FRESHWATER HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

[leighla wolf]

Looks like detritus worms. I’ve had that in my monster fish tanks before. How heavily are you feeding? What kind of substrate are you using? They’ll die back if there’s a lack of excess organics for them to feed on.

I second Houston I get those in my tank too.

 

[leighla wolf]

I second Houston I get those in my tank too.

Usually free fish food

 

[MadeForThat]

Any sores or missing scales on the fish? Have you seen their poop?

 

[vetteguy53081]

These are white as your OP said red. Could very well be Camallanus worms which typically are in tanks from Petco, walmart and petsmart due to their poor husbandry principles not to pose blame. Camallanus worms are internal, parasitic nematodes that infect fresh water fishes. As with your flowerhorn, camallanus worms live in the intestines of a fish where they attach themselves and feed off of the hosts blood.
They also come with live foods when purchased and leads as in your case to refusing food, sunken stomach/ starved appearance. Other symptoms are white stringy poop, bloated bellies and scales of the fish may stick out.
Normally infected fish may begin to hang at the top or bottom of the aquarium and remain in place for long periods of time.
Clean tank but light cleanings rather than big one which can stress the fish further. Do add a teaspoon of epsom or canning salt per 10 gallons and for treatment, pimafix (te tree) may help as will PraziPro. PraziPro would be my choice

 

[leighla wolf]

White poop means parasites

 

[cshouston]

I don’t think the worms are directly related to your flowerhorn’s issues. They may be indirectly related because they generally have population booms in poor quality water with high levels of organics for them to feed on. Unless the red worms are coming from the anal vent, they could be larval stages of several different worms. Either way, I think you need to get on top of your water quality.

 

[vetteguy53081]

He said there were white worms.

Yup- clarified below

 

[Noob_Sam]

Looks like detritus worms. I’ve had that in my monster fish tanks before. How heavily are you feeding? What kind of substrate are you using? They’ll die back if there’s a lack of excess organics for them to feed on.

Ok so i have normal gravel in my fish tank. ( I got them from my lfs). I do weekly water changes. Well i skipped two weeks because i had an AP US history mid term test so i had no time to do a water change. I have 10 tanks in total. Too much maintenance lol... I actually feed every other day. Pellets, frozen shrimp and talapia no live fish. Btw I only had my Flowerhorn for one week I got him last Sunday.(I had fish in and out that tank so its cycled; its been up for 2 years) I will post before and now pics of my flowerhorn. I messaged my friend he breeds flowerhorns and told me he had internal parasites... So idk if those internal parasites are those worms that I see; that's what I am worried. I have huge Oscars, red tail arrowana etc in my 220 and they have those worms as well and I don't want to loose them . And yes the flowerhorn is by him self in a 50. I checked the water its all good except some Ammonia. I did a good water change and added prime. So that should be fixed

 

[vetteguy53081]

White poop means parasites

Internal maybe, but also can be associated with what they are eating and fecal disorders such as internal diseases and in particular, internal parasitic infections from both water quality and diet.

 

[Noob_Sam]

Also all my other fish in my 220 are eating so if those worms are not internal parasites then my flowerhorn had something from my lfs? He we very healthy when i got him... also yes my FH is not eating

 

[leighla wolf]

I don’t think the worms are directly related to your flowerhorn’s issues. They may be indirectly related because they generally have population booms in poor quality water with high levels of organics for them to feed on. Unless the red worms are coming from the anal vent, they could be larval stages of several different worms. Either way, I think you need to get on top of your water quality.

Water quality, lighting, heat (gas exchange) and do you have fruit flies or any sort of fly with larval stages in your house? Believe it or not I got really bizarre looking words in my tank once when I had fruit flies. The tropical warm water mixed with my glass canopy hood made perfect breeding grounds and for little worm like larvea

 

[cshouston]

Ok so i have normal gravel in my fish tank. ( I got them from my lfs). I do weekly water changes. Well i skipped two weeks because i had an AP US history mid term test so i had no time to do a water change. I have 10 tanks in total. Too much maintenance lol... I actually feed every other day. Pellets, frozen shrimp and talapia no live fish. Btw I only had my Flowerhorn for one week I got him last Sunday.(I had fish in and out that tank so its cycled; its been up for 2 years) I will post before and now pics of my flowerhorn. I messaged my friend he breeds flowerhorns and told me he had internal parasites... So idk if those internal parasites are those worms that I see; that's what I am worried. I have huge Oscars, red tail arrowana etc in my 220 and they have those worms as well and I don't want to loose them . And yes the flowerhorn is by him self in a 50. I checked the water its all good except some Ammonia. I did a good water change and added prime. So that should be fixed

