# Red worms coming out of vent



## cowchanplanted (Jun 16, 2014)

I have many tanks in multiple rooms all share tools plants and filters. I have masses of red worms coming from the vent of some of my fish. What would they be and what would be a cost effective treatment for 18 tanks=200+ gallons?


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## Pamela (Apr 21, 2010)

Sounds like callamanus worms ( http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/hospital-section-12/experiences-callamanus-worms-solutions-695/ ). Levamisole gets rid of them, that's what I used. You can buy it from Canadian Aquatics.


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## pandamom (Jul 16, 2013)

I think it sounds like those callamanus worms too - I had an outbreak a while ago - most of my fish died, the only ones that survived were the corys and the pleco. I tried levamisole, I got it from my vet and I think it did more damage than good. I wish you luck. It's the reason I am afraid to get new fish once I have a tank established. I have a small 5 gallon for a quarantine tank now, but it isn't heated, so at this time of year, it's pretty tough to get new fish from unknown sources….


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## Pamela (Apr 21, 2010)

pandamom said:


> I think it sounds like those callamanus worms too - I had an outbreak a while ago - most of my fish died, the only ones that survived were the corys and the pleco. I tried levamisole, I got it from my vet and I think it did more damage than good. I wish you luck. It's the reason I am afraid to get new fish once I have a tank established. I have a small 5 gallon for a quarantine tank now, but it isn't heated, so at this time of year, it's pretty tough to get new fish from unknown sources&#8230;.


Sorry to hear about the bad luck you had with callamanus worms. The outbreak my tanks had was quite awhile ago, around 4+ years, but as I recall I didn't lose any fish. I started the medication really fast after first seeing the worms so perhaps that helped.


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## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

also depends on the dosage as well. Did the vet tell you dosage for your fish?


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## pandamom (Jul 16, 2013)

Yeah, he's a good guy who is into exotic animals and has several tanks of his own - Dewdney Animal Hospital, here in Maple Ridge. I totally trust him - I just think I didn't catch it in time before the worms had already done a job on the fish. What surprised me was that the corys and the pleco did just fine, I would have thought, being on the ground, they would have been the first to succumb. Go figure. All is well in both my tanks now though - one with mainly tetras and the other angels, GBR, cardinals and corys. Touch wood, or something…


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## cowchanplanted (Jun 16, 2014)

I bought some lavamisole to treat the tank I had noticed the worms in. But decided to hold off on using it since I hadn't seen any in a few weeks. It was swordtails I bought from a fellow hobbyist that gave my tank the worms. I first noticed them in a large female then started noticing other fish looking emaciated. The first appearance of the worms was of them hanging almost a half inch from the vent of large female. Witch upon further research suggests they where dead or at least dyeing. The emaciated fish a sign of them getting sick from dead worms in there digestive tract. The end result was three small fish dying and no more sings of the worms in over a month. Now my conclusion is that my substrate kitten litter was the reason for the worms dying. The kitten litter in question is mainly diatomacious earth which is a natural killer of nematode. 

In conclusion put kitten litter in your tank allow fish to eat from substrate all worms will die. No need for chemical treatment.


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## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

I would not jump into conclusion of using kitty litter to kill worms or pest. I might not be camallanus worm. Or whatever in your fish is already dying. Or you might still have them but they just haven't showed sign yet.



cowchanplanted said:


> I bought some lavamisole to treat the tank I had noticed the worms in. But decided to hold off on using it since I hadn't seen any in a few weeks. It was swordtails I bought from a fellow hobbyist that gave my tank the worms. I first noticed them in a large female then started noticing other fish looking emaciated. The first appearance of the worms was of them hanging almost a half inch from the vent of large female. Witch upon further research suggests they where dead or at least dyeing. The emaciated fish a sign of them getting sick from dead worms in there digestive tract. The end result was three small fish dying and no more sings of the worms in over a month. Now my conclusion is that my substrate kitten litter was the reason for the worms dying. The kitten litter in question is mainly diatomacious earth which is a natural killer of nematode.
> 
> In conclusion put kitten litter in your tank allow fish to eat from substrate all worms will die. No need for chemical treatment.


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## cowchanplanted (Jun 16, 2014)

Diatomaceous earth is a proven remedy for riding live stock as well as humans from all worms nematodes and internal parisites including lung and heart worms. It would definitely work the same on all forms of these aquatic or not. 
I am not saying people should not use kitty litter and not lavamisole. Just saying maybe try the safer alternative first. I have used diatomaceous earth to rid my killies of gill flukes after feeding them mosquito larvae all summer long.


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## cowchanplanted (Jun 16, 2014)

Still not seeing any worms all fish seem healthy. I will keep posting on this thread until I am certain they are gone or I have a reoccurrence of infestation. Either way I will let you guys know if the D.E. has eliminated the pest's or not.


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

I've only seen callamanus worms coming out of fish anus but not out of gills - possibly a different type of worm?


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## cowchanplanted (Jun 16, 2014)

Reckon said:


> I've only seen callamanus worms coming out of fish anus but not out of gills - possibly a different type of worm?


I was speaking of the gill flukes I killed with D.E. on a previous occasion. These worms I am speaking of in the thread are definitely callamanus worms.


Reckon said:


> I've only seen callamanus worms coming out of fish anus but not out of gills - possibly a different type of worm?


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## deaver (Jul 14, 2015)

very interesting post, surprising how this hasnt caught on!


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