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Camallanus Worms (Warning: Somewhat Graphic Pics)

11K views 48 replies 6 participants last post by  Sakura8 
#1 ·
It seems my boy Anderson may have these camallanus worms. At first I thought it was a bacterial infection because he has begun slight pineconing, and so he is in 3 tsps of epsom salt and Maracyn II. But when I went to do my final check on him for the night, I noticed that his, er, vent had red threads sticking from it. After a few moments observation, I noticed the threads were moving. o_O My poor Anderson. When I touched his back, the threads retreated but I was able to get a few pics of his, uhm, butt.

But what is the best way to treat these worms? General Cure? Or something else? And will it shock him too much to go from Maracyn II to something else? Advice would be much appreciated.

Tank size: 1g hospital tank
Heated to 79 degrees

He was previously housed in my community tank with 10 neons, 8 rummynoses, 1 platy, 6 cories, and 2 otos, as well as numerous Malaysian Trumpet Snails. I have lost 2 cories and 1 platy in the last 2 weeks although I am not sure if their deaths are related to Anderson's worm trouble. No new fish have been added for at least a month so I am at a loss how he contracted these nasty things.

Pics (Warning: because they are of a fish's butt, they are a bit graphic)
Fish Tail Fish Aquarium
The circled area shows the worms
Close-up Tail Tree Plant Branch

 
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#2 · (Edited)
Hi Sakura,
So sorry to hear your aquarium has got Camallanus. I have read somewhere that bettas are the first to show signs of these worms. So I would definitely keep an eye on the big tank, or you may want to consider treating the whole thing. As it is highly contagious, make sure you are really cautious in handling everything.

So far, the reports have shown that Fenbendazole being the most effective in eradicating these suckers (no pun intended). The brand names in the US are Panacur and Safe-guard. They are both the same thing (22% fenbendazole) but only Panacur requires a prescription from a vet. SafeGuard you can probably find at Petsmart.

I guess it depends on what strain of Camallanus you have, some will react to Jungle anti parasitic treatments while others could be tenacious and require stronger treatment.

I have also found Flubendazole being another. Flubenol 15 is the trade name. Here is the link to the water soluble type for the aquarium. http://www.aquarist-classifieds.co.uk/php/detail51_62110.php


Good luck! Hope none of them are greatly affected and will recover quickly. Keep us posted.

Cheers!


 
#3 ·
Ah, thank you, earthworm. :) You're awesome. I'll head out and look for Safe-Guard to start with while I look for a vet that has Panacur. While my big community tank seems okay for the moment, one more betta who has been "off" for the last few days has now shown definitive signs of having camallanus. He was in a divided tank so I'm thinking I may treat his tankmates as a precaution. One looks all right but the other is starting to show signs of a greying belly. I should probably also tear down the tank and sterilize it, too.

Thanks again, earthworm. I appreciate your help. :) *hugs*
 
#4 ·
Hey Sakura,

Not sure how much I can help since I have no personal experience with this. But I had read a bit since the last time one of the members had hers dropping like flies, and I suspected it could be due to Camallanus. I have copied and pasted some literature and links for your reference. Sorry they seem to be in bits and pieces. I had copied down all the pertinent info last time, but I can't seem to find my doc at this time.

"Fenbendazole and Flubendazole are very different in activity and solubility. Fenbendazole must be eaten and metabolized to make it work. Flubendazole has 3 times greater solubility. It is active absorbed through the skin and gills. It does not have to be eaten. It is easier to dose because one does not need to know how much has been eaten. One makes a concentrated solution in aquarium water and the dosing is done."

Supposedly Fenbendazole tastes like crap. Since it has to be ingested, may need to mix it with garlic juice/garlic guard and others to soak the pellets in to enhance the taste a bit.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/fish/131643-deworming-2.html
 
#5 ·
I do not have any info on what earthworm said, but, as for being careful what you use with your fish, you can clean everything down with hot water and vinegar - this is a gentler solution than hot water and bleach. I used that for my siphone tube, spoons, mixing buckets, etc. This'll ensure that it does not travel to anyone else. Best way, is directly after using it clean it with hot water and vinegar, then rinse. :)

good luck!!
 
#6 ·
Earthworm, thank you so much! I think I remember the case you are referring to; I'm not sure we ever did find out what happened to those fish. Right now, I have no transportation so I'm in wait mode. If my local Petsmart doesn't have Safeguard, I'll check with my veterinarian about Panacur.

Sena: Thank you! I was wondering how I was going to clean everything. Fortunately, the divided tank isn't really planted, just some gravel and a few bits of anachris stuck here and there. Should be easy to tear it down and give it a good scrub.
 
#7 ·
That's good!! Any live plants, remove from the tank and quarantine... I think people have used tap water to do this - better than hot water :p

Rinse the gravel a lot... ornaments, fake plants, the whole works. Even clean the filter while you're at it... This'll definitely lower the chance of that little nuisance from being in there! That's all I can think of, cleaning/quarantine wise...
 
