Aquarium fish parasites with photos and names

It happens that aquariums are invaded by uninvited guests! And these “guests” cause great concern among aquarists, although most of them are harmless in nature. But sometimes these fears are not unfounded, since the presence of these organisms in large numbers in the aquarium is a sign of deterioration in the fish’s habitat.

In addition, this indicates the aquarist’s inattention to certain details: low-quality live food is used (which may contain these organisms), or decorative material from natural reservoirs is used that has not been properly processed.

What to do in such a situation? To get started, we recommend reading this article. This article describes in detail methods of controlling parasites. We also recommend that you consult a specialist. Read the article >>>

Such pests are unpleasant to look at and create some inconvenience. Although they do not directly harm the fish, their presence is a warning sign and should not be ignored.

Causes of nematodes

Nematodes occur both in an old tank that has been in use for a long time, and in a new, clean aquarium, even if the tank has been disinfected before use. White worms are guaranteed to appear in a pond if:

There are food residues in the tank. When fish are overfed, excess food sinks to the bottom, where it rots and becomes a breeding ground for the development of nematodes.
New decorative objects – carriers of larvae – are placed in the reservoir.

Types of aquarium worms

Underwater thin worms grow in the soil, decorations, glass and are divided into two types: aquarium parasites and worms that do not pose a threat. It’s easy to escape from harmless worms, but with parasites the situation is more complicated: nasty pests adapt to any conditions and lead to the death of your beloved pets. To figure out what type appears in the tank, you need to consider the common varieties:

Planaria are serious pests that pose a threat to all inhabitants of the reservoir. Worms live in the ground, at the bottom of the container, and become noticeable in two cases: when the number has grown to colossal proportions, or if changes in water parameters have occurred. A distinctive feature of planarians is their triangular head.
Turbellaria - refers to ciliated worms, and have a flat body surrounded by cilia. Flatworms can appear suddenly, most often on the glass of the tank or near the filter, but can settle on rocks and plants. Turbellaria are harmless to adult fish, but they pose a danger to eggs, mollusks and fry.
Nematodes are thin worms in the aquarium that have a lifespan of a couple of days. Nematodes are food for phenotypes and are harmless, but in large numbers they spoil the appearance of the tank and the purity of the water.
Hydras - for most aquarium inhabitants, hydras are harmless, but in rare cases this species can attack fry or eggs. It should be noted that hydras are incredibly tenacious.

To accurately determine the type of worm, experienced aquarists perform a simple trick: raise the water temperature by 2 degrees and increase the salinity. These actions will not harm pets and plants, but will bring death to nematodes. If the worms in the aquarium did not die, then another species appeared in the tank.

Symptoms of dirofilariasis

The larvae of this parasite can spread through the bloodstream throughout the body and settle in the eyes, pulmonary artery, heart, serous cavities, perirenal fatty tissue and under the skin. If an infestation occurs with a species of worm called Dirofilaria repens, the conjunctiva or subcutaneous fatty tissue is affected.

The signs and symptoms of this disease are as follows:

painful lumps appear at the site of the insect bite;
within a couple of days, a third of patients experience a displacement of the seal by 20-30 cm from the site of the bite;
a person may feel bloating, burning and itching at the site of the bite;
there is a feeling of crawling and moving under the skin;
periods of remission are replaced by episodes of exacerbation;
subcutaneous worm provokes the appearance of abscesses and boils (a worm lives inside them in the connective capsule);
sometimes the abscesses open on their own, and white parasites crawl out of the skin.

If the conjunctiva is damaged, the following symptoms are present:

The structure of human lice: types and symptoms of infection

swelling, itching and lacrimation;
feeling that there is a foreign body in the eye or eyelid;
a person cannot fully open the eyelid;
vision deteriorates;
a worm can be seen under the conjunctiva;
a nodule is visible under the skin of the eyelid;
a person has a feeling of crawling under the skin or in the eye;
If the parasite penetrates the eyeball, diplopia and bulging of the eye appear.

Important! Dirofilariasis is accompanied by neuroses, fears and insomnia. The patient also develops irritability, headaches, general weakness and other symptoms.

Ichthyophthirius

A single-celled ciliated ciliate, which lives in a weakly active form in almost every aquarium, but does not cause harm. It can settle on all types of aquarium fish without exception. Feels good at temperatures from 25 to 27 degrees .

This parasite is the causative agent of one of the most common diseases of aquarium fish - ichthyophthyriosis. The main cause of the disease is stress . During transportation, a sudden change in temperature, or prolonged exposure to water at an inappropriate temperature, the parasite becomes active. At the same time, characteristic symptoms can be observed in the fish - loss of appetite, lethargy and the “semolina” itself - small white dots, pustules, which are a kind of “house” for the parasite.

