Intestinal Disorders

Symptoms

Causes

Treatments & Links

A).   The intestines contain opaque worms possessing a retractible proboscis or trunk completey covered with hooking structures

If Not

↓

The fish is affected with acanthocephalans.

Treat fish with  Paracide-D in the food.

B).   Hanging on the intestinal wall are worms with anterior sucking parts and well defined segmentation.  They can attain several centimeters in length.

If Not

↓

The fish affected with Tapeworms

Treat the fish with: Paracide-D.

C).   Flatworms with an anterior and a posterior sucker are attached to the intestinal wall (but almost only in fish captured in the wild).

If Not

↓

Digenea are trematodes or flukes with alternating hosts, so they cannot reproduce in an aquarium

Treat with: Paracide-D or Paracide-X

D).   Reddish worms, 10 to 20mm long with "milling or cutter head"-like mouth parts

If Not

↓

Nematodes of the genus Camallanus are involved

Treat with Paracide-D

E).   Long, very thin worms (up to 20mm long) move slowly in the intestines.  Many eggs appear too, with female specimens

If Not

↓

Your fish are affected with Capillaria

Treat fish with Paracide-D mixed into feed

F).   In cysts embedded in the intestinal wall, curled up worms move very slowly

If Not

↓

You have found encapsulated Nematode Larvae

Treat with Paracide-D.

G).   Large, thick worms (1 to 4mm) wriggle in the intestine.  Only Discus fish are known to have these

If Not

↓

These oxyruids have not yet been properly identified

Treat with: Paracide-D mixed into the feed at 1/4 tsp. per 1/2lb. of food. 

H).   Relatively large protozoans which swim around in the intestinal contents, have slightly angled-off round anterior ends and a posterior end drawn out to a point

If Not

↓

The fish is affected with Protoopalina.  These are found only in discus fish.

Make a medicated frozen food with Metronidazole.  Use 1/2 tsp. to 4oz. of food. Thaw food, mix in medication and re-freeze.  Feed to fish for 10 days.

I).   Reddish spots appear in the intestinal wall.  At high magnifications, blood cells can be recognized

If Not

↓

This involves enteritis or viral infection

No suitable treatment known.

J).   The intestine contains yellow fluid and yellow crystalline structures