Help! A worm just came out of my clownfish

renenijman · 02/06/2015, 08:21 AM

I replaced a clownfish in my tank last week (the previous one had a swimming bladder problem.) and it seemd to be doing fine and eating well. It sometimes shook its body a litte, but usually after the bigger one poked it and I read that this is common behaviour for determining dominance.
Just an hour ago I noticed a long white string of "poop" coming out of him. I quickly googled it and read it could point to a parasite. Just as I was about to make a video of it, it broke off. Then, just a few seconds later as I looked again, I saw a big worm swimming next to him. I assume he pooped him out. I was able to quickly catch the worm and make a video of him:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKhIlK7iZe8
He's about 1,5cm long.

I called the fish store and they told me that worms are relatively common among clownfish, but he hadn't heard of this kind of incident. He told me to keep a close watch on him and see if he would eat yet still loose weight.

Has anyone on here ever seen something like this or know what I should do?

Thanks in advance,
René

syngraves · 02/06/2015, 01:17 PM

put the clown in quarantine to avoid the possiblity of spreading.

OrionN · 02/06/2015, 01:45 PM

Unless you see the clown poop hot the worm, then you know for sure but I have worms like that swimming all the time especially at night.
IMO, it is most likely that the worm is not a parasite. It just happen to swim near the fish.

Parasite should not be able to swimm every effectively, and should have bare skin. Any hare on the worm, then it is not a parasite.

tkeracer619 · 02/08/2015, 02:57 AM

I don't think that looks like any internal worms I have seen so I went to images. That was a mistake. My skin is crawling.

Anyways the symptoms are of worms. QT with prazi, you'll know soon enough.

ThRoewer · 02/08/2015, 03:39 AM

It looks like a nematode but with 15 mm it seems way to big, especially for a intestinal parasite in a small fish like a clownfish.
Usually these are small enough so that several easily fit inside the digestive tract of a fish.

The size would be right for Cestodes (tapeworm) but the worm in the video is for sure not a tapeworm.

renenijman · 02/19/2015, 06:30 PM

Thanks for all your responses. I guess it was just a coincidence that that worm was swimming next to it.
Anyway, both clowns had a worm problem, so I dipped them for 20mins in a tremazol bath and that seems to have cured them.

02/06/2015, 08:21 AM	#1
renenijman Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: The Hague, The Netherlands Posts: 5	Help! A worm just came out of my clownfish I replaced a clownfish in my tank last week (the previous one had a swimming bladder problem.) and it seemd to be doing fine and eating well. It sometimes shook its body a litte, but usually after the bigger one poked it and I read that this is common behaviour for determining dominance. Just an hour ago I noticed a long white string of "poop" coming out of him. I quickly googled it and read it could point to a parasite. Just as I was about to make a video of it, it broke off. Then, just a few seconds later as I looked again, I saw a big worm swimming next to him. I assume he pooped him out. I was able to quickly catch the worm and make a video of him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKhIlK7iZe8 He's about 1,5cm long. I called the fish store and they told me that worms are relatively common among clownfish, but he hadn't heard of this kind of incident. He told me to keep a close watch on him and see if he would eat yet still loose weight. Has anyone on here ever seen something like this or know what I should do? Thanks in advance, René

02/06/2015, 01:45 PM	#3
OrionN Moved on Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Coastal Texas Posts: 16,000	Unless you see the clown poop hot the worm, then you know for sure but I have worms like that swimming all the time especially at night. IMO, it is most likely that the worm is not a parasite. It just happen to swim near the fish. Parasite should not be able to swimm every effectively, and should have bare skin. Any hare on the worm, then it is not a parasite. __________________ Minh My homepage is my album here at Reef Central Current Tank Info: Reboot 320 anemones reef. Angels: Yellow Chest Regal(2), Flame (2). Copperband But. Tangs: Yellow, Purple. Wrasse: about 20 wrasses various species. Anemones: Giantea X4 (Breen, Blue, Purple and Multicolors), Haddoni X1 Red, Magnifica X1 Purpletip

02/08/2015, 02:57 AM	#4
tkeracer619 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Westminster, CO Posts: 17,289	I don't think that looks like any internal worms I have seen so I went to images. That was a mistake. My skin is crawling. Anyways the symptoms are of worms. QT with prazi, you'll know soon enough. __________________ Hobby Experience: 9200ish gallons, 26 skimmers, and a handful of Kent Scrapers. Current Tank: Vortech Powered 600G SPS Tank w/ 100gal frag tank & 100g Sump. RK2-RK10 Skimmer. ReefAngel. Radium 20k.

02/08/2015, 03:39 AM	#5
ThRoewer Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Fremont, CA Posts: 9,555	It looks like a nematode but with 15 mm it seems way to big, especially for a intestinal parasite in a small fish like a clownfish. Usually these are small enough so that several easily fit inside the digestive tract of a fish. The size would be right for Cestodes (tapeworm) but the worm in the video is for sure not a tapeworm. __________________ Pairs: 4 percula, 3 P. kauderni, 3 D. excisus, 1 ea of P. diacanthus, S. splendidus, C. altivelis O. rosenblatti, D. janssi, S. yasha & a Gramma loreto trio 3 P. diacanthus. 2 C. starcki Current Tank Info: 200 gal 4 tank system (40x28x24 + 40B + 40B sump tank + 20g refugium) + 30x18x18 mixed reef + 20g East Pacific biotop + 20g FW +...

02/06/2015, 01:17 PM	#2
syngraves Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Brick, NJ Posts: 151	put the clown in quarantine to avoid the possiblity of spreading.

02/19/2015, 06:30 PM	#6
renenijman Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: The Hague, The Netherlands Posts: 5	Thanks for all your responses. I guess it was just a coincidence that that worm was swimming next to it. Anyway, both clowns had a worm problem, so I dipped them for 20mins in a tremazol bath and that seems to have cured them.