Worm in fishes mouth

[Brasileiro561]

Hello everybody. I’ve been in the hobby for about 10 years. Never posted anything here. But always come here to find answers. A few years ago I got velvet and it killed my system. Ever since I quarantine everything and have had a lot of success so far if I may say.

My latest addition is a powder blue. Within 20 min of being in the qt tank he was picking on the glass and the pvc pipe. So I threw some pellets see if he would eat. He would suck it in and spit it out. And he never really ate anything. But he always tried. So The first week he had 2 dose of prazipro. Then I did a 50% water change and started with cupramine and prazipro again.

After about 15 min after dosing I noticed this worm looking thing hanging out of its mouth. I watched for 20 min but it wouldn’t fall out. ( I’m assuming that’s why he wouldn’t swallow food ) So I left for work. When I came back the worm was gone but I couldn’t find it on the bottom of the glass. Now it has been 1 and half week and no signed of the worm. And now he still sucks the food in and spits out but eventually eats one or two pellets. I wonder if the worm is gone but his mouth is sore?

I was planing on adding him to the tank next week ( 20 days) So far no sign of ich velvet ori termal parasite but I’m very worried about that that thing might be and if it’ll spread. I love my fishs and I have $300 fishes in there.


if anybody has any idea of what this might be. I can’t find anything like that by online. There’s a tongue eating critter but this is too small to compare with the pictures.
Thank you

 

[Crabs McJones]

Captive bred or wild caught?

 

[Brasileiro561]

Captive bred or wild caught?

I think it’s wild caught. Got it from NYaquatics. But It came in fat and trying to eat from the beginning.

 

[Crabs McJones]

I think it’s wild caught. Got it from NYaquatics. But It came in fat and trying to eat from the beginning.

The reason I ask is there is a type of isopod that will attach itself inside a fish's mouth. It's called Cymothoa. See if you can catch the tang, and look inside its mouth.

 

[Brasileiro561]

The reason I ask is there is a type of isopod that will attach itself inside a fish's mouth. It's called Cymothoa. See if you can catch the tang, and look inside its mouth.

Thanks McJones. I did find that when I was researching but every picture that I seen you could see the Cymothoa eyes. But that’s a good idea. I’ll try to remove the fish and look in it’s mouth. Do you think copper Can kill it? There’s not much info about it in reef tanks

 

[Crabs McJones]

Thanks McJones. I did find that when I was researching but every picture that I seen you could see the Cymothoa eyes. But that’s a good idea. I’ll try to remove the fish and look in it’s mouth. Do you think copper Can kill it? There’s not much info about it in reef tanks

Yeah unfortunately i'm not sure the procedure on removing them :S maybe @HotRocks @4FordFamily or @Humblefish knows? Should probably positively ID it first, but still would be nice to know a treatment should one ever come across it.

 

[Brasileiro561]

@Crabs McJones thanks again. I emailed Michael at NYAquatic maybe he has some insight. Found some stuff that claims that cleaning shrimp has been known to eat isopods. Let’s hope that’s the case if the fish ever makes into my DT

 

[Gareth elliott]

If is a parasitic isopod or copepod, usually manual removal has the highest success rate. As most insecticides safe for fish are only growth inhibitors.

Interceptor can be used but usually requires much higher concentrations than normally used for reef parasites. so might be more beneficial done as a bath not to the quarantine tank.

something like .081g/gal for about 150 minutes. Keep a close eye and be ready to remove if negative effects are perceived.

I have had success with free swimming larvae and dosing cyromazine to the water. But had no effect on adults at all.

*Disclaimer I have only ever dealt with parasitic copepods not isopods personally. And Im not actually sure what i am seeing in the picture.

 

[Brasileiro561]

@Gareth elliott thanks I'll see if i can look inside its mouth. that's the best pictures i could get. the fish wouldn't stay still and always in the back of the tank, the zoom of the picture didn't help much either.

 

[4FordFamily]

I’ve never dealt with them either but seem to remember formalin being a treatment method as they don’t respond to prazi

 

[Brasileiro561]

So the good news is that the parasite appears to be gone. got the fish out of the tank and with a 5k lumens flashlight and a magnifying glass between me and my wife we couldn't find anything, and the tongue still there as well. thank you all for the help and input!!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Cleaner shrimp and cleaner wrasse may grab them. If not, try a formalin bath, even a freshwater bath as pods don't do well in freshwater after a couple of minutes.

 

[Crabs McJones]

So the good news is that the parasite appears to be gone. got the fish out of the tank and with a 5k lumens flashlight and a magnifying glass between me and my wife we couldn't find anything, and the tongue still there as well. thank you all for the help and input!!

Glad to hear

 

[Gareth elliott]

Awesome news.
To fatten back up if eating again. Some clams on a half shell with your normal tang algae enriched diet should help move its immune system in the right direction.