General Care Discussion

I guess I just previewd and didn't post my earlier message so here goes again.

I have one Red Ear Slider and up until 3 days ago I had a Bluegill in with him. The bluegill started to show signs that something was wrong about a week and a half ago and died (in a seperate tank) 3 days ago.

This morning I awoke to find (looked like a hundred or more) small white worms floating in the tank. They didn't really seem to be moving around (wiggling) but were just being agitated by the flow of water from the filter. I placed on of the worms (parasites) on my son's microscope and below is the video of that. It was at the minimum of 100x but I'm afraid it's too close to see the complete worm. I did find an image that resembled what I saw but can't be sure if it's the same critter. The site says the image is of an "unknown worm". The head and hairs look the similar.
http://www3.sympatico.ca/drosera1/fish/worms.htm#annelid

I uploaded a video from the microscope but it's not really clear I am afraid. We had to reuse a slide cover.
Can anyone tell me what they are and do I need to worry my turtle? Could they just be young nightcrawlers that were exposed when one of the adult crawlers was eaten? I have some crawlers that are giving birth but when I see the young they are generally bigger than these. I have cleaned out the tank and ... umm, gravel (I know... I just read the sticky!) and replaced all the water. I forgot to rinse off the turtle before putting him back and reintroduced some of the worms back in. not a lot though.

I uploaded a video from the microscope but it's not really clear I am afraid. We had to reuse a slide cover.

Many thanks,
Limey
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2ODlEbSM4M[/youtube]

I'm not sure what those are. These were in the Bluegill or the RES tank?

These were in the tank with the turtle. They seemed to suddenly appear. I didn't see anything in the isolation tank that the Bluegill was placed in.

Thanks for the reply,
Limey
(It looks like my first message did get posted so please delete the other similar thread I started or I can do it when it appears.)

Could these be nematodes?

I would do frequent cleanings over the next couple of days and discard all the filter media being used. Then disinfect (diluted bleach*) the filter and tank and add new media. As a precaution, I would try to nail the ID. Maybe let it grow a bit (if it can live without a host) and observe your turtle's behavior and examine it's stool for any traces.

*2 oz. of bleach to one gallon of water can be used to create a solution of approximately 1.5% bleach. Afterward rinse well with clean water repeatedly and allow the object(s) to air dry for at least 24 hours or longer. This allows for fumes and chlorine to dissipate.

Thanks Steve,
You know the weirdest thing is that in all the time I have had this turtle I have never seen a stool from it. I remember turtles as a kid and the mess they made but this one doesn't do so bad. I will do as you say and see if the worms increase in size. I have also bottled some of the original water with worms and will see what happens to them. Thanks for the cleaning tips. I didn't know I could use the diluted bleach solution for cleaning.

I just want to point out that this was a wild caught turtle that was hooked by my son while fishing. We couldn't get the hook out of the back of it's tounge and the vet wanted $300! So we kept the turtle and watched for any infection to occour but it never did. I was told the hook would eventually corrode away and pass through. It's been 2 years and he's doing well and shows no sign of any problems from the hook (if it's there at all).
He has grown a lot since then and eats like a horse... well, apart from his greens! I am going to need a bigger tank very shortly.

Thanks,
Limey

At first when I read "wild caught" I thoguht the worms were definitely from the turtle. But if you've had him for two years with no signs of anything then I really don't know. How long did you have the blue gill for?

ATC, I had the Bluegill for over a year. He did really well, was very "alive" till the end and then became sluggish, eventually laying on it's side and obviously suffering. I ended up taking him out of the tank for some fresh air.

hmm...might be this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acanthocephala

Thanks for the reply ATC. I don't think the worms looked like the ones at that link.Firstly there are no hairs coming out of the side of the Acanthocephala and the color and shape are different.
It looks like the big clean out has helped get rid of the worms... there are a couple floating around but I think I'll have them all out shortly.

Limey

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nematode

i got these infesting my tank 3-4 times in the 15 years ive owned my turtle, they covered the sides of my aquarium when theres took much food and waste in the water, i dont know where they come from, but its easy to get rid of them, do a full cleaning including wiping down the insides of the tank, i use a combination of salt for abrasion and vinegar for scrubbing

Thanks Spence,
I did a real good cleaning and they seem to have gone now. These little guys didn't stick to the side of the tank but instead were suspended in the water.

Thanks for the info,
Limey

General Care Discussion :: Lots of white worms floatiing in tank : 1-3mm long

Who is online