# !!!HELP!!! Parasite?



## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

I noticed, starting yesterday, that one of my Bleeding Heart tetras has some white discharge coming out of one of its nostrils...

Also, my lone male bolivian ram has a whitish patch over his eye. It looks like scrape damage in the picture but it isn't. Just a white patch... Looks like dinoflagelates... I didn't think cichlids were prone though...

The only two changes recently: Started using FROST BITES frozen food (I think this is the culprit)

and added a coconut cave, which had been sitting in still water in my unused 20G... which was disease free... and I rinsed it in scalding hot water...

It must be the frozen food...

Does this look like anything to anyone?


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

That's a toughie Pablo. Bloodworms are generally farmed and collected in low flow, not stagnant waters. The larvae feed on algea and organics on the sediment. High protein and fat.

The QC/QA (quality control/assurance) of harvesting and packaging is the only thing that will be in question. Unfortunately, I have no idea where the product is produced and distributed. If you can send me the info I can do some asking around.

Tubifex worms on the other hand can be probelmatic. They feed on organic matter in a mucky sediment where they ingest anaerobic bacteria which some types can cause problems when eaten by other animals. Purging them by frequent daily changing of the water helps the process. High in protein but low in fat.

For now, just take out the coconut shell and stop feeding the bloodworms to see if things improve without chemical intervention and well go frm there.

HTH


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

wtac said:


> That's a toughie Pablo. Bloodworms are generally farmed and collected in low flow, not stagnant waters. The larvae feed on algea and organics on the sediment. High protein and fat.
> 
> The QC/QA (quality control/assurance) of harvesting and packaging is the only thing that will be in question. Unfortunately, I have no idea where the product is produced and distributed. If you can send me the info I can do some asking around.
> 
> ...


Thank you my wet-thumbed friend 
The plecos are going to be very upset with me when I take their coconut cave out...

I also have brineshrimp I bought at the same time, same company. Mike @ Finatics says he feeds the bloodworms to everything he has in the store and hasn't had problems... so I'm pretty confused.. He didn't say anything about the brineshrimp

I'd have to assume the brineshrimp (being bred in brine and all) would be safe to use in the interim while we find out about the bloodworms?

Thanks again man. How'd the glass cutting session end up working out the other day? He really had you workin back there eh? 

Have a good night man

Pablo


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

The glass cutting, in the end, went fine. I shouldn't be handling large sheets in a tired state. Unfortunately I wasted quite a bit of glass to make glass lids for the two show aquariums at the back. I should have known better...LOL.


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

wtac said:


> The glass cutting, in the end, went fine. I shouldn't be handling large sheets in a tired state. Unfortunately I wasted quite a bit of glass to make glass lids for the two show aquariums at the back. I should have known better...LOL.


As long as you didn't waste yourself or your arteries I think Mike will forgive you 

Ya cutting when tired is more dangerous for the whole "slicing an artery and dying" bit than the "I wasted glass" bit


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Hey pablo, i've been using the same bloodworm and i havent noticed any paracite issues.. 

They are a bit smaller but much better colour and smell as you said before.
I need them small and easy to eat for my bettas.

Wilson, this is the website for the food.
http://www.aquatichaven.com/

i've been pleased with it so far


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## moon (Mar 11, 2006)

Pablo
I don't think it's food. This is a bacterial infection like HITH. This happens to dwarf chiclids. I have lost a few Apistos to this problem. I think it's a combination of water quality and stress. Most of my fish affected were at the bottom of the pecking order and were being stressed by others.
I tried a number of medications but the fish always died. I think if you treat it early you might save the fish.
HTH
Joe


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