It is advisable to begin treatment of ichthyophthyriosis as early as possible, since in the last stages of the disease the ciliates infect the gills, which leads to the inevitable death of the fish. First, be sure to raise the water temperature in the aquarium to 32 degrees . This is done in order to disrupt comfortable conditions for the parasite. The next stage is the destruction of ichthyophthirius by adding salt to the water or by introducing specialized medications.

Adding salt to the water is done at the rate of 1 tbsp. spoon for 10 l. water . Regular table salt will also work for this purpose, although it is better to use sea salt.

Roundworms - what they look like in the human body (Photo of worms)

Ascaris is a large, spindle-shaped, red-yellow parasite, reaching 40 cm (females) and 15-25 cm (males) in adulthood. Without suction cups or other fastening devices, the roundworm is able to move independently towards food masses. The eggs laid by the female parasite are excreted in the feces.

Infection with ascariasis occurs when mature eggs are ingested along with water or unwashed vegetables and fruits that have soil particles on them. After the eggs penetrate the intestines, mature larvae emerge from them.

Then, penetrating into the intestinal wall, they reach the heart through the bloodstream, and from there they enter the lungs. Through the pulmonary alveoli, the roundworm larva again enters the oral cavity through the respiratory tract.

Photo of worms. In the intestinal phase of their existence, roundworms, endowed with the ability to spiral movements, can penetrate even the narrowest openings. This feature of the parasite often leads to the development of quite serious complications (obstructive jaundice or pancreatitis)

Once ingested again, the parasite reaches the small intestine where it develops into an adult. The worm lives for 12 months, then dies and is excreted in the feces. One or several hundred individuals can live in the intestines of one host.

Allergens released by roundworms can provoke severe allergic reactions. A large number of adults can cause intestinal obstruction, and worms that enter the respiratory tract sometimes cause suffocation.

Diplomonas

A parasite that belongs to flagellates . It primarily affects the intestines and pancreas of fish. The water temperature, comfortable for the life of diplomonas, is up to 30 degrees. The presence of this species of flagellate in an aquarium can provoke a fairly common disease - hexamitosis. Cichlids and labyrinths are most susceptible to this disease.

A healthy fish can “pick up” this parasite from an infected fish, as well as from plants and even water from a diseased aquarium. The main symptoms of hexamitosis include complete or partial refusal to eat, whitish tint and mucousness of feces, the formation of wounds and ulcers on the head and sides, and the appearance of holes on the body of the fish. This is where the name common among amateur aquarists comes from - hole disease.

To treat hexamitosis, it is advisable to place fish with obvious signs of the disease in a separate tank and treat them with specialized drugs. In a general aquarium, it is imperative to carry out preventive measures. To do this, it is advisable to increase the water temperature to 33 - 35 degrees and introduce special medicinal feed into the diet.

Liver fluke - what it looks like in the human body

The parasite that causes opisthorchiasis is a flatworm that reaches a length of 7-20 mm. It should be noted that more than 50% of cases of infection with liver fluke (also called cat fluke) occur among residents of Russia.

In the acute phase of helminthiasis, the patient experiences pain in the upper abdomen, body temperature rises, nausea, muscle pain develops, possible diarrhea, skin rashes. The larvae of the parasite begin to develop after the eggs enter fresh water (from the snails that swallowed them). Then they penetrate the body of the fish (carp, crucian carp, bream, roach).

Photo of worms. Human infection occurs by eating contaminated fish meat that has not undergone sufficient heat treatment. The larva of the liver fluke from the small intestine penetrates the bile ducts and the gallbladder, fixing there with the help of two suction cups.

The chronic course of opisthorchiasis is manifested by symptoms of hepatitis, inflammation of the bile ducts, cholecystitis, disruption of the digestive tract, nervous disorders, weakness and increased fatigue. The parasite leads to the development of irreversible changes, and even after its expulsion, the patient continues to experience chronic inflammatory processes and functional disorders.

Argulus

A small blood-sucking parasite, which is a gill-tailed crustacean with developed swimming legs, which allows it to move freely from one fish to another. Reaches a size from 2 to 12 mm , so it is visible to the naked eye. The most favorable temperature for the development of argulus is 25 - 28 degrees, but the viability of the parasite does not decrease even at 10 degrees.