#8 ·
Thanks, Sena. I think I may just toss the gravel altogether. I've got a bucketful of the stuff. Question, though. I have an anubias attached to a lava rock. Should I rinse the lava rock (and any anubias roots/rhizomes) in tap water too? Will it hurt the anubias?
 
#9 ·
So after calling some local pet stores and doing a bit of research, it looks like what I need is actually a dog/cat dewormer called Safeguard?

According to an old post on tfk, this is what I do:
"I dissolved 1/8 teaspoon Fenbendazole in Garlic Guard, Entice and Vita-Chem (fen. is nasty tasting, gotta add flavor enticers to convince your fish to eat it). Then I added 2 cubes of beefheart. I added a teaspoon of Focus (by Seachem) which binds the medication to the food. Then I let it all soak in for an hour or so. I fed the food and within the hour my Bolivian Ram (the only one displaying worms protruding from his vent) passed a dead worm. I fed the food for three days to be safe, and fed the same recipe again a week later."

I don't have Focus but I have Garlic Guard and Vita-Chem so I think what I'll do is get some from my vet and mix 1/8 tsp with the aforementioned products and a cube or two of bloodworms, since I don't think you're supposed to feed beefheart to bettas. I hope this works because from all accounts, levamisole (my other option) is hard to find.

Wish my fishies luck. :)
 
#10 ·
Yes! Sorry I did not tell you SafeGuard is a dewormer for canines. Ideally Flubenol 15 is manufactured for aquarium use for its water solubility, but I think you can only find that in UK.

I agree, I would have used bloodworm too. Pellets will also be able to soak up the tx solution as well. Don't forget Camallanus has 30 days life cycle, as Sena suggested, disinfect everything thoroughly. I have read bleach is ok, but must be diluted and let sit. The key word is rinse....lots of rinsing, letting it sun dry and rinsing again. Just do what you think is easiest for you.

This info will be helpful for dosage:
"This wormer is Fenbendazole.
So, he contacted an aquatic biologist friend, and they worked out a dosage.
Dissolve 3CC of powdered Fenbendazole in 100ml of water.
Mix well, then add as many bloodworms as you need to feed your fish. Soak for 30 mins to 1 hour, then dump the entire container in the tank, water and all.
So, for 14.35 in cost, I picked up my Fenbendazole in powder/crushed form.
The brand name it goes under is Panacur.
I brought it home, and prepared the first dose.
It seemed to really soak into the bloodworms, changing them to a slightly lighter and grayish color tone.
I fed the fish 2x A Day for 2 days.
I watched the affected fish carefully.
Within 36 hours, all worms have withered and dropped away from the affected fish.
Within 48 hours, I could find no remaining fish with Camallanus Worms protuding.
I followed up with a good gravel vac and a large water change.
I repeat this treatment in 2 weeks time, and then again in 2 weeks following if need be.
I have enough medication to do at least 7 more doses.
However, I dont think I will need it."
For full article and comments, go to http://www.petfish.net/kb/entry/154/

Good luck! Glad you caught this worm early before any casualties!
 
#12 ·
Hi earthworm!

I called my vet clinic and they did have Panacur but they wouldn't give it to me without seeing the pet who would be receiving it. The catch? They don't see fish. Boo. So I found the Safe-Guard at Petsmart and I've got it all mixed up but sadly, as I feared, no one has an appetite. Both affected boys were "off" for a week and I was frustrated as heck because I knew they were sick since they wouldn't eat but I couldn't tell what they were sick with. :( Now I know what they're sick with but they still won't eat.

I also ordered some medicated flakes from a small company that DarkMoon17 suggested. They should arrive by early next week so maybe I'll have better success with them. In the meantime, I did disinfect one small 2.5g when I switched one of the boys to a smaller kritter keeper. Both are also in 3 tsps ES/gallon just in case that helps with anything.

Thanks a bunch, friend, you've been a great help. :) I truly appreciate all the advice and information you've found for me. Thank you.
 
#13 ·
Yikes! That's always an issue with meds if required Rx from vet unless you have got a personal friend who is willing to "look" at your fish.

Unfortunately you are right, they will have absolutely no appetite whatsoever because the Camallanus' head latch on to the betta's stomach and intestines and just suck the life out of it, hence the fatality rate is generally high :( so continue to coax them with the bloodworms until your medicated flakes arrive.

*Blush* I haven't done much, just found some info here and there. Sorry I am not as knowledgeable as I would like to be. I hope your fish will decide to eat, as it will help them fight this battle and win.

Best of luck!
 
