Parasite Identification

[Zaitsev]

Hello guy's

Could anyone tell me what this parasite is? My my marine fish have been itchy and giving off stringy poo. I suspect worms. I have managed to catch some of the poo to analyse under microscope and found this inside the poo. Any ideas??? I've looked it up and it's kinda hard to ID. Feel free to chime in it's appreciated

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hello guy's

Could anyone tell me what this parasite is? My my marine fish have been itchy and giving off stringy poo. I suspect worms. I have managed to catch some of the poo to analyse under microscope and found this inside the poo. Any ideas??? I've looked it up and it's kinda hard to ID. Feel free to chime in it's appreciated

That is actually a shell from some crustacean that the fish ate, probably a copepod. There are no internal parasitic copepods that I know of. Typically, fish with internal worms do not produce stingy feces at all. The fish scratching is more a sign of an external infection, like flukes.

Here is a write up I did on fish feces:

Excess mucus in fish feces:

This will present as white or light colored, stringy fecal material that often hangs from the fish’s anus for a longer than normal period. There are a number of different causes for this, some benign, others very serious. Without access to a microscope, there is little that can be done to diagnose this issue effectively.

Idiopathic mucus feces: this fancy term is just to describe white mucoid bulky feces of no serious consequence, but of an unknown cause. Some suspicion is that this can be caused by changes in diet or diets high in fats.

Starvation: Fish that have no food moving through their bowels may excrete white mucoid feces with little bulk to them. The primary diagnostic for this issue is evident in that the fish won’t been seen to be eating. Resolving the anorexia is of course the prime focus to resolve this issue.

Bacterial infection: internal bacterial infections can cause stringy feces as well. While some of these may resolve on their own, medicated foods containing a broad spectrum, gram negative oral antibiotic may be required.

Metazoan infections: multicellular worms are often blamed for mucoid feces, but in reality, they are almost never the root cause for this, and really, can only be diagnosed through looking for their ova in fecal samples. Fish can harbor tapeworms and nematodes without producing mucoid feces.

Protozoan infection: Hexamita and related diplomonad flagellate protozoans very frequently cause white stringy feces, especially in newly acquired clownfish. Metronidazole is the most frequent treatment for this issue. It can be dosed orally at 25 mg per kg of fish body weight, or 5 g in a kg of food. However, it is a very bitter medication, and some fish will refuse to feed on food containing it. It can be dosed in the water at 25 mg/l, but this is more effective in treating marine fishes, as freshwater fish do not “drink” aquarium water.

Coccidia: These microscopic, spore-forming, single-celled parasites are common diseases in dogs and cats. In fish, they cause epithelial necrosis of the gut, enteritis and the copious production of mucus (Noga 2010). These cannot be diagnosed without microscopic examination, and there is no well researched cure for this in fishes, although Toltrazuril has been tested.

Constipation: This malady is often given as a cause for stringy feces, but it is not as common as one would think. When it is seen, the feces are usually dark, not light in color. Often touted as a “cure for constipation”, many aquarists add Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) to the aquarium’s water – do not do this in marine aquariums, its use is primarily as a tonic/dip for freshwater fish. Seawater formulas already contain between 7 and 19 grams of magnesium sulfate per gallon (depending on the recipe). NSW magnesium level is around 1200 ppm and sulfur is around 840 ppm. Some benefit might be seen using it as a dip in additional concentrations, but adding a small amount to a marine aquarium itself has no benefit. Epsom salts do have some possible benefit when mixed into the food as a 3% by weight adjunct. Another commonly heard remedy for constipation is; “feed fresh peas”. This is an effective cure for fancy goldfish and Malawi cichlids that develop constipation and bloating. Again, overextrapolation has marine aquarists trying to feed peas to carnivorous fish, etc. The best method to enhance gut motility in fish is to feed frozen adult brine shrimp – not as a permanent diet, just long enough to get the constipation resolved.

Jay

 

[Zaitsev]

That is actually a shell from some crustacean that the fish ate, probably a copepod. There are no internal parasitic copepods that I know of. Typically, fish with internal worms do not produce stingy feces at all. The fish scratching is more a sign of an external infection, like flukes.

Here is a write up I did on fish feces:

Excess mucus in fish feces:

This will present as white or light colored, stringy fecal material that often hangs from the fish’s anus for a longer than normal period. There are a number of different causes for this, some benign, others very serious. Without access to a microscope, there is little that can be done to diagnose this issue effectively.

Idiopathic mucus feces: this fancy term is just to describe white mucoid bulky feces of no serious consequence, but of an unknown cause. Some suspicion is that this can be caused by changes in diet or diets high in fats.

Starvation: Fish that have no food moving through their bowels may excrete white mucoid feces with little bulk to them. The primary diagnostic for this issue is evident in that the fish won’t been seen to be eating. Resolving the anorexia is of course the prime focus to resolve this issue.

Bacterial infection: internal bacterial infections can cause stringy feces as well. While some of these may resolve on their own, medicated foods containing a broad spectrum, gram negative oral antibiotic may be required.

Metazoan infections: multicellular worms are often blamed for mucoid feces, but in reality, they are almost never the root cause for this, and really, can only be diagnosed through looking for their ova in fecal samples. Fish can harbor tapeworms and nematodes without producing mucoid feces.

Protozoan infection: Hexamita and related diplomonad flagellate protozoans very frequently cause white stringy feces, especially in newly acquired clownfish. Metronidazole is the most frequent treatment for this issue. It can be dosed orally at 25 mg per kg of fish body weight, or 5 g in a kg of food. However, it is a very bitter medication, and some fish will refuse to feed on food containing it. It can be dosed in the water at 25 mg/l, but this is more effective in treating marine fishes, as freshwater fish do not “drink” aquarium water.