Ok, so ammonia is not good. Your tank isn’t cycled. Water change and prime will only work for 24-48 hours. That’s what is harming your flowerhorn. Also, those worms probably hitchhiked in on your LFS’s dirty gravel. Not to mention all the gaps and spaces in gravel are a perfect breeding ground for worms to feast on trapped food. Cut back your feeding, get some bacteria in a bottle to get that tank cycled, and gravel vac VERY well.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ok so i have normal gravel in my fish tank. ( I got them from my lfs). I do weekly water changes. Well i skipped two weeks because i had an AP US history mid term test so i had no time to do a water change. I have 10 tanks in total. Too much maintenance lol... I actually feed every other day. Pellets, frozen shrimp and talapia no live fish. Btw I only had my Flowerhorn for one week I got him last Sunday.(I had fish in and out that tank so its cycled; its been up for 2 years) I will post before and now pics of my flowerhorn. I messaged my friend he breeds flowerhorns and told me he had internal parasites... So idk if those internal parasites are those worms that I see; that's what I am worried. I have huge Oscars, red tail arrowana etc in my 220 and they have those worms as well and I don't want to loose them . And yes the flowerhorn is by him self in a 50. I checked the water its all good except some Ammonia. I did a good water change and added prime. So that should be fixed

You said water quality is good- Can we get numbers? And what test kit(s) are you using as API is less than dependable.
What is age of tank and are you using tap water?
Camallanus worms are internal, parasitic nematodes that infect fresh water fishes. As with your flowerhorn, camallanus worms live in the intestines of a fish where they attach themselves and feed off of the hosts blood.

 

[cshouston]

It could also have some kind of internal issues from the LFS’s system. You can try treating with API general cure.

 

[leighla wolf]

Also all my other fish in my 220 are eating so if those worms are not internal parasites then my flowerhorn had something from my lfs? He we very healthy when i got him... also yes my FH is not eating

Just because a fish LOOKS healthy at first doesn’t mean he is. Anything I put in my tanks I quarantine first, treat preemptively, then put in community tanks because IFthey have something, the stress of shipments, lfs tanks (and how clean their systems are....some run on shared systems) then moving them to your tank is a lot of moves a lot of water quality changes and a lot of stress.

 

[Noob_Sam]

First pic is before the rest are today. Also forgot to mention the area near he poops its white and pealing off... its weird. Also there poop sticking out. As you can see in the first pic he was pooping a lot. that pic was taken 3 days later he was in tank.

 

[Noob_Sam]

agh i feel so sad looking at the pics

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ok so i have normal gravel in my fish tank. ( I got them from my lfs). I do weekly water changes. Well i skipped two weeks because i had an AP US history mid term test so i had no time to do a water change. I have 10 tanks in total. Too much maintenance lol... I actually feed every other day. Pellets, frozen shrimp and talapia no live fish. Btw I only had my Flowerhorn for one week I got him last Sunday.(I had fish in and out that tank so its cycled; its been up for 2 years) I will post before and now pics of my flowerhorn. I messaged my friend he breeds flowerhorns and told me he had internal parasites... So idk if those internal parasites are those worms that I see; that's what I am worried. I have huge Oscars, red tail arrowana etc in my 220 and they have those worms as well and I don't want to loose them . And yes the flowerhorn is by him self in a 50. I checked the water its all good except some Ammonia. I did a good water change and added prime. So that should be fixed

Adding prime does not constitute water is fixed. It may lower your ammonia reading temporarily but rechechecking 12-24 hours will give you a better reading of where tank is at.

 

[cshouston]

Yeah, that fish is in bad shape. I’d take it back to the LFS and demand your money back. Otherwise, treat with general cure which is metronidazole and praziquantel, both of which should help.

Water quality isn’t helping either. Any ammonia present means your cycle has barely started.

 

[Noob_Sam]

ok wait soo many of you are commenting that i missed some let me go back. thanks btw one sec.