It parasitizes mainly cyprinids. Basically, fish louse gets into the aquarium when feeding with live food or when introducing wild fish. The main symptoms of argulosis are refusal to eat, anxiety, and the appearance of ulcers and wounds at the sites where the louse has pierced the louse. The affected fish rubs its sides against decorations and plants, lags behind in development, and becomes skinny. As a result of constant bites, the fish dies over time.

To treat argulosis, fish are caught from the aquarium and a complete water change is carried out, as well as the soil and decorations are cleaned. This is done in order to destroy eggs and individuals not attached to the fish. Next, the attached parasites are removed from the affected fish with tweezers and lotions are made with potassium permanganate. To prevent argullosis, it is necessary to limit feeding with live food and exclude wild fish from entering the aquarium.

Symptoms of schistosomiasis

Schistosome larvae can penetrate human skin directly from the aquatic environment. Within a few hours they can be in the bloodstream. When a skin infection occurs, the following symptoms appear:

hives;
severe itching;
Every other day, patchy rashes appear.

Then a calm stage sets in for several weeks. In the circulatory system, schistosomes reach the stage of sexually mature individuals and migrate into the vasculature of the genitourinary system. After a couple of months, the patient develops the following symptoms:

dry cough;
feverish condition;
hives;
heavy sweating at night;
liver enlargement;
vaginal bleeding;
blood in urine;
pathologies of the prostate, kidneys and bladder;
nodes on the genitals;
infertility.

Important! In childhood, schistosomiasis contributes to decreased learning ability, anemia, developmental delays and memory impairment.

Planaria

A real scourge for the aquarist. It is a flat worm covered with cilia, up to 1 cm long. It lives throughout the entire water column, actively breeds, laying eggs on plant leaves. Eats fish and shrimp eggs, attacks snails and fry. This parasite also likes to get into the gills, which eventually leads to the death of the fish. Planaria is clearly visible in the aquarium, although it “operates” mainly at night.

It gets into the aquarium with plants, soil, and when fed with live food. To destroy the parasite, it is necessary to raise the water temperature to 33 degrees and subsequently do a complete water change with thorough cleaning of the soil. There are also chemicals available to combat planaria. There is another option - add gourami to the aquarium, which will gladly eat the parasites.

What is the way out of this situation? Pest control methods

There are quite a lot of means to combat household pests today. There are folk remedies for fighting food moths, and there are modern methods based on an integrated approach in order to achieve results.

Of all the known methods, the most effective are the following:

prevention;
physical and mechanical destruction of parasites;
use of chemicals and components.

The first step that will allow you to avoid an unpleasant situation is prevention. All food products that are subject to long-term storage must be removed from the kitchen. A pantry or balcony will be the best place to store bulk products. Cold air will become an obstacle to the reproduction of larvae. If you suspect that the products are already contaminated, all cereals, cereals and even pasta must undergo heat treatment. To do this, it will be enough to heat the food in the oven.

Flour, sugar and cereals should not be stored in unprepared areas in large quantities. The faster you use up such products, the less chance there is for parasites to appear and develop.

In order for your prevention to have a tangible effect, use old proven folk methods of pest control. According to tradition, it is believed that food moths do not like pungent and pungent odors. By placing dried wormwood, mint herb or geranium on shelves in the kitchen cabinet and pantry, you will repel parasites.

Note: some people use various spices, such as cloves, bay leaves or allspice, to repel parasites.

You should not rely entirely on folk remedies. In some cases, food moths easily overcome obstacles and quickly spread indoors, contaminating food.

Worms appeared on the ceiling. Pest control methods

Ceiling worms are the last phase. In most cases, you have to deal with the consequences. Today, there are many effective ways to combat food moths and their larvae. It is necessary to use various methods, since in modern conditions parasites have acquired the ability to adapt to means of combating them.

The first thing to do. Conduct a complete audit of the kitchen, not forgetting about pantries and mezzanines. It is necessary to identify a place where parasites accumulate, a breeding ground for larvae. Mechanical cleaning of premises and destruction of worms will be the main method of control. All kitchen cabinets, ceiling surfaces, panels, shelves are washed with cleaning solutions. Dishes in which spoiled food was stored must be heat treated and washed.

Note: laundry soap and vinegar are the first products that you should pay attention to, which are dangerous for food moths, and especially for their offspring.

Chemicals suitable for controlling this species of parasites are available on the market as aerosol control agents.
As a rule, these are insecticides, poisonous substances against moth larvae. The poison falls on the parasite, causing its rapid death and the destruction of the entire colony. Despite the fact that the use of aerosol control agents does not have the best effect on our well-being, it is the most effective means to date for combating ceiling worms. When using aerosols, it is necessary after surface treatment; it is recommended not to use the kitchen for 24 hours. After treatment, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the kitchen area, removing insect corpses and remaining toxic substances from the surface of the ceiling panels and walls. As an aid today, effective traps are used that can disorient adult individuals and prevent subsequent reproduction of pests.

