Trying to identfy a parasite.

All posts regarding the care and breeding of these catfishes from South America.
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unicoon
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Joined: 20 Aug 2014, 20:23
Location 2: Houston, TX

Trying to identfy a parasite.

Post by unicoon »

Hi, I recently was given a bunch of plecos, super red, calico and L144's. They started dying right away and since I could see nothing on the dead ones, I assumed it was aggression. And moved some to some of my other tanks. There I noticed a calico had bumps the same color as the red part of his skin. As I looked closer I determined it was not natural and moved them back to the quarantine tank. The plecs continued to die and at this point I have one L144 left showing no symptoms. However about 3 - 4 days after I had moved the plecs into my other tanks, some fish in those tanks are showing whitish spots - one or 2 or so.
I have 3 pictures of a plec with the problem I'll try to post. Ok. How do I post pictures here?


Now on to your requested information list:
1. Water parameters
a) Temperature range. Normal 72-82 (Houston is HOT and tanks do not have individual heaters)
b) pH. Unknown 7 ish but drops quickly
c) GH. Unknown Houston water is generally hard
d) KH Unknown
e)Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite, levels. Unknown
f) Water change frequency Once or twice a week - 90%
(Most LFS's will check your water and give a list of readings).

2. Tank set up
a) Size. 10gal
b) Substrate. none
c) Filtration. box, no carbon
d) Furnishings. caves, plants in containers
e) Other tank mates. guppies, swordtail babies, golden long fin cory
f) How long has it been set-up? quarantine tank - 2 weeks, other's 1 year or more
g) When was the last new fish added? Fish were the plecs - 1 week ago
h) Foods used and frequency? Flakes/pellets 2 times a day

3. Symptoms / Problem description Fish dying. Live fish have yellow/orange/golden irregular spots on the body. Different sizes as well as different roundish shapes.

4. Action taken (if any) Temp has been raised to 84+ degrees, 2 small tanks are treated with salt at 2 tablespoons+ per gallon, 3 ten gallon tanks are treated with API general cure. I started this on Thursday, 8/21/14

5. Medications used (if any) Salt, API General Cure
unicoon
Posts: 4
Joined: 20 Aug 2014, 20:23
Location 2: Houston, TX

Re: Trying to identfy a parasite.

Post by unicoon »

Pictures
Attachments
black arrows point to the spots.
black arrows point to the spots.
velvet2.jpg
velvet1.jpg
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nvcichlids
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Re: Trying to identfy a parasite.

Post by nvcichlids »

Velvet?
What's your favorite Dressing~~
unicoon
Posts: 4
Joined: 20 Aug 2014, 20:23
Location 2: Houston, TX

Re: Trying to identfy a parasite.

Post by unicoon »

I went with Heat, salt and API General Cure. 2 tanks got salt only, 2 tanks got API only, and 1 tank got some salt and API. I have a room heater for when it gets cool and it's not a very good one. I kept trying to get the room to 84-86 but with the heater the tanks were registering 96. Of course this is our hottest time this summer. #-O But all the fish did fine. I have seen no fish losses in any tanks. One tank I saw a spot on a fish on Day 2 of the treatment the rest I didn't find any spots. Day 3 and on I could find no spots on any fish. I treated for 5 days - today I did partial water changes and again I find nothing on the fish.

So I guess I'll keep checking these tanks closely for the next couple of weeks and see what happens. :YMPRAY:
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Barbie
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Re: Trying to identfy a parasite.

Post by Barbie »

Without consistent temps, the oodinium will continue to live in their gills and kill anyone he comes in contact with. I would either treat him with ProformC (my medicine of choice) or even quick cure. Do daily 50% water changes during treatment, then wait 10 days and treat for 3 days again. It is quite pernicious and even when the adults look positively cured, it is hell on fry.

Barbie
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apistomaster
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Re: Trying to identfy a parasite.

Post by apistomaster »

Looks like Chilodonella to me.
Verify by viewing skin swab or scraping on glass slide under a microscope.
Parasites appear to be slightly heart shaped through a microscope.
Velvet usually looks more like fine dust.
Avid Trout fly fisherman. ·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
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Barbie
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Re: Trying to identfy a parasite.

Post by Barbie »

Image This is chilodonella, which in my experience causes raw patches on the fish and will erode the tissue between the fin rays. While I have seen oodinium like a fine dust all over the fish, on plecos, for some reason, it causes these larger distinctly golden nodules.

Either way it's sort of a moot point though, as the same treatment would be needed to kill either one.

Barbie
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apistomaster
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Re: Trying to identfy a parasite.

Post by apistomaster »

Nice microphotographs of some species of Chilodonella.
Note; there are many species of Chilodonella. A few infect fish while others need other animal hosts.
The Chilodonella species I have observed under a microscope taken directly from infected plecos had a shape more consistent with those of known fish infesting species.
These organisms are difficult to see in a living and unstained specimen. A magnification of about 400x produces fairly good resolution.
I totally stand by my diagnosis just based on my observations of the gross manifestations of the disease in an advanced stage on the fish in question. Barbie, I do agree with you that the same treatments should be used to treat infested fish.
I have had good success with the following treatment regime:
1 tbs of rock aquarium salt per gal, 250 mg metronidazole/5 gal.s and I prefer using malachite green solution formulated to be used at the 1 drop/gal dose. Metronidazole is an excellent anti-flagellate, anti-protozoan medication. Barbie's posted microphotographs clearly show Chilodonella's characteristics of being an flagellated protozoan organism.
In addition, I use a relatively high temperature range between 86*F and 90*F. Heavy aeration is imperative since the parasites usually heavily infect the fishes' gills and the much lower dissolved O2 levels found at higher aquarium water temperatures.
Even though this treatment has helped me save hundreds of infested plecos the mortality rates remain high due to the delays caused by the disease not being correctly identified. The skin lesions are only visible unaided only in the advanced stages.
I hope your fish recover. I detest this particular parasite because it has cost me much when I used to buy many wild plecos regularly.
Chilodonella should be treated for at least several weeks. I do reduce the water temperature to 86*F after 5 to 7 days at the high end of 90*F. I also lower the amount of salt at around 5 days. I reduce the salt to half the initial dose after 5 days.
Avid Trout fly fisherman. ·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
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