Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
First thank you so much for the help no need to apologize. I treated the QT tank with paraguard before the first FW dip and just did a second FW dip a day later but nothing came out this time. If I get another one I can try to get a shot with the real camera but probably not.Sorry - I’ve been offline since this morning.
Those are most likely isopods, but could be copepods…I’d need to see one under a microscope to tell.
They clearly have eyes, so I’d say isopods.
I have NEVER seen that many on one fish before, never more than half a dozen on one fish.
Some of these isopods are not true parasites, more like micropredators.
I’m not sure the fish can survive the massive damage these must have caused, but FW or formalin dips would knock them back.
Jay
Yes I feel so bad for the fish, and also wish I dipped in a more clear container to have better video of what happened but I was NOT expecting that to happen. Wasn’t even going to record it.Wow! Like something out of a movie.
Yes - some isopods have been known to become free living in tanks and can become pests. You can try baiting them in a mesh net with a bit of fish flesh or krill inside. Check it before lights come on in the morning to see if you see any isopods in the mesh.First thank you so much for the help no need to apologize. I treated the QT tank with paraguard before the first FW dip and just did a second FW dip a day later but nothing came out this time. If I get another one I can try to get a shot with the real camera but probably not.
Yeah, there was an unbelievable amount. They were there seemingly for 3+ months. This fish must be 6+ months removed from the wild. Looking back on photos from November the bulge is less pronounced and I guess with gradual progression I never realized something was off until I happened to be looking at healthy firefish.
Do you think these could have reproduced and spread in captivity to my other fish? That is a main concern at the moment.
Is it likely? Also copepods or isopods? In the morning I’ve seen either copepods or something similar on the glass but this has been since I seeded pods into the tank multiple times so not sure how I would know what the difference looks like.Yes - some copepods have been known to become free living in tanks and can become pests. You can try baiting them in a mesh net with a bit of fish flesh or krill inside. Check it before lights come on in the morning to see if you see any isopods in the mesh.
Sorry - the first “copepod” was a typo, I changed that to isopod. There are also free living copepods, but they are more detritivores and algae eaters.Is it likely? Also copepods or isopods? In the morning I’ve seen either copepods or something similar on the glass but this has been since I seeded pods into the tank multiple times so not sure how I would know what the difference looks like.
Also, none of my fish show any signs of swollen gills or anything and they have all been together for a few months now. The last addition was late November. Clownfish, clown goby, rainford goby. I could probably catch them all easier than I caught the firefish to do a FW dip but they show no signs of anything, so I was thinking to not do that because it could cause stress and lead to other issues?
Not looking good for the FirefishHow’s the fish today? Still making it?
Thanks Jay I actually found this and read it already. So what would you do regarding the display tank and other fish.Sorry - the first “copepod” was a typo, I changed that to isopod. There are also free living copepods, but they are more detritivores and algae eaters.
ISO means equal - so isopods have equal feet. Copepods usually have larger appendages up front. There are also amphipods, called scuds.
Looking at you new pictures, I’d say these are indeed isopods.
Here is an article I did about crustacean fish parasites:
Arthropod Parasites of Aquarium Fish - Hemdal
Parasitic Crustaceans (Copepods, Isopods, and Sea Lice) Jay Hemdal c.2020 This is an excerpt from my upcoming fish disease book - a section on arthropod parasites of fish; isopods and copepods. ------------------ Cause This disease problem is...www.reef2reef.com
Jay
@Jay Hemdal have you see the video?I realized didnt post this video yet either. It is probably easier to see what they are in this one. This is from the first FW dip like 1 minute after they came out of the gill in the earlier video I posted about 4 min into the dip overall.
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/97ci...3516.mov?rlkey=p6jc1amzw64uaogka0rlqi7hn&dl=0
Checked my glass before lights went on in tank but these don’t look like what came out of my firefish gill. What came out of my firefish were all uniform size as if they were freshly hatched or born inside the fish. I checked my fish also and they don’t appear to have anything on their skin. So I don’t think what my firefish had is something that comes out at night to predate?
I can try and catch the fish (clownfish, clown goby, rainford goby) when possible for a FW dip but they appear fully healthy I really do not want to cause more stress than necessary.
Ok yes I agree they are not the same as previous videos (what came out of the inside of the firefish) I just wanted to confirm. I agree amphipods and some copepods I see both in person. So what’s your suggestion on what to do with my healthy appearing fish in my display tank?The animals in this video are not the same thing, these look like amphipods or maybe copepods. See how the eyes are not as distinct? Those deep black eyes in the previous videos (and having no antenna) are what makes me think that those were isopods.
Jay
Also is what came out of firefish definitely the final/adult stage of whatever organism it is?