Hydra

A parasite that belongs to a separate genus and class. In appearance it is a small (up to 3 cm) translucent tube with tentacles. Once in the aquarium, the hydra attaches itself to plants, rocks or decorations and begins to hunt, spreading its tentacles. It feeds on any small living creature and is mainly whitebait. The peculiarity of the hydra is its ability to “consume” a creature three times its size.

It is quite unpretentious and reproduces very quickly. It enters the aquarium with live food or a plant taken from the wild. You can remove hydra from the aquarium mechanically by introducing a gourami or macropod into the aquarium. Also, to destroy hydra, you can use chemicals, do a complete water change, while washing the plants with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and scalding the soil with boiling water.

Pork tapeworm - what it looks like in the human body (Photo of worms)

The pork tapeworm, like the bovine tapeworm, has 4 suckers on its body, but in addition to this, the body of the helminth is also equipped with a double crown of hooks. Strobila reaches two to three meters in length. The pork tapeworm has a three-lobed ovary; the uterus has from 7 to 12 branches on each side. A characteristic feature of this helminth is the ability of the segments to crawl out of the anus. After exiting, their shell becomes dry and bursts, so helminth eggs enter the external environment. The intermediate host of tapeworm can be pigs and humans. Photo of worms.

The main owner is a person. Intestinal parasites in humans include the pork tapeworm, the helminth is located in the intestines of the patient, where it lays its eggs. Infection occurs through consumption of invasive meat.

Turbellaria

A small white ciliated worm that settles on the walls of the aquarium, soil, plants and decorations. Clearly visible to the naked eye. Basically it does not harm the fish, however, in some cases it can attack eggs. Also, this parasite can harm snails, and some forms even fry.

Turbellaria appears as a result of poor aquarium care, when there is overfeeding and water changes and soil cleaning are rarely done. In order to get rid of worms in an aquarium, simply do a complete water change, thoroughly rinse the plants and scald the entire underwater interior with boiling water. It is also important to dry the decorations and soil well in order to get rid of the parasite eggs.

Parasitic plants

In addition to various living organisms, plant parasites also seriously bother aquarists. In total, there are 4 types of such uninvited guests in the aquarium and the methods of dealing with them vary slightly.

It is important to know! When destroying algae using specialized preparations, you need to make sure that they are safe for aquarium plants. If the medicine can harm them, the plants are replanted while the drug is being used.

Green algae

Externally, these are short or long green threads, small spots on decorations and plants, a green “carpet” on the walls of the aquarium. It appears in the aquarium due to overfeeding and insufficient hygiene, or it is introduced with new fish and plants.

Fighting green algae is very difficult; the process itself includes a set of measures.

Mechanical cleaning using a scraper, sponge, etc.
Control of cleanliness in the aquarium. Regular changes of a quarter of the total volume of water, cleaning the soil using a siphon, proper feeding, no frills.
Use of specialized drugs.
If possible, you can add fish such as Gerinocheilus, Ancistrus, Otocinclus or several ampularia snails to the aquarium, which will happily eat green algae.

By regularly keeping your aquarium clean and rinsing plants from outside sources before planting, you can minimize the risk of green algae entering your aquarium.

Red algae

Most algae of this species live in seawater. In freshwater aquariums there are varieties that are called “beard” by aquarists and are classified as filamentous. They settle mainly on the tips of the leaves of cultivated plants or on the ledges of stones and snags.

The most common red algae in a freshwater aquarium are flip flop and beard algae. The first becomes bushy as it grows, while the second consists of separate long threads. Both parasites are dark green to black in color. They reproduce very quickly and are very unpretentious to the environment, so it is extremely difficult to get rid of them. The following methods of combating red algae have proven themselves well:

Mechanical cleaning . Glass, decorations and soil are thoroughly cleaned. It is advisable to remove plants on which the parasite has settled from the aquarium. Make water changes once a week for a third of the total volume.
Biological cleaning . In this case, algae eaters such as Gerinocheilus, Ancistrus or Labeo are added to the aquarium.
Removing the parasite by introducing specialized drugs.
If we are talking about a “flip-flop”, there is a way to clean the aquarium in the shortest possible time. To do this, you need to add coal dust to the water, stirring until the powder completely settles. The disadvantage of this method is the need to remove the fish during treatment.

For prevention purposes, it is necessary to monitor the amount of organic matter in the aquarium and not overfeed the fish.

