# Betta with Tapeworm?



## Aquadogie (Feb 26, 2012)

The pet store gave me this fish for free, he has always been sickly. 
I have had a few regular beta fish, this one is a dragon? 
He has had this worm like thing for four days now. I thought it might be his intestines coming out but now I think it is a worm. It stays at the same length and doesn't move. Here are some pics. It is not poop. What would be the best way to kill the worm? I cannot find any pics that show a worm like this one.


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

Wow.. haven't seen this one. 

Bumping this to bring it back to the top and going to msg someone who may have more of an ideal of what is going on. I'm used to external parasites.. but not ones that are worm-ish. 

I'm trying to see whether it is a parasite or what it is.. but can't. You've stumped me.


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## thebroadenthusiast (Dec 29, 2011)

I found some links that might be helpful:

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/disease/anchorworm.php
http://www.myaquariumclub.com/treating-my-betta-for-anchor-worm-2664217.html


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## thebroadenthusiast (Dec 29, 2011)

I personally have never heard of this but I found the links on google.


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## DormDrax (Dec 1, 2010)

*pictures loading still* 

Oh honestly sometimes you all over react when it's simply poop...

The best thing to do...

*pictures load* 

WAAAAAUGH! WHAT IS THAT THING!


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

I had checked out anchor worm already, but it didn't seem to fit.. This one looks to be pretty large.
Then again, unsure how bit the fish is, etc.

Anchor worm:


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

DormDrax said:


> *pictures loading still*
> 
> Oh honestly sometimes you all over react when it's simply poop...
> 
> ...


:rofl: :rofl::rofl: :notworthy: :thumbsup:


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## DormDrax (Dec 1, 2010)

Myates said:


> :rofl: :rofl::rofl: :notworthy: :thumbsup:


*blushes* 

Did I mention I'm an OCD hygengnic? Seeing something like that makes me want to clean the tank.. Again.. Hahahaha


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## pasoindy (Feb 19, 2012)

DormDrax said:


> *pictures loading still*
> 
> Oh honestly sometimes you all over react when it's simply poop...
> 
> ...


LOL, I had the same reaction. I have never seen anything like it.

Maybe nematodes?
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/disease/ematodes.php

Ack! Oooo gross!
http://www.aquarium-pond-answers.com/2007/03/trematodes-and-nematodes-in-fish.html


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

Other then him being thin, are there any other signs? How is his activity level? Does he eat? Has he gone to the bathroom since you got him? Have you tried treating him for anything? Was he like this when you got him?


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## Aquadogie (Feb 26, 2012)

Hi,
No it isn't poop, I am a middle aged woman and have always had fish and have raised guppies. I am also a nurse. I looked for poop and I cannot find that he is pooping. Nothing at the bottom of his tank. He eats very little and just sits at the top of the tank along the edge. I keep expecting him to be dead but he is still alive. This could be part of his intestines he may have been hatched with this problem. I will try the worm treatment and see if that works.
Thank you your help.
Cora


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## Aus (Feb 3, 2012)

When I first got Sid from the pet store, his poop looked exactly like this. 

I really thought he had parasites, but as the recommended treatment wasn't anything I could easily run out and grab, being at the time in hospital-at-home care, it had to wait. 

Turns out it wasn't worms. I still don't know what it was, but it's for the most part gone now. He still gets the occasional stretch of white in his poo, but the rest looks normal, and the white is less frequent now.

Sid was very thin when I got him, and lethargic as heck compared to what he's like now. I think regular feeding with high quality foods plus brine shrimp and mosquito larvae might have helped.

I can't say if it's the same thing Sid had, but it looks exactly the same in the pictures. I couldn't find anything like it online, either. Maybe a gut infection? The result of long-term starvation in the pet store?

I know worms don't spontaneously go away in mammals, not sure about fish, but his increasing levels of health and activity, and the normalising of his poo strongly indicates to me that worms were never the issue.


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