Black Ich (turbellarians)

[Fishfinder]

I have a fish in quarantine with turbellarians. Is it life threatening? Or should I do a couple freshwater dips and let it be? I see that Jay says that treatment can be more harmful than the disease

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have a fish in quarantine with turbellarians. Is it life threatening? Or should I do a couple freshwater dips and let it be? I see that Jay says that treatment can be more harmful than the disease

Not life threatening and are turbellarian worms and likely the Paravortex version which are smaller and appear as grains of black spots
These worms have a single host life cycle producing several juveniles which can last up to 30 days but rarely do. Best is to treat with Praziquantel better known as prazi pro for two 8 day intervals with a water change on day 9.
other option is formalin based medication such as quick cure or ruby Rally Pro starting with a bath for 45 minutes followed by treatment
Do note that Prazi will lower both oxygen and appetite, so an airstone is recommended for added aeration and monitor water quality during treatment with a reliable test kit

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I have a fish in quarantine with turbellarians. Is it life threatening? Or should I do a couple freshwater dips and let it be? I see that Jay says that treatment can be more harmful than the disease

It depends on the severity of the infection - can you post a pic?

Siphoning the bottom of the tank can help, as can FW dips. The problem with dips is many people are not accustomed to capturing/handling fish and chasing it around with a net too much can do more harm than good.