hoping for saltwater dip / bath advice..

[totalnewb]

Hi. I am hoping someone can clarify this for me.
Have chosen to try saltwater for affected cardinal tetra.
Parasite removal. Not Ich.

Have read too many different scenarios on correct salinity and timings.
I know cardinals are a bit more sensitive than most.

Oh yeah, I only have aquarium salt.
Does 1 tsp/ G sound right?
Dipping or bath?

I really don't want to hurt or kill him with my ignorance.
Would really appreciate some advice.

 

[jlk]

The issue is if its a parasite, your tank needs to be treated as well as your fish. Even if the salt bath did help, as soon as you move him back to the tank he came from, he will be reinfested. Parasites need to be addressed by treating the whole tank, not just a single fish.

 

[totalnewb]

The issue is if its a parasite, your tank needs to be treated as well as your fish. Even if the salt bath did help, as soon as you move him back to the tank he came from, he will be reinfested. Parasites need to be addressed by treating the whole tank, not just a single fish.

Thank you for replying. The problem is that I've been doing research since it showed up 3 days ago and can't figure out what it is! Therefor don't know what to do to treat it. Everyone else in the tank seems fine. Even said fish behaving normally. It's just got this white thing on it's side which I figure is some kind of parasite. I just wanted to see it I could dislodge it.

If you have any suggestions on how or where I might be able to diagnose it, I would be greatly appreciative.
Aside from the guys at the LFS, I don't know anyone else who keeps tanks.

 

[jlk]

Can you possibly post a pic of what you are seeing so we can help to figure it out? Does it look like a worm or a bug or just a bunch of white strings/hairs?

 

[totalnewb]

I can't find my real camera. All I have is my phone. It's a terrible pic but probably the best I'm going to get with this thing.

Note the whitish underbelly (distention?) and the fact that it's misshapen.
Then the white curled thing on it's side.

He's eating, pooping, no more listless than any of the other tetras. He seems to be breathing a little harder than the smaller ones but more or less on par with the other two of his size.

 

[jlk]

I can see something on his side but it's pretty hard to tell what. Is it round or worm-like? Can you provide a description?

 

[totalnewb]

Yes. it's worm like, but as you can see it's curled. It just showed up one day and hasn't changed in appearance since. I'm not sure what other info I can give you. Is there such thing as an external nematode?
Then this am, I noticed one of the other cardinals has one damaged gill. almost looks like it was torn a little or a bit shorn off. Don't know what to do about that either!
I thought this would be a nice relaxing hobby.

 

[jlk]

An injured gill will heal on its own with nothing special other than healthy water. Do you think you would be able to pick up the fish with the thing on it & remove it with tweezers? If you cant, no big deal but its a bit hard to figure how to address the situation without knowing what you may be dealing with. Nematodes/certain other worms can be treated with dewormer-type meds such as fenbendazole. If its an anchor worm or fish louse, then an insecticide needs to be used. Something like a leech is another issue altogether.

 

[totalnewb]

thank you for everything but last night, the thing all but disappeared. posted new appeal for advice 2 minutes ago in same unhealthy fish forum. Would appreciate if you'd give it a minute despite that much of it will be redundant for you. You've been so great, much appreciated. I just don't know what to do next. thank you again for you time and for the patience of dealing with a newb.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f17/unidentified-issue-should-i-put-my-tetra-down-249710.html

 

[totalnewb]

...sorry It"s not an anchor, or a louse as far as I can tell. The only thing that I came up with was a possible nematode. But all that I have found show them as interior offenders with only anal showings after it's too late.
You know, I thought to remove it with tweezers on the first day, but I had nothing to anesthetize the tetra. I'm no surgeon and he's so small..
I thought nematodes were primarily internal (?)
Maybe I made a big mistake.