Camallanus in marine fish?

According to what I've been reading online, metro and prazi don't do anything for callamanus. I really don't have many worms in the tank (if any at all). I used all dry Rock for this tank. My levamisole should be here Saturday and ill do the treatment.


Thanks for that link ^ I'm gonna check it out!

 

Let me type out the entire story and see what you guys think.

A few months ago, I had a fish in the dt who I suspected had flukes. I treated with prazipro, but he passed away right after he came down with ich. The day he passed, I noticed a red thing hanging from his butt, but I figured it was poop. I moved a clownfish who was new and I and going to treat for ich in qt.. I treated the main tank with cupramine to kill the ich. I figured it should kill the flukes too. It all worked out fine, the tank isnt going to be a reef. BUT last month I got a very healthy butterfly who was great in quarantine. A couple weeks after I moved him to the main tank, I notice he has an occasional twitch. I suspect the flukes are back and treat with prazipro. two nights ago I noticed the anus worms and have since discontinued the prazi because I was going to dose levamisole. I read online that a twitch could be a symptom of an internal parasite as well, so it all makes sense! Did you get lost in the story? But do you think I could be right, that the twitch was from the callamanus all along?

The fish is really happy now, he eats well and always swims in and out of my hand, so I'm hoping he'll do well during the levamisole

edit- He just pooped and it's perfectly healthy looking. It just kinda broke apart as it came out. I'm still going to treat the tank I think though, last time I saw the worms in a fish I didn't do anything, and now I suspect them again, so it's probable best to treat no matter what

 

I'm going to be honest. This tumbling around amongst misdiagnoses and improper treatments rarely ever result well. I guarantee you, you have worms in your tank. If you don't, it's a poor environment as all sorts of types, large and small, are in everyone's healthy tanks.

When did you copper? Your live rock absorbs it and leeches it back out over time. Now you're dealing with issues of possible incompatible meds. Your right that the meds I mentioned do nothing for callamanus, but I don't suspect that's the critter they have. One doesn't logically jump to something obscure when there are other worms that are so SO common in the hobby. Your odds are small of it being callamanus. Your odds are larger for it to be one of the more common worms. So, the smart next step would be to treat with a med that covers the larger odds.

Sometimes it takes several doses of prazi with breaks inbetween the treatment rounds. Oral meds would actually be better in your situation. If you can ever get a worm maybe you'd want to send it to me so I can look at it under the microscope.

 

I would follow Renee's advice. In reading your post, I agree that adding various meds over time can only result in too many things going on. I've kept various saltwater fish for over 15 years and I've never noticed or treated for worms. If you must use a medicine, follow Renee's recommendation to treat a broader spectrum potential problem.

 

What do you recommend I do next then? It looked like 3 red worms popping out of his butt a couple days ago, i haven't seen them since, but didn't wanna take a chance. I guess it could have been something he ate.

So you think it isn't callamanus? I'm pretty sure I saw the worms! But the poop is healthy, so is that a sign that he doesn't have internal parasites?

I agree that it's not good to treat with all those meds, the copper I treated a while back, maybe 2 months ago and I've tested every couple weeks and it's still been 0.

After reading your responses, I'm thinking I should not treat with levamisole until I see more evidence of it. But I'm certain there's some type of parasite

That's really cool that you can look at worms under a microscope! I don't think I can get one out though, the only ones I've seen are the anus worm that I saw once, and I'm not even sure if it was a worm. Thanks though


Thank you all for being patient with me!!

 

You only saw it once! Please don't do anything extreme like dose your tank with a med that is not really a saltwater med.

No, I don't think it's callamanus. If we were talking freshwater, yes, but I'm not even sure cod worms were visible like that. I absolutely believe you saw worms, just not that one.

First thing I would do would be to freshwater dip and see if they poop anything out. If you do and it does, throw it in some formalin or alcohol and send it to me. You'll see it in the bottom of the container. If you wanted to treat within your display tank, I would do oral Prazi and Metro. I prophylactically treat with these meds as they are pretty benign. I am not one to treat the display tank right out, so I have no suggestions there.

 

How would I do prazi and metro orally? Could I soak food in prazipro, I think the instructions said you could, but I'd have to double check.

I usually don't like freshwater dips, because I hate to stress the fish out so much. But i will try tomorow. How long do you recommend? I did it for 12 mins once and the fish was fine (and still living! Whoo) but it's probably best to do shorter? The fish came down with lympho when introduced, but it has since disappeared. I'm worried that the fw dip wil make the lympho reappear

If I find some kind of weird mysterious worm, ill PM you and ask where to send the worm. But if its just normal looking flukes, i wont bother.Thanks so much!!

 

Did you say what kind of fish this is?

The tank will get some even if it is dosed orally, but not to the same extent.

 

I may have in the first post, but he's a baby raccoon butterfly very cute little dude haha

So should I just soak some frozen food in it? I have prazipro and metro+ powder on hand I can use. He eats many types of frozen foods, but no dry foods. I can also soak sea weed in the prazi/metro as well I guess

 

If he'll eat seaweed, that would be good. What kind of frozen food? Will he take pellet or flake? But if they are acting fine, you have time to figure this out.