Coccidia: These microscopic, spore-forming, single-celled parasites are common diseases in dogs and cats. In fish, they cause epithelial necrosis of the gut, enteritis and the copious production of mucus (Noga 2010). These cannot be diagnosed without microscopic examination, and there is no well researched cure for this in fishes, although Toltrazuril has been tested.

Constipation: This malady is often given as a cause for stringy feces, but it is not as common as one would think. When it is seen, the feces are usually dark, not light in color. Often touted as a “cure for constipation”, many aquarists add Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) to the aquarium’s water – do not do this in marine aquariums, its use is primarily as a tonic/dip for freshwater fish. Seawater formulas already contain between 7 and 19 grams of magnesium sulfate per gallon (depending on the recipe). NSW magnesium level is around 1200 ppm and sulfur is around 840 ppm. Some benefit might be seen using it as a dip in additional concentrations, but adding a small amount to a marine aquarium itself has no benefit. Epsom salts do have some possible benefit when mixed into the food as a 3% by weight adjunct. Another commonly heard remedy for constipation is; “feed fresh peas”. This is an effective cure for fancy goldfish and Malawi cichlids that develop constipation and bloating. Again, overextrapolation has marine aquarists trying to feed peas to carnivorous fish, etc. The best method to enhance gut motility in fish is to feed frozen adult brine shrimp – not as a permanent diet, just long enough to get the constipation resolved.

Jay

Hi Jay

Thanks for the info. I am a little confused as I'm running a FOWLR tank also with cupramine at .05 as I had a tank wipe out 5 months ago to velvet. After 3 months fishless I started again, later on 1 fish showed a couple of white spots so I thought NO so I've been dosing for around 6 weeks and every fish is spotless and eating and doing great all round, this itchy and stringy poo only started about a week ago. Small ammonia spike and nitrates were off the chart. Performed a 320l water change today so we will see in the next few days. Tank is 520l.
Here is a pic of the tank after water change for reference.
Thanks

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hi Jay

Thanks for the info. I am a little confused as I'm running a FOWLR tank also with cupramine at .05 as I had a tank wipe out 5 months ago to velvet. After 3 months fishless I started again, later on 1 fish showed a couple of white spots so I thought NO so I've been dosing for around 6 weeks and every fish is spotless and eating and doing great all round, this itchy and stringy poo only started about a week ago. Small ammonia spike and nitrates were off the chart. Performed a 320l water change today so we will see in the next few days. Tank is 520l.
Here is a pic of the tank after water change for reference.
Thanks

Cupramine at 0.05 ppm? did you mean 0.5 ppm? 0.05 won't treat any diseases.

What fish are showing stringy feces and itching?

The itching could well be flukes.

Jay

 

[Zaitsev]

Cupramine at 0.05 ppm? did you mean 0.5 ppm? 0.05 won't treat any diseases.

What fish are showing stringy feces and itching?

The itching could well be flukes.

Jay

Hi Jay yeah sorry my bad my cupramine is at 0.5ppm. Most fish have had an itch or 2 each but my little blue tang seems to be doing it a lot more and noticed slight aggression between a few of them too. Emperor Angelfish Foxface and Watchman Goby so far have had the stringy poo. There are not one blemish on any of them and all are really healthy and looking amazing apart from the points being made. I've done everything by the book so I'm left with leaning towards your theory of flukes.
My paranoia and stress of losing another tank makes me sick at the thought. I'm praying that if it is flukes that it is just gill flukes and that I can treat my DT with the cupramine pluse fluke M at the same time. Please tell me I'm correct if this is the case.
I appreciate your help
Ps. Also noticed my naso is enjoying the flow of the powerhead at times also making me think they have itchy gills and it is just gill flukes

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hi Jay yeah sorry my bad my cupramine is at 0.5ppm. Most fish have had an itch or 2 each but my little blue tang seems to be doing it a lot more and noticed slight aggression between a few of them too. Emperor Angelfish Foxface and Watchman Goby so far have had the stringy poo. There are not one blemish on any of them and all are really healthy and looking amazing apart from the points being made. I've done everything by the book so I'm left with leaning towards your theory of flukes.
My paranoia and stress of losing another tank makes me sick at the thought. I'm praying that if it is flukes that it is just gill flukes and that I can treat my DT with the cupramine pluse fluke M at the same time. Please tell me I'm correct if this is the case.
I appreciate your help
Ps. Also noticed my naso is enjoying the flow of the powerhead at times also making me think they have itchy gills and it is just gill flukes

Fluke M is flubendazole. I don't have a lot of experience wiht that, I prefer using praziquantel.

Jay

 

[Zaitsev]

Fluke M is flubendazole. I don't have a lot of experience wiht that, I prefer using praziquantel.

Jay

Yeah I'm sure prazi is the main ingredient in the fluke solve I'll double check. The fluke M should be absorbed by the fish with the saltwater and is for internal flukes and works better with marine fish unlike freshwater fish that don't absorb salt as they retain it in their bodies. Fluke S is for external flukes if I'm not mistaken. As i said I'm looking for a resolution that I can use alongside cupramine. I'm new to all this but really passionate and love my fish and just want to get things correct.
I just don't know what the specific problem is so I can tackle it.
Thanks again

 

[Zaitsev]

Fluke M is flubendazole. I don't have a lot of experience wiht that, I prefer using praziquantel.

Jay

Hi Jay
Just thought I would drop a quick update.
It's day 3 since I've added the praziquantel,I am using the fluke solve. So far all itching has stopped, my naso is away from powerhead and starting to eat again and aggression is becoming none existing. Looks like this stuff is working and it must have been gill flukes after all.
Thanks for your input.
Cheers