Colomesus asellus - SAP

[darb]

One of my SAPs has a growth that starts at the base of it's tail where the fin starts. It is about 7 cm long and trails behind like and looks like a piece of white thread. I don't think that it is a worm.

Ever heard of anything like this?

I will try and see if I can get a photo, but SAPs are pretty skittish ...

[Nina]

I've never heard of it.. Hope somebody else does, but I really think a photo would help...
How long has he got it?

[darb]

hmm, ok today it is gone and now I am confused. I was fairly confident that it wasn't a worm yesterday because it appeared to be attached at the base of the tail, where the fin starts to grow, but it's rapid disappearance has me wondering.

Sadly I am guilty of neglecting them to some degree, I had let the algae get a little thick on the glass and didn't notice it until yesterday when I was cleaning the glass.

For now, problem solved ...

[anouk]

mm strange that it dissapeard that fast.. Maybe it was some kind of algae that got stuck? ( if that is even possible).

The worm that i had in my tank (a while ago) that grew external, was smaller and was a Lernaea. But it won't grow that large.. I actually don't know any worm that would grow 7 cm outside of the body.. So i don't think it was a worm either

I hope that it was nothing though

[Nanda]

Hahaha are you sure it wasn't faeces? lol

Glad the problem is gone for now.

[darb]

yah, I really don't know now. It was pure white, thin about the same diameter as thread. I though that it was some sort of mutant tissue growth when I saw it. Maybe I was just over tired and hallucinating ...

[Nanda]

Whuhahahah doesn't matter!
It keeps us sharp

[Lode]

Sounds like an anchor worm. Did it look like this:

---<

[anouk]

@ Lode the anchor worm (Lernaea) won't grow till 7 cm.

I've had them in my tank a couple years ago. They won't dissapear for themselves that quick, and it's a real plague. It spreads incredibly fast. Within a week all my fish had them, multiple worms actually.

If you have them you will have to remove the worms from the fish with a pincet or something like that, and you have to do that verry quickly after you notice them or it will be to late. A medicine that actually works to kill these worms is hard to find i've tried a whole bunch.
The best thing to do, is to simply restart you're tank, throw out anything that's in the tank ( water,plants, gravel, sand, wood, fitler material etc) because the eggs are extremly hard to get rid off, and if you'll place new fish without restarting they will get them also.

So basically i hope that no one gets these worms...

[Lode]

Haha, you're right 7 cm is a bit long for a anchorworm...

By the way I've had the same experience a few years ago and they can be treated with Beaphar Diagnos anti-flee.

Already have an idea what it was Darb?