Parasite or marine leech

Bigelf32 · Mar 24, 2022

These have shown up in my tank over the last several weeks and I can’t seem to get rid of them did two prazi bath and nothing
FOWLR tank 290 gallons and ideas ??

fishguy242 · Mar 24, 2022

#fishmedic @lion king ?

Sharkbait19 · Mar 24, 2022

@i cant think

DaJMasta · Mar 25, 2022

These are in the tank and not on a fish? If they're on the tank walls or rocks for any real length of time, they're likely not obligate parasites, at the very least, as they would effectively just be starving.

You may just have some kind of flatworm rather than a parasite.

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal · Mar 25, 2022

DaJMasta said:
These are in the tank and not on a fish? If they're on the tank walls or rocks for any real length of time, they're likely not obligate parasites, at the very least, as they would effectively just be starving.

You may just have some kind of flatworm rather than a parasite.

I was wondering the same thing... Not sure how a "bath" was used... I'm confused, lol

Bigelf32 · Mar 25, 2022

Erin1971Texas said:
I was wondering the same thing... Not sure how a "bath" was used... I'm confused, lol

I dosed the tank with prazi pro , a week ago because a couple were attached to my shark so I removed them and now there are like 50 on the walls just smaller Verizon’s of the one I removed I do not have pics of it when it was on the sharks

lion king · Mar 25, 2022

I am not the expert on such things, but there was a thread not long along on something similar, So do a search to see if you could find it. Sadly during the thread we concluded it was leeches, and that is bad news. Apparently leeches have been showing up, so that's a whole new nightmare. Here it is , I found it, see what you think.

EMERGENCY - Parasite help

I need some help trying to figure out what kind of parasite this is. I introduced an eel and my own fault for not paying enough attention immediately. He is covered in some sort of parasite that is now reproducing. Not sure what it is so not sure how to treat it. They have started to latch on to...

www.reef2reef.com

fishguy242 · Mar 25, 2022

hi, welcome to the reef...

are sharks eating and breathing ok ?
sizes,types, pics, short video ,are all things that will help experts when they arrive ?
post info as soon as possible.
in the meantime start removing "pests" manually with siphon and sock.

thinking this is a type of "leech" ,but i'm no expert.

i cant think · Mar 25, 2022

Bigelf32 said:
These have shown up in my tank over the last several weeks and I can’t seem to get rid of them did two prazi bath and nothing
FOWLR tank 290 gallons and ideas ??

They look more like a marine leech, and yes if they seem to be appearing more often recently is as lion king said, bad news.

Bigelf32 · Mar 25, 2022

Bigelf32 said:
I dosed the tank with prazi pro , a week ago because a couple were attached to my shark so I removed them and now there are like 50 on the walls just smaller Verizon’s of the one I removed I do not have pics of it when it was on the sharks

fishguy242 said:
hi, welcome to the reef...
are sharks eating and breathing ok ?
sizes,types, pics, short video ,are all things that will help experts when they arrive ?
post info as soon as possible.
in the meantime start removing "pests" manually with siphon and sock.

thinking this is a type of "leech" ,but i'm no expert.

Bigelf32 · Mar 25, 2022

Sharks are eating and seaming to be breathing okay but i now noticed on lower half he was trying to bite them off , i belive they are marine leeches and will have to take down the tank and clean it with chemicals and put the sharks into a quantum’s pond , does any one know how I make the sharks free of them with out using formalin ?
and any suggestions on what to clean the tank with ?

Bigelf32 · Mar 25, 2022

Bigelf32 said:
Sharks are eating and seaming to be breathing okay but i now noticed on lower half he was trying to bite them off , i belive they are marine leeches and will have to take down the tank and clean it with chemicals and put the sharks into a quantum’s pond , does any one know how I make the sharks free of them with out using formalin ?
and any suggestions on what to clean the tank with ?

Any help would greatly be appreciated I’ve had them for three years and my sons love them

fishguy242 · Mar 25, 2022

Glad to hear eating, also glad not many on sharks, experts will come soon,
@Eagle_Steve @dantimdad ?

Jay Hemdal · Mar 25, 2022

Bigelf32 said:
I dosed the tank with prazi pro , a week ago because a couple were attached to my shark so I removed them and now there are like 50 on the walls just smaller Verizon’s of the one I removed I do not have pics of it when it was on the sharks

Praziquantel is VERY specific, it really only stuns flukes, it doesn't kill them. What happens is that it stuns the parasites, they fall off of the fish, but then they cannot reattach to the fish, so the parasites die. In addition, prazi only affects flukes and cestodes. Leeches, flatworms and annelids are not really affected.

If you can get one of these worms out and look at it under a microscope - if you see it has a segmented body, then it is a leech/annelid.

As mentioned, the typical thought is: any critter not directly attached to a fish is not an obligate parasite and probably isn't a facultative one either. However, shark leeches do have a free living stage, so I can't tell you if the worms you are seeing on the shark are there as parasites, or just by happenstance.

Leeches are tough to control. Organophosphates work, but these are really toxic to people and sharks. Your best bet would be a formalin bath and moving the shark to a new tank.

Jay

dantimdad · Mar 25, 2022

Jay Hemdal said:
Praziquantel is VERY specific, it really only stuns flukes, it doesn't kill them. What happens is that it stuns the parasites, they fall off of the fish, but then they cannot reattach to the fish, so the parasites die. In addition, prazi only affects flukes and cestodes. Leeches, flatworms and annelids are not really affected.

If you can get one of these worms out and look at it under a microscope - if you see it has a segmented body, then it is a leech/annelid.

As mentioned, the typical thought is: any critter not directly attached to a fish is not an obligate parasite and probably isn't a facultative one either. However, shark leeches do have a free living stage, so I can't tell you if the worms you are seeing on the shark are there as parasites, or just by happenstance.

Leeches are tough to control. Organophosphates work, but these are really toxic to people and sharks. Your best bet would be a formalin bath and moving the shark to a new tank.

Jay

This right here.

I would move them to something bare and treat there. The tank they call home, bleach it, new sand and restart the rocks. I am usually not a nuke it and ask questions later guy, but, sharks are so sensitive to things, it's about the only way to treat it.

BTW, reuse the water out of the display to lessen the shock of the move. The formalin will clear it up.

Bigelf32 · Mar 25, 2022

dantimdad said:
This right here.

I would move them to something bare and treat there. The tank they call home, bleach it, new sand and restart the rocks. I am usually not a nuke it and ask questions later guy, but, sharks are so sensitive to things, it's about the only way to treat it.

BTW, reuse the water out of the display to lessen the shock of the move. The formalin will clear it up.

When you say bleach it just use bleach to clean it or run bleach in water through out the tank ? So it goes thre the pipes or should I just get all new plumbing ?

DeniseAndy · Mar 25, 2022

If you bleach it and run through the plumbing, you do not need new plumbing. Just make sure to rinse really well and let stand dry or freshwater for a time. Bleach breaks down easily and quickly.

dantimdad · Mar 25, 2022

Bigelf32 said:
When you say bleach it just use bleach to clean it or run bleach in water through out the tank ? So it goes thre the pipes or should I just get all new plumbing ?

DeniseAndy said:
If you bleach it and run through the plumbing, you do not need new plumbing. Just make sure to rinse really well and let stand dry or freshwater for a time. Bleach breaks down easily and quickly.

What he said.