Parasite

Question
QUESTION: I have a 45 gallon fish tank in my room, with several cichlids of all sizes living amongst rocks and real&fake plants. About 3 or more weeks ago I started seeing these weird creatures or tiny microscopic parasites in my tank. They are very tiny and the only stay around the rim or water line. When they get in golfed in the water they make a jumping motion back to the side. My 10 inch tough Pearl Cichlid has been getting sick for a long time now. We clear him up but yet every time he goes back in the tank he gets sick within 2 or 3 days. He gets that fuzz and mouth fungus on him, we clear that up easy, but I was wondering if the tiny brownish parasites were the cause of his deadly sicknesses??

ANSWER: EDIT:  I asked about the meds and the recurrent infection, because it may be a bacterial infection called columnaris.  Pimafix is great, and may be helping to cure it, but not entirely, which would explain why it's coming back.  Here is an excellent article on it, it has a wide range of symptoms, but the fact it keeps coming back, leads me to think this is what you're dealing with:

http://www.flippersandfins.net/flexibacter.htm

I would go with an antibiotic like Maracyn Two or Maracyn Plus, and do a good water change in the main tank.

Good luck!!

Christy



Hi Ramsey
Do they look like mosquito larvae?  Those are small, and generally they congregate at the top of the water surface.  Another common worm that's similar to the mosquito is a midge fly(blood worms), those larvae are usually a reddish color Generally, if you're seeing worms or parasites swimming around the tank, and they're not attached to a fish, they're most likely going to be harmless to the fish.

What are you using to treat the pearl cichlid with the mouth fungus?  

Christy

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: So do you think I should treat my other tank the 45 gallon with anything, my Pearls in a 15 gallon by himself being treated. Let me know if I should, if so could you tell me what to use. Thanks for that incredible amount of help.
ANSWER: Like most illnesses/infections fish get, they're usually brought on by stress-whether it be another fish picking on it, over crowding, poor water conditions, etc.  

If no other fish are showing signs/symptoms, I would treat the sick fish in a separate tank like you're doing.  Do a good water change in the main tank, vacuum the gravel/substrate area really good too.  Keep the water quality good-ammonia and nitrites at 0 ppm, and nitrates under 20 ppm.  Best way to keep those levels is doing weekly water changes-depending on what kind and how many fish are in the tank, I would do between a 25-50% weekly water change.  

I would use either Maracyn Two or Maracyn Plus for treatment.  Be sure to use it for the full amount of time required.  You can also use the PimaFix in conjunction with it, if there does happen to be a fungal problem as well.  I would also go ahead and use some of the PimaFix in the main tank to be on the safe side.  Being an herbal remedy, it won't hurt anything in there.  

If you end up for whatever reason having to treat the main tank with an antibiotic, be aware that most antibiotics will kill off a large amount of the beneficial bacteria in the tank, causing the tank to go through another cycle process.  So you'll need to monitor the ammonia and nitrites closely.  

You could also add a bit of aquarium salt to the tank, 1 tablespoon per 5 US gallons, IF there's no catfish, plecos, loaches, tetras, or other scaleless fish.  You'll also need to relocate the plants temporarily as well.  Otherwise, no big deal if you don't use it.

Let me know how it goes, hopefully that's what the problem is, and it won't come back anymore!!

Christy

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Is there anything I should use to make sure theres no trace of the bacteria or fungus thats affecting my Pearl Cichlid?? Should I do anything extra to the plants, or to all the rocks the big ones I use for hiding spots and the pebbels for my plants, so that they may be safe for the tan again??

Answer
If no other fish are showing symptoms, I'd be hesitant to use medicine in the main tank, because it will most likely kill off the beneficial bacteria that's established in there.  That will cause the tank to go through another cycle-making the ammonia and nitrites spike.  Vacuum the gravel good, change about 40-50% of the water.  I wouldn't do anything extra with the plants or gravel etc.  If there's a problem in there, it's in the water as well.  But, if no other fish are being affected, it may just be something with that one fish, and the disease wasn't getting completed cured.  

Maybe what you could do, when you're done with the antibiotic course in the QT tank, and move him back to the main tank, start treating the main tank with him back in it with the PimaFix for the course.  

Christy