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Internal Parasites In Bullhead?


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#1 Guest_BullHeadsrdfish_*

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Posted 06 September 2007 - 10:12 AM

My Biggest Yellow Bullhead will occasionally throw up a digested meal for no apparent reason. Is this a sign of Internal Parasites or another disease, or is this just something Bullheads do? Thanks in advance.

#2 Guest_Irate Mormon_*

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Posted 07 September 2007 - 09:09 AM

Any help out there? - I've never heard of this before -it doens't sound good.

#3 Guest_bullhead_*

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Posted 07 September 2007 - 10:18 AM

I agree, does not sound good, yet the fish seems to be getting on pretty well. I cannot recall any of my kept fish, catfish or otherwise, ever regurgitating any food. I have seen fish caught on hook and line spit up their most recent meals, but that is obviously under stress. Bullheads will gorge themselves if allowed, is this guy overeating? Is this bullhead newly acquired? If caught hook and line, did he swallow the hook? Water conditions are OK?

#4 Guest_BullHeadsrdfish_*

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Posted 07 September 2007 - 08:02 PM

I agree, does not sound good, yet the fish seems to be getting on pretty well. I cannot recall any of my kept fish, catfish or otherwise, ever regurgitating any food. I have seen fish caught on hook and line spit up their most recent meals, but that is obviously under stress. Bullheads will gorge themselves if allowed, is this guy overeating? Is this bullhead newly acquired? If caught hook and line, did he swallow the hook? Water conditions are OK?

He has been doin it occasionally for about the last year. Yes, I know from dealing with Bullheads when under stress they regurgitate their last meal, but he is alone in a tank with no stress factor I know of. I dont think he is overeating at all, I actually wonder if I underfeed him. I am trying to get him on a healthier diet and off of his chicken liver diet. Could eating chicken liver cause it? I have had him since about July 1, 2005. He was collected by hand when he was about half and inch long. Water is kept very clean. There are some pics of the bullhead and the tank in the Photo Gallery.

#5 Guest_fishlvr_*

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Posted 21 September 2007 - 03:44 PM

I would say it's the chicken liver. Try getting sinking pellets and frozen foods.

#6 Guest_BullHeadsrdfish_*

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Posted 22 September 2007 - 02:27 AM

I would say it's the chicken liver. Try getting sinking pellets and frozen foods.


I have tried premuim freeze dried shrimp and Hilkari sinking carnivore pellets all within the last week or two and he refuses both, but he relishes the chicken livers. I have another Yellow Bullhead who was on a diet of chicken livers and he has never regurgitated any food. I really dont understand it. Thanks everyone.

Dan

#7 Guest_fishlvr_*

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Posted 22 September 2007 - 02:32 AM

Starve them for a few days, then feed them shrimp pellets, earthworms, anything to get them away from the chicken liver. Even bait minnows. Just be sure to quarentine them if you use minners.

How much smaller is the other one? Have you had them both for the same amount of time?

#8 Guest_BullHeadsrdfish_*

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Posted 22 September 2007 - 02:52 AM

I can try the "starvation" technique again but for the bigger Yellow it has not worked in the past. I am going to try feeding collected minnows that I have quarantined first in my 20Long. I would guess the smaller one is around 9'' and not as wide bodied as the larger Yellow. Both Yellow Bullhead are out of the same "batch" of Yellows I collected as fry, i guess the bigger on simply got more to eat. Thanks.

Dan

#9 Guest_fishlvr_*

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Posted 22 September 2007 - 03:08 AM

Don't feed them for atleast a week, as long as they are fat enough to go that long. Then throw your minners in there and see how they react. They'll probably eat them before you know what happened.

#10 Guest_BullHeadsrdfish_*

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Posted 22 September 2007 - 12:08 PM

Okay, Thanks so much for all the advice!

Dan

#11 Guest_bullhead_*

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Posted 23 September 2007 - 01:10 PM

I have an idea! (A rarity!) After a few days without food, soak some pellets or frozen shrimp in the chicken liver juice. (Mmm-mmm good!) Maybe he can be fooled into eating this.

#12 Guest_fundulus_*

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Posted 23 September 2007 - 01:25 PM

The fish might have some kind of internal blockage rather than parasites. That might not pass easily.

#13 Guest_BullHeadsrdfish_*

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Posted 23 September 2007 - 08:46 PM

I forgot to mention this earlier but I can recall one time he regugitated food in the 40long while on a diet of shrimp an pellets, he had never had chicken livers then. Thanks for the idea Bullhead, I am going to try soaking shrimp in chicken liver juice like you suggested. Thanks everyone.



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