# Giardia in aquarium water



## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

So, a while ago one of my cats came down with runny icky stool. I suspected Giardia, and though none was ever found my vet treated for it anyways and Cinder's symptoms disappeared. Recently, they came back, and I treated her again and she is once again back on track in the poop department.

I'm just wondering... how could she keep getting it? I cleaned really well, and I make sure there are no moist environments for it to live in. I scoop daily. I know the protozoa can live in water and I have a suspicion...

Can giardia live in an aquarium? I often catch Cinder drinking from the aquarium... could this be where she keeps getting it?


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

When I did a google search, it came up quite often for ferrets, so I would imagine the same would apply to cats and dogs. Good catch!



> One favorite activity of ferrets is drinking aquarium water. Although this may seem harmless, in reality, ferrets can become ill from ingesting fish-inhabited water.
> 
> “Ferrets that drink from fish tanks can become infected with Giardia,” said Bruce Williams, DVM, DACVP, of the Department of Veterinary Pathology at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington, DC. “Although ferrets don’t get as sick from this disease as many other animals do, they can still become ill, often with chronic diarrhea.”


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## Auntie Crazy (Dec 10, 2006)

Wow. I wonder how many people go through food change after food change when it's the kitty's drinking habits that are causing the issue?


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

I wonder... if I centrifuge a couple mLs of the water, and check it out under a scope, what my chances are of finding something. 

Might be something interesting to do tomorrow in lab. I'll let you know if I find something.


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## china_cat84 (Apr 27, 2010)

RachandNito said:


> I wonder... if I centrifuge a couple mLs of the water, and check it out under a scope, what my chances are of finding something.
> 
> Might be something interesting to do tomorrow in lab. I'll let you know if I find something.


Good luck - lucky you, access to a centrifuge! Let us know what happens. Maybe take a few different samples, from different areas of the tank? Get a lot of the "dirty" floaty filled water. That might increase the likelihood that you'll find something.

I'm really glad you made a thread about this. DH and I were thinking about possibly getting an aquarium with fish...or maybe even a frog, a turtle, or some salamanders. I'll also have to let my mom know - her cats constantly sneak drinks from the tank and some of them have the diarrhea pretty often!


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

I FOUND SOME!

I hate to say it, but it was actually pretty cool. Everyone in my class had a fit and lined up to see the little swimmers doing their thing. I also saw some bacteria (which is a good thing- you want some in your water for biological filtration) and some ich spores... which confirms I still have spores left over from my last outbreak (some people say they are normal flora until the fish immune systems are down) I also found some microworms, which I feed to my fish so that's to be expected. 

I never knew my water was so alive! There were wigglers and swimmers, and little vibrating cocci shaped bacteria all over. I also stained some of it, which made things even more vibrant and cool. My teacher was quite thrilled that I brought in my sample, to get such a clear picture of giardia.

What does this mean for me? For my fish it means nothing- they'll be fine. For me, I have to figure out a way to fix up the top of my aquarium to keep the cats out. I'm gonna get some clear tape and some firm plastic sheets and cut them to shape. I have a hexagon tank so it's difficult to find the right sort of lid, so I'm gonna have to rig something up.

I preserved my slide and I'm gonna bring it down to the vets for them to see. There's no need to do a fecal, since we know the cats have been drinking from it. I have seen Nito and Chica both sneak sips too so I am thinking all three are gonna go on Metronidazole. I am also considering treating the fish tank with it too, perhaps I can rid the water of giardia.


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## china_cat84 (Apr 27, 2010)

Wow - that is pretty cool. When I had to take General Biology (prerequisite for A&P) we all brought in water samples from any place we could find. Lots of neat little swimmers and weird tiny creatures. And now you won't have to pay for a fecal!


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Great job, Rachel!!!

I hope all our members with fish see this.


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## Toirtis (May 6, 2010)

It is rare, but yes,, it happens. Aquarium water can also carry a few other zoonoses, including salmonellosis.


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## Nell (Apr 7, 2005)

I've had cats and aquariums for quite a while and this is the first I've heard that cats can get giardia from drinking aquarium water, so I'm glad you shared your findings! (and I'm glad that my aquarium is covered)

Its amazing what little things you can find living in an aquarium, other than the fish. Its really cool that you got the chance to look at yours under a microscope. Just the other week I discovered I have springtails living on my floating plants. Neat!

The Pet World Warehouse just off the belt line on the south side has a large selection of aquariums, including odd sizes and lids. They may have something to fit your tank if you want a more permanent cover.


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

Thanks for the tip Nell. I'll take a look. The problem with my aquarium is that i got it used, so the top part of it has chunks missing out of the wood border. With my oddly shaped filter, most hexagon tops don't fit right. My plastic rigging that I created actually isn't half bad though!


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## Toirtis (May 6, 2010)

The real question is where the giardia came from...it would be incredibly rare for it to have come in with the fish...but it is possible, if you were dumping the water your fish come in into your tank (never a good idea). 

As far as an aquarium cover goes, it is relatively easy to fashion one out of plastic egg-crating, or to have one cut out of acrylic (just make sure it is fairly thick, as acrylic will bow over time).


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

> but it is possible, if you were dumping the water your fish come in into your tank (never a good idea).


Unfortunately, I've done this before :? When I bought a bunch of ghost shrimp, I wasn't sure how to go about putting them in- netting them often causes them to get snagged and die.


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