Subtleties of proper care

To extend the lifespan of earthworms, they need to be properly cared for, providing comfortable conditions for development and reproductive functions. The key rules of care are to ensure a comfortable temperature, shade and stable access to food.

Professional gardeners recommend enriching compost manure with sand or crushed eggshells. Dry food is added to the soil approximately once every two weeks, but it is important to take precautions here so as not to overfeed the worms.

If you want to start breeding creatures at home, you need to remember that worms process almost everything that catches their eye. The main thing is that the products are small in size, because invertebrates do not have teeth.

Before replenishing the worm house with new food, you need to make sure that the previous organic matter is completely destroyed. If this is not the case, the animals will suffer from oversaturation and die. Leaving organic compounds in the compost will negatively impact the acidity levels, leading to deadly conditions. In addition, excess food supply contributes to the development of pests such as mites.

Caring for worms is relatively easy, but some requirements must be met. Only under such conditions will breeding a home farm bring the expected success.

How to fight parasites

It is believed that a small number of planaria cannot cause damage to the living creatures of the aquarium, since they have enough food in the water. But if these worms are found in large numbers, then it is imperative to fight them. There are several effective methods for exterminating planaria:

Trap. It’s not difficult to make from a small gauze bag and a few pieces of fresh meat. The trap is attached overnight, during which time the planarians are packed into it and can be thrown out. This method is safe for other inhabitants, but does not allow you to cope with the problem at once.
Complete disinfection of the aquarium itself, soil, driftwood, filter, and various interior items. In order to destroy worms and their eggs, everything must be treated with bleach, washed and dried well. New water is poured into the aquarium.
Raising the water temperature in the aquarium to 35 degrees or higher for about two hours. At this time, the fish are naturally removed. Turbellaria also die from exposure to high temperatures.
Worms in the aquarium are also destroyed by the fish themselves. Parasites of both species are eaten by macropods, cichlazomas, and ampullaria.
In a veterinary pharmacy and, less often, in pet stores, you can purchase a special remedy for worms in an aquarium, containing fenbendazole. Use these drugs according to the instructions.

You can prevent the appearance of parasites in the aquarium water by taking preventive measures. This means purchasing plants only in specialized stores and pre-quarantining them before planting them in the aquarium. All equipment in the aquarium must be treated, the water must be changed as necessary and the fish must not be overfed.

Social structure and reproduction

Animals are hermaphrodites. Reproduction occurs sexually, by cross-fertilization. Each individual that has reached puberty has female and male genital organs. The worms are connected by mucous membranes and exchange sperm.

Interesting fact: Invertebrate mating can last up to three hours at a time. During the courtship period, individuals climb into each other's burrows and mate 17 times in a row. Each sexual intercourse lasts at least 60 minutes.

The reproductive system is located in the front of the body. Sperm are located in the seminal receptacles. During mating, cells on segment 32 secrete mucus, which subsequently forms an egg cocoon, fed by protein fluid for the embryo. The secretions are transformed into a mucous membrane.

Spineless lay eggs in it. The embryos are born after 2-4 weeks and are stored in a cocoon, reliably protected from any influences. After 3-4 months they grow to adult size. Most often, one baby is born. Life expectancy reaches 6-7 years.

The Taiwanese species Amynthas catenus has lost its genitals during evolution and reproduces through parthenogenesis. This is how they pass on 100% of their genes to their descendants, resulting in the birth of identical individuals - clones. So the parent acts as both father and mother.

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Read further:

Algae parasites in the aquarium: examples, description and control methods

Types of roundworms (nematodes): description and general characteristics of parasites

Why are most flatworms internal parasites of other animals?

Worms in the human brain: causes of appearance, methods of treatment and prevention

Ascaris in contrast to flatworms, special differences

Acanthocephalans: types and class of worms, life cycle of development

How to treat

Today, a parasitologist has over 10 anthelmintic drugs in his arsenal, which have their own specific activity against various types of worms.

The main drugs for the treatment of worms:

Piperazine (10-30 rub.);
Pyrantel - Helmintox (80-120 rub.);
Pirantel (30-50 r);
Nemocid, Combantrin Mebendazole - Vermox (90 rubles);
Vermakar, Mebex, Vero-Mebendazole, Thermox, Vormin (20 rubles);
Albendazole - Nemozol (120-150 rubles);
Gelmodol-VM, Vormil Levamisole - Dekaris (70-90 rubles);
Carbendacim - Medamin (70-90 rubles);
Pyrvinium embonate - Pyrivinium, Pyrkon, Vanquin.