FW dips for the same reasons you mentioned. I'm not a fan of TTM either

Ill probably transfer the hippo to another tank and see how he reacts to the clout before i treat the rest since they aren't showing signs. Is it relatively easy on fish at the right dosage? I just hope I was right that its a parasite of some sort and not bacterial. Otherwise the clout won't be very effective

Reefer1991 · 01/07/2018, 07:39 PM

Im starting to lean more towards a bacterial infection only because if it was a parasite, i feel all of the fish would be infected at this point especially because of how bad the hippo is. His face is pretty chewed up now from rubbing on the pvc.

JustinM · 01/07/2018, 11:12 PM

FWIW, anchor worms rarely kill their host. I have never had a fish react poorly to FW dips and have performed many. It helps in the dislodging of parasites, and providing relief for other parasites as well.

I wouldn't recommend combining cupramine and clout, only because your fish seems to be in a lot of stress already. Move him to the other tank as you said and take better pics of him in a collection cup, and it will also give you a chance to see what it is.

If they are worms, I would definitely treat for a bacterial infection regardless. I would start with Kanamyacin(Kanaplex) and add in bifuran(furan 2) before treating with clout. As I said earlier, anchor worms rarely kill their host so concentrating on the bacterial infection first should be priority in my opinion.

Dmorty217 · 01/08/2018, 08:56 AM

Trichlorfon is the ingredient that is scary. There have been several public aquariums that wiped out entire tanks from misdosing the med (trichlorfon, which is a insecticide but works for many things found in the saltwater hobby. Many use a Bayer insecticide for their corals as a dip). If you follow the directions and have the water volume correct you have nothing to worry about.

Reefer1991 · 01/08/2018, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JustinM

FWIW, anchor worms rarely kill their host. I have never had a fish react poorly to FW dips and have performed many. It helps in the dislodging of parasites, and providing relief for other parasites as well.

I wouldn't recommend combining cupramine and clout, only because your fish seems to be in a lot of stress already. Move him to the other tank as you said and take better pics of him in a collection cup, and it will also give you a chance to see what it is.

If they are worms, I would definitely treat for a bacterial infection regardless. I would start with Kanamyacin(Kanaplex) and add in bifuran(furan 2) before treating with clout. As I said earlier, anchor worms rarely kill their host so concentrating on the bacterial infection first should be priority in my opinion.

Thanks ill do the 2 treatments seperate to avoid any problems. Im about to run out to the store and purchase some bacterial medication so i have it on hand.

Reefer1991 · 01/08/2018, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dmorty217

Trichlorfon is the ingredient that is scary. There have been several public aquariums that wiped out entire tanks from misdosing the med (trichlorfon, which is a insecticide but works for many things found in the saltwater hobby. Many use a Bayer insecticide for their corals as a dip). If you follow the directions and have the water volume correct you have nothing to worry about.

Yep that public aquarium thing is a little scary. I use bayer for my dips and have never had a problem so hopefully its the same story with clout. After thinking about it, its probably a waste of time treating the hippo seperate because ill be paranoid about the other fish having it since its so hard to see. Just a little hesitant because Ive always wanted a powder blue and now that i have a suitable tank ive got a very healthy one and id hate to stress it. Hopefully they all take it well. I know i have around 32 -35 gallons in the tank and the directions are 1 tablet per 10 gallons. So 3 should be perfect hopefully.

Reefer1991 · 01/08/2018, 09:36 AM

Is this what bacterial infections look like? Definitely getting worse. Are bacterial infections contagious?

JustinM · 01/08/2018, 10:55 AM

Bacterial infections are not contagious per se. The bacteria is living in the water so all fish are equally exposed to it, some just react differently depending on their immune system and entry points into the blood stream, like anchor worms or ich, etc.

It looks like the beginning of a bacterial infection so I would personally treat this first then worry about the anchor worms. You will probably need to treat for a bacterial infection again though.

Reefer1991 · 01/08/2018, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JustinM

Bacterial infections are not contagious per se. The bacteria is living in the water so all fish are equally exposed to it, some just react differently depending on their immune system and entry points into the blood stream, like anchor worms or ich, etc.

It looks like the beginning of a bacterial infection so I would personally treat this first then worry about the anchor worms. You will probably need to treat for a bacterial infection again though.

Thats good to know. Im just having a hard time deciding if the fish has both anchor worms and an infection or just a bacterial infection. Im hoping its just bacterial so i can just dose furan and be good. I guess we'll see after i dose.

I just picked up furan 2. The store didnt have kanaplex.
Thanks again for the info. Ill update after i dose this.

JustinM · 01/08/2018, 11:10 AM

As hobbyists, we never know exactly what kind of bacteria we are dealing with so we treat with many. Hopefully the furan 2 helps but I would definitely order some kanaplex. We have what we call the trifecta(kanaplex, bifuran, and metroplex) That usually works. I am just letting you know if you don’t see improvement, you might need the kanaplex.

