Strange parasite activity

[robotshrimp]

Hi there,

Abridged version of a long story, but after recovering from a previous bout of illness last month that was treated with Pima & Mela, water changes, and salt, about two and a half weeks ago my beloved goldfish was starting to look a little sick again.

It started with him acting strangely. He started hiding and flashing, but nothing else. He is usually quite charismatic though, and likes to beg for food when he sees me, so whenever he starts hiding I know something is going on.

No outward symptoms, but as the days went on he got a little more lethargic on and off, was breathing harder, and was a little out of it but he was still eating (just at a slower pace).

I tried PraziPro for a little more than a week, thinking it might be gill flukes and it seemed to have worked. He was swimming and acting normally again at the end of treatment. However, after I did a water change and put the carbon back in the aqua clear filter, his behavior started to revert again (maybe the siphon was contaminated from an earlier water change?). Before long, he was looking lethargic again and so I decided to give the PraziPro another try late last night.

Here's where it gets weird. I put the liquid into the water. All of the sudden, there were many tiny bubbles that appeared in the water, which I think I remember happening to some extent the first time as well. But my goldfish, he started to flash and twitch and even butt his head on the glass. Tiny bubbles started forming all over his body, and it looked like he was catching them as he was swimming around the tank and through the bubble wall aeration. Many quickly covered and dulled his eyes. They turned into white, ich like spots. After ten minutes the spots went away, as did most but not all of the bubbles on his body. His fins however, are still covered in small ich like spots. Some of the remaining spots on his body look like tiny air bubbles. They seem to disappear and appear quite rapidly, and they change in positioning.

So- I was baffled. I put some aquarium salt in the water after it didn't go away in a few hours, and I am hoping for the best with some more water changes later today as well as maybe heat (although it seems risky).

My question is, does anyone have any ideas why adding the Prazi would cause that weird reaction to happen so rapidly?

Video stills/Pics:

from before PraziPro:

 

[Roz]

How old is the little guy? He is terribly thin - could it be internal parasites as you originally thought? I've never used Prazipro, but wonder if a second course might be worth a try, if he was getting better on it.

I've never seen bubble coverage like that on a fish. Could it have something to do with his slimecoat? Maybe it is not very healthy at the moment while the little guy is sick?

I hope someone with more experience will see this post and also advise.

Fingers crossed for your fishie pal.


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[robotshrimp]

Thank you so much, Roz for your reply and for rooting for my fish. That makes a lot of sense about the bubbles and his compromised slime coat, and it might be a case of internal parasites.

I came home and he seems to be a little less lethargic, so I hope he is getting better. He still has the bubble specks that come and go. I do agree that he is rather thin and have been trying to fatten him up, but so far he is remaining thin. Any suggestions on foods that might help do that along with the medication? I just ordered some blood worms the other day.

He's a hardy little guy, and always fights for another day to be a fish.

 

[Matt68005]

DeWorming Fish Flake Food

 

[Roz]

Thank you so much, Roz for your reply and for rooting for my fish. That makes a lot of sense about the bubbles and his compromised slime coat, and it might be a case of internal parasites.

I came home and he seems to be a little less lethargic, so I hope he is getting better. He still has the bubble specks that come and go. I do agree that he is rather thin and have been trying to fatten him up, but so far he is remaining thin. Any suggestions on foods that might help do that along with the medication? I just ordered some blood worms the other day.

He's a hardy little guy, and always fights for another day to be a fish.

I find the following foods very good for my goldfish, and your little fellow might thrive on them, too:
- New Life Spectrum pellets for goldfish (the sinking type).
- Frozen Brine Shrimps.
- Frozen Blood Worms.
- A vegetable frozen meal called 'Veggie Time".
- A frozen meal called "Goldfish Dinner".
- Deshelled peas.
- for a special treat - bits of banana.

I always have some live plants in the tank, too for snacks. My fish adore eating the heads off "Hair grass".

I feed two meals a day plus a pea supper. I defrost the frozen dinners.

The medicated food suggested by Matt would definitely be worth a try right now while your fish is unwell.





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[Matt68005]

Sorry for the short reply. It was late and i was just skimming the forums real quick on my laptop. The flattened belly condition is a sign of intestinal worms or nematodes. As far as the outward signs, im not sure, but you could try an ick medicine before deworming the sick goldies.