#14 ·
So, if the head latches on to the stomach, am I looking at the worms' backsides coming out of my fish? If so, yeek. Those are long worms. o_O

You're very knowledgeable. I would say you are one of the best on the forum at knowing and finding information, earthworm. :)
 
#15 ·
Sakura, you are too kind. I do have some medical background, but just not for treating fishes, and luckily so far, SBD is all I need to deal with and an occasional blow outs and mechanical injuries :D

Here is a good read about Camallanus. I must say that the worms on her finger look more like 1 cm to me and not 1 inch, but they do grow that long! Gross!

http://inkmkr.com/Fish/CamallanusTreatment/

Camallanus are intestinal roundworms or nematodes and are usually long and red or reddish brown. (The worms are red from their victim's blood in their gut.) They grow to about 2cm long. These are seen hanging out of the guppy's anus and will often be seen withdrawing back into the anus.


Livebearers, especially guppies, are prone to this disease.


The worm has powerful jaws and hangs onto the intestinal wall, often inflicting wounds that can become infected with bacteria. Their grip is so tight the tissue in their grasp dies from lack of blood, causing them to move to another spot. They destroy the epithilium and cause ulcers. In heavy infestations, the worm can create holes in the intestine through which bacteria and other pathogens can enter the abodomen. These infections often result in the death of the host, the fish showing signs of poisoning before dying. Another cause of death to the host is obstruction of the intestine, especially in young guppies.

Again, wish there is more I could do, for now, I can only pray that your boys will eat and fight these horrible nematodes!
 
#16 · (Edited)
#17 ·
Okay, well I don't think it'd hurt the rock nor the roots to rinse in tap water. The chlorine will "sanitize" them from pests, like those worms... Usually I'd say about 3-7 days works. anubias is pretty hardy from what I know.
 
#18 ·
Earthworm, whoa. It's interesting, the worms coming out of my bettas look smaller and finer than those, almost like tiny hairs. Disgusting. My poor boys. Those are some tenacious critters. o_O

Tiki: Maybe the person I talked to on the phone at my vet clinic was confused? I don't know. I did find Panacur on Dr Foster and Smith website but it was $320 for 100grams. I don't think so.

Sena, okay, thanks for the advice! I'll rinse the rocks in tap water and hope that does the trick.

Update: Anderson refuses to eat the medicated worms and skulks on the bottom but Riceball is much more active and ate a worm before he realized it tasted nasty. He wouldn't eat a second worm but maybe I can trick him again tomorrow.
 
#19 ·
Riceball will eat his medicated worms so I'm not worried about him but Anderson . . . I'm running out of options. I'm going to the vet clinic in a while to see if they have and will let me have Flubendazole to put in the water. If not, then I am going to have them humanely euthanize Anderson because he won't get better if he won't eat his medicated worms. :( My only chance is a solvent in the water.
 
#20 ·
I am not quite sure simply rinsing the plants and rocks with tap water will do the trick for the fact that the larvae are really hardy but microscopic and can survive for a long time.

Yay...good to hear Riceball ate a worm! Hopefully he will have a short memory and will eat again :)

Ouch! $320 for 100 gm?! That's outrageous!

Yeah Sakura, the tell tale sign is they will look like red paint brush sticking out of their vent. At their final stage, they will grow quickly and elongate.

Would you consider mixing up some not so dissolved Fenbendazole into Anderson's tank before you take the drastic step? I have read an article that it helped a bit as the powder dissolved slightly over time. But as you said, it may be more humane to end his misery now than later.

How's the rest of your brood doing? No other fish is showing signs of this yah? Watch Riceball to see if the bite he took killed the camallanus by checking the bottom of his QT.

Good luck!
 
#21 ·
For the two tanks that I have emptied, I used boiling water and vinegar. Haven't tackled the divided 10g yet, that'll be a project for tomorrow.

Anderson wasn't doing so well. His scales were starting to stick up, not quite pineconing but definitely raised, and he was getting fin rot on his tail. He was so listless I could lift him up in the water, remove my hand and he'd just sink. Wouldn't even move a fin. :( I went to the vet clinic and asked about meds but they didn't have Flubenol or Levamisol. Based on how bad he looked and how weak he was, I made the decision to have them euthanize him. I'm thinking he may have gotten a bacterial infection on top of the worms because he was in way worse condition than Riceball.

In addition to the worms that are in Safe-Guard, I should have some medicated flakes arriving soon so that's good news for Riceball. None of my other fish are showing any signs of these worms but I may treat the fish who were in the divided tank with Riceball with praziquantel just to be on the safe side.

Snails can't bring camallanus in, can they?
 
#22 ·
Sorry to hear that Anderson is so weak. Unfortunately, sometimes the fish will succumb to the secondary infections faster than the original helminthic infection.

I haven't found any scientific evidence that snails carry camallanus worms, but some fishkeepers felt that they could based on personal experience, and others question the type of snails and strains of camallanus etc. So the answer to your question is inconclusive.

Great idea you treated the tank where Riceball was in with Praziquantel.
I hope the rest of the gang will make it ok.

Good luck! Hope the flakes will arrive soon!
 
#26 ·
RIP, Anderson.
Riceball, fighting! <<in Korean accent>>

Sakura, keep up the good work! :)
 
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