01/06/2018, 06:42 PM	#1
Reefer1991 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Delaware Posts: 312	Are these anchor worms? Hey guys, so i've had a few tangs in quarantine for a little more than a month (2 weeks prazi pro and now on day 18 of cupramine with some metro soaked food every now and then) and everything is going great except today i noticed small translucent specks on the hippo tang. Its definitely not crypto(im working on getting a decent picture) but looks pretty close. They are tiny white "translucent" specks that poke out from his body. Theyre pretty hard to see unless you knew they were there.(also not velvet) I've qted my fair share of fish and have yet to come across this. Until i can get a picture, does anybody have a guess what it could be? After searching around im thinking anchor worms or a prazi resistant strain of fluke? The fish is still eating but is scratching frequently. None of the other tangs are showing these signs thus far. My plan right now is to carry on with the cp treatment for another 2 weeks, then 3 more rounds of prazi and maybe dose the tank with metro afterwards instead of feeding it. Any suggestions are appreciated. Ill go work on getting this picture

01/08/2018, 08:56 AM	#19
Dmorty217 Saltwater Addict Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Vandalia OHIO Posts: 11,624	Trichlorfon is the ingredient that is scary. There have been several public aquariums that wiped out entire tanks from misdosing the med (trichlorfon, which is a insecticide but works for many things found in the saltwater hobby. Many use a Bayer insecticide for their corals as a dip). If you follow the directions and have the water volume correct you have nothing to worry about. __________________ Fish are not disposable commodities, but a worthwhile investment that can be maintained and enjoyed for many years, providing one is willing to take the time to understand their requirements and needs Current Tank Info: 625g, 220g sump, RD3 230w, Vectra L1 on a closed loop, 3 MP60s, MP40. Several QTs

01/06/2018, 08:55 PM	#3
Reefer1991 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Delaware Posts: 312	Been searching around for a while and theres not much info on what this could be. After closer examination, they are all over his face also and protrude 1/16". Not sure what it is but ive come across a medication called Dimilin in a few threads now and im interested as it seems its effective in killing parasitic crustaceans. Anyone have an idea what the dosage for Dimilin is?

01/06/2018, 10:09 PM	#4
JustinM Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 1,215	I can't see anything in the picture. How is your tang eating in QT? Any chance it is the beginning of HLLE? If they are worms, I would recommend a FW dip to confirm and to provide a little more comfort. Hopefully this will dislodge them or weaken them. If it is an anchor worm, it seems Dylox is the recommended route to take. I would catch him and see if you are able to pull anything off of him or observe and see if it is the beginning of HLLE.

01/07/2018, 10:30 AM	#8
JustinM Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 1,215	Fungus is extremely rare in saltwater. I would perform the FW dip before it becomes more of a problem and see if it helps. After the dip, I would put him in a collection cup of saltwater and see if you can get a better picture.

01/07/2018, 10:31 AM	#9
JustinM Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 1,215	It claims to help with external parasites, anchor worms being one of them so hopefully that helps.

01/07/2018, 02:23 PM	#12
JustinM Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 1,215	FW dips are extremely safe. How are you performing them?

01/07/2018, 07:39 PM	#17
Reefer1991 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Delaware Posts: 312	Im starting to lean more towards a bacterial infection only because if it was a parasite, i feel all of the fish would be infected at this point especially because of how bad the hippo is. His face is pretty chewed up now from rubbing on the pvc.

01/07/2018, 11:12 PM	#18
JustinM Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 1,215	FWIW, anchor worms rarely kill their host. I have never had a fish react poorly to FW dips and have performed many. It helps in the dislodging of parasites, and providing relief for other parasites as well. I wouldn't recommend combining cupramine and clout, only because your fish seems to be in a lot of stress already. Move him to the other tank as you said and take better pics of him in a collection cup, and it will also give you a chance to see what it is. If they are worms, I would definitely treat for a bacterial infection regardless. I would start with Kanamyacin(Kanaplex) and add in bifuran(furan 2) before treating with clout. As I said earlier, anchor worms rarely kill their host so concentrating on the bacterial infection first should be priority in my opinion.

01/08/2018, 10:55 AM	#23
JustinM Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 1,215	Bacterial infections are not contagious per se. The bacteria is living in the water so all fish are equally exposed to it, some just react differently depending on their immune system and entry points into the blood stream, like anchor worms or ich, etc. It looks like the beginning of a bacterial infection so I would personally treat this first then worry about the anchor worms. You will probably need to treat for a bacterial infection again though.

01/08/2018, 11:10 AM	#25
JustinM Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 1,215	As hobbyists, we never know exactly what kind of bacteria we are dealing with so we treat with many. Hopefully the furan 2 helps but I would definitely order some kanaplex. We have what we call the trifecta(kanaplex, bifuran, and metroplex) That usually works. I am just letting you know if you don’t see improvement, you might need the kanaplex.