Strange "worm" like thing on my goldfish's tail. Need help!

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Coronet

AC Members
Sep 30, 2006
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Hello everyone,

I have a 2+ year old 6 inch long goldfish (I believe he's a fan tail) that has been healthy his entire life in a 20 gallon tank with frequent water changes, sea salt, and a healthy diet. I'm currently away at college, so my 14 year old sister is taking care of the tank (she's pretty good at it as I taught her how to do it) and she sent me a few photos of the goldfish with a strange "string" on his tail as she said and I can't figure out what it could possibly be.

Google stated it might be anchor worm, but from the images and videos she sent me, it doesn't look like it. The "worm" has a red tip and is white at the base. Here's a picture and video if someone could help me figure out what's wrong with my poor fish!

Thanks!

http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=3178nqg&s=2

 

Jessu

AC Members
Dec 27, 2006
761
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Looks like an anchor worm to me.
Also your fish have septicemia.
 

Coronet

AC Members
Sep 30, 2006
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Looks like an anchor worm to me.
Also your fish have septicemia.

I don't understand what symptoms you see to say it has septicemia. If you mean the blood veins in his tail, he's always had those since the day I bought him. He's not sluggish and doesn't have a bloated body and has always had a good appetite.
 

cheizy

AC Members
Apr 19, 2006
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If the red streaks were always there, it is not septicimia, some goldfish have very transparent fins that you can see veins..mine have them, completely normal. I know its hard, but any possbility of more clearer pics?
 

Coronet

AC Members
Sep 30, 2006
6
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Yes, the streaks have always been there since he was a baby, so I assume they're perfectly normal.

As for better pics, I don't think I can give those. I don't live in my home anymore and my younger sister took them with her junky digicam, so those are the best I could come up with. I asked her today on the phone if the area where the "worm" connected to his fins had any prongs or anything that looked like a worm but she said it just looked like part of his tail and she noticed it yesterday, but doesn't remember how long she's seen it on him.

I advised her to add some general parasite killer medicine tablets to the tank and wait a day or two to see if anything changes. I hope it is a worm and it gets killed off cause I can't think of what else it could possibly be especially since we haven't brought anything foreign into the tank at all recently.
 
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