need some quick answers: "worms" in floating bag

**bigbad-ratman** · 10-13-2009, 10:20 PM

k, wife just got home with the rest of b-day present: two baby german blue rams. however my slightly obsessive daughter noticed a small "worm" in the bag. i said whatever until i got up and took a close look. sure enough there are at least 3 of what appear to be very small worms in the bag with the fish. they are way too small to get a pic with camera phone but they look like very small liver flukes.
so my question is: should i take these guys back in the original bag, or go ahead and put them in with the rest of my fish that a being quarantined, that came from the same store? still new enough that i havent seen anything like this and dont know how serious it would be for my fish to have/get any kind of gut worms.

thanks in advance. i really wanted some rams, but not if they are gonna infect my tank.

**robflanker** · 10-13-2009, 10:27 PM

You should always QT new fish, so i'd go with that option.

You also shouldnt continuously add fish to a QT - that way ull never know which is the sick fish or the infected one etc

Stagger your fish so when one set has finished QTing and gets placed in main tank, you can add another batch the next day to the QT tank. Also reduces odds of minicycle too

**bushwhacker** · 10-13-2009, 10:27 PM

i'd be back at that store so fast it'd spin your head.. no way i'd put them in even a qt tank... if you want rams PM algenco. he breeds them and you know your going to get healthy stock

**bigbad-ratman** · 10-13-2009, 10:29 PM

Originally Posted by robflanker

You should always QT new fish, so i'd go with that option.

You also shouldnt continuously add fish to a QT - that way ull never know which is the sick fish or the infected one etc

Stagger your fish so when one set has finished QTing and gets placed in main tank, you can add another batch the next day to the QT tank. Also reduces odds of minicycle too

it was less than a week ago when we added the first and we had to special order the gbr's. but i see your point. it looks like i gotta go back to the store now!!!

**robflanker** · 10-13-2009, 10:31 PM

Yeah - take them back to the store, and wait until you are satisfied that the current residents of the QT tank are healthy, and thus eligible for big-tank status

**bigbad-ratman** · 10-14-2009, 12:34 AM

ok just took the fish back. the thing that blows my mind happened when i called them and explained what was going on. this was what the "fish keeper" said as near as i can quote her: "Well i think happened was, the bugs were in the oscar tank, which was where i got the water. But at this point we cant be sure that your fish dont have em, so go ahead and bring them back." ok, so it sounded to me that they at least think they have a prob in a tank and are taking a chance on spreading it!!! i have had good luck getting fish there, but i guess it is time to find another place!!! which sucks, cause there arent a whole lot of other places nearby. i mean this place, walmart, and then petsmart is an hour away. but, you live and you learn!!!

**VIP** · 10-14-2009, 03:50 AM

yeah ... i just finished to read you thread and... wow !
i would of been anooyed by this answer too man !
i am pretty lucky to have a BigAl's store not too far to my house...and never had problems with them.People that works there are very nice and will never give you an advice if they are not sure about it...nothing like :< i think it should be ok to put this fish and this fish together...>i like my fish store a lot !

Even if i do trust them though, i am always following them when they are picking up my fish that i asked for , on the form (list that i ve wrote...), just to see wich one they are taking, how they are capturing it, where do they take the water that goes in the bag from ...the will be MY fish ... they are not just simple fish after all !hihi!

the staff is use to those behaviors with the fish lovers that goes to shop at their store anyways... they learn to know you a little bit too..as i always say:
< you just need to smile a little bit more>,
people are always nicer...

**Northernguy** · 10-14-2009, 04:52 AM

I sure hope nothing was stuck to the outside of the bag!

**Lady Hobbs** · 10-14-2009, 07:25 AM

If they are aware worms are in the Oscar tank, why haven't they been removed and why is the same net being used in different tanks? I'd have to think twice about buying from them if there are other choices.

**Dave66** · 10-14-2009, 07:32 AM

They are just nematode worms, which are in nearly every freshwater tank. Only when fish are overfed do they become visible like that; otherwise, they are in the gravel of your tank quietly cleaning up waste.

They are completely harmless. That said, no fish store (nor home aquarist) should use the same net in multiple tanks - that's just plain foolish.

Dave