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Cleggat

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Dec 25, 2010
Messages
501
Location
UK
Well my guppy has been acting up for about 3/4 days now, he's breathing rapidly, seems to have no strength at times and is also bloated . All my other fish seem to be catching it too as their breathing is getting quicker. I bought the guppy along with the other two corys 10 days ago and they were fine. I do water changes every 5 days and give the tank a good vac every 10, although my friends have been feeding them in the morning for me (has stopped this morning) and may have been feeding them too much. I have to scrub the glass every 2/3 days due to the algae (it sits opposite a window) and have never seen what I seen last night. The light had been off for a matter of hours and I turned the light back on to check up on the guppy as he seemed worse but I automatically noticed a worm crawling up the side of the glass next to him.. I looked around the tank quickly and there was about 6 of the same size and a few baby ones... Although as the light went on they started to hide in the gravel or a few headed up towards the light as if they were going out of the water. I managed to snap a quick picture of one, the seem white with a little orange bit in them, I'm worried that's what is wrong with my fish. (Picture below it's algae that's around the worm and also a video of my guppy)
What are these? Do they effect my fish? If not what is up with my fish?
Another question is how do I get rid of them!! And what do I treat my fish with? Many thanks.

32059-albums1348-picture9376.jpg



YouTube - Ill Lyretail Guppy
 
Hey there!

Sounds like a case of planaria worms. Do they have eyespots?
Planaria are generally harmless tiny worms, but indicate a poor water quality, which could be what is making your fish sick.

Clean your tank very thoroughly for several days, as they feed on detritus and uneaten fish food. Add aquarium salt to your aquarium if you're not already. Guppies can take it! Vacuum your gravel well, and do this until you can't see any more worms. It may take several days.

There is an antiparasitic medication available if the problem persists, but may kill your fish, as it is easy to overdose on the medication. Most likely, if you continue to clean your tank, and reduce the amount you feed your fish, you'll see the little buggers disappear!

Good luck! Best wishes!
 
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