Xref: utzoo rec.pets:2214 alt.aquaria:229
Path: utzoo!hoptoad!ihnp4!occrsh!rct
From: rct@occrsh.ATT.COM (Bob_Tracy)
Newsgroups: rec.pets,alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: Fish parasites?
Keywords: fish fresh water aquarium worms ich food parasites
Message-ID: <253@occrsh.ATT.COM>
Date: 16 Feb 88 18:06:11 GMT
References: <23207@yale-celray.yale.UUCP>
Reply-To: rct@occrsh.att.com (Bob_Tracy)
Organization: AT&T Network & Data Systems, OKC
Lines: 32

In article <23207@yale-celray.yale.UUCP> Ram-Ashwin@cs.yale.edu (Ashwin Ram) writes:
>
>  ... white thingies floating in the tank.  They were white, about 2-4
>mm long and very thin, looking almost like hair.  ...
>
>  ... they were definitely ALIVE!  ... squirming in typical worm-like
>motions.  The fish were eating them again.  Within 15 or 20 minutes, all
>the fish were sick; ... about the time they first appeared I'd gotten some
>live food (brine shrimps) and some frozen bloodworms from the same pet store.

Live food is a bummer unless your fish absolutely require it, and then
one has to be extremely careful to monitor the tank for parasites and
other undesirables that are introduced into the tank with the food.
The same principle is at work when one introduces new fish into an
established aquarium:  normally, you want to quarantine the new
specimens for a few days (weeks) in a separate tank (especially if you
don't purchase from a reputable dealer) to give hidden nastiness a
chance to show itself without endangering the rest of your setup.
Worms of any kind (tubifex, bloodworms, etc.) are a no-no in my tank
just because of all the nasty things I've read about that can infest
your tank while trying to give your fish a treat :-(.  Freeze-dried
brine shrimp is about as risky as I get, and so far I seem to be getting
away with it.  Fortunately, my experience with the type of thing you've
encountered is limited to what I've read because I was forewarned about
the risks of using certain kinds of food.

Sorry that I can't recommend a specific treatment other than prevention.
I'm betting that the more knowledgeable readers of this newsgroup will
be able to come up with something to help you.

--Bob Tracy
{most AT&T sites}!occrsh!rct		rct@occrsh.att.com