Tapeworms
These parasites, also called cestodes, are internal parasites that affect a wide variety of fish species including Carp, as well as aquarium fish such as Discus. There are a number of different tapeworms, but all of them have the same ultimate effect on the fish which they infest; they affect the digestive system and can eventually cause blockages. Any tapeworm infestation will affect digestion, and as a result the body weight and general health of the fish will be affected too.
Tapeworms have an indirect life cycle, that is they require an intermediate host in order to compete their life cycle. These intermediate hosts can be copepods, or other small creatures. The route by which fish become infested with tapeworms is usually subsequent to the introduction of infected fish. Once a tank is infected, the only way the infestation can be completely cleared is by removal of the intermediate hosts when the fish are treated. However, this is not usually an option with established tank systems, so the next best solution is to routinely treat the fish with Fluke-Solve® Aquarium on an annual basis to ensure that there is no build-up of tapeworms in the fish. Also if symptoms are seen such as stringy faeces along with weight loss then the fish should be treat ed right away with Fluke-Solve® Aquarium.
As a general disease control measure, any new fish should be treated with Fluke-Solve® Aquarium during quarantine especially before putting them into the tank, preventing the introduction of this problem.