tapeworm

Anyone have any experience treating tapeworm in a Sailfin Tang? Anyone seen the parasite move to other fish in the same aquarium? I've read that many fish aren't harmed by the parasitic infestation but I'd just as soon not have to look at the fish with several long, nasty tapeworms extruding from its vent. Not only that, I really think tapeworms don't help its ability to maintain proper nutrition. I've read about two different medications, but Robert Fenner, in Conscientious Marine Aquarist and on Wet Web Media, doesn't suggest using them.

Ironically, I bought the Tang from someone on this forum who sold me last month on the fact that it's better than buying from a fish store because this way I can know it doesn't have any diseases. It's the worst infestation I've seen in years. Another great lesson to quarantine even if it's been in an aquarium for years.

I pulled the thing out of my reef as soon as I noticed it. Luckily the thing is dog-tame and swam into the net. No kidding.

Edited by dano

Adam,

It's seriously disgusting to see so many tapeworms coming out. He's alone in a tank with a basketball sized growth of caulerpa racemossa and chaetomorpha. The thing is in grazing heaven. I'll try the freshwater dip. Thanks for the idea. I didn't think of that because the parasites are in its intestines and didn't realize that treatment would have much effect. 

Just curious, was there any chaetomorpha in the tank it was in when you noticed the problem?

I thought that at the time, too. The chaeto is in the sump but I don't feed them that stuff. It never seemed to like it as much as caulerpa. When I harvest it some strands float around the tank, but not much. It's possible that it is the chaeto, but I doubt it. I looked closely and there are, what look like with the naked eye, definite segments. Not only that, but there is mass quantity coming out and it hangs for a long time. Maybe I should pull out the microscope.

chaeto is segmented

My bet is on the fish poop. I don't think tapeworms exit "en masse". They live and grow in the intestines. Their eggs or larvae do exit though.

It should be easy to determine. Net out the next lump of "tapeworms" set it in a dish and look closely to see if it wriggles. Use a magnifying glass or Jewelers Loop if your eyes are like mine.

BTW  pics?

Tastes like chitlins. That means it's a tapeworm. Further evidence: it wriggles. And upon close inspection it resembles something in my college Bio text. I knew sketching small animals from a slide would come in handy one day. But the taste test was conclusive. I'm trying the FW dip today with a little copper. Then it's a good ol' southern tapeworm fry at my house.

Dano- after reading all the other replies I felt like an idiot for advising anti worm measures, thinking that they were all probably right in guessing chaetomorpha. 

I'm sorry they were wrong, good luck.

Adam

Sounds like  you've already started your treatment, but...this may be kinda nasty, ...could you bring some 'taste test' samples to the meeting Friday?  Adam could help us with diagnosis.

In a previous life I actually made a vaccine for enteric septecima in catfish, so I started searching my old sites and found this.

http://www.fishyfarmacy.com/fish_diseases/intestinal_disorde rs.html

Helpful?  Probably not but interesting just the same.  Flushing it out won't work due to it (a characteristic of most intestinal parasites) having a hooked appendage near the mouth, suction cup-like mouth or it may have fused with the intestinal membrane.  It will need to be treated and if it is the later the treatment will have to be in the blood stream to affect the worm.  It's been a long time so, I can't off hand tell you much more than a parasitic infection like this in a closed system could be really, really bad.  Depending on the species, millions of eggs are released daily(?).  This may be a good thing (food) for some corals and such but I really don't know, but since it is in a closed system all those eggs are still in your system.  I have a disecting (like) microscope that I could use to get an idea of what you have, then maybe we could figure out how to treat it.

Copper is a very good start though.  Most inestinal worms only take up the nutrients the fish would be getting so, time is on your side and the copper addition should knock it on it's slithery butt, although it may not kill it.

John