Anchor Worm Breakout

[skinbad]

I've got a breakout of anchor worms that seem to be surviving medication, what is the best treatment in the UK for it? I've been using Waterlife's Sterazin as recommended to me by a fish shop, 4 days into treatment and the worms are still attached. And worse now, as another fish in a different tank has them! I presume therefore the damage is done and both tanks will be riddled?

The two fish are both Electric Blue Bolivian Rams I bought as a pair, then separated once I realized they are both male and one was being bullied and not feeding properly. The stronger more developed fish was first to have them, first just One, then overnight one on every fin and an ulcer on its head. I quarantined him, where he's been treated for four days, with no improvement, though the red of the ulcer has gone, leaving him with pits in his head, one very deep. He came from a 55 gallon community with regular changes of stock, and today I find them on my other ram, in a separate 65 ltr tank.

I'm presuming my only option is to treat both tanks now?

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I've been looking into my mystery red line issue and was reading an interesting article on anchor worms.

Nearer the bottom it talks about anchor worm, hope that might be helpful, not ever treated it myself.
anchor worm

 

[WILDER]

Do the worms have a forked tail.
Sterazin,for body, and skin flukes. I don't think it treats anchor worms.
You need to be using parazin by waterlife.
Anti crustaceon med by interpet also treats anchor worm, but wipes the beneficial bacteria out if the filter.

You will need to also use a bacterial med.

Here some info for you to read on anchor worm.


Anchor Worm (a.k.a. Lernaea)

Symptoms:

Infected fish can be seen with whitish red worm-like threads, about � inch long. Trailing at the rear of female parasites are two long, tube-like egg sacs. The parasites can be found anywhere on the body of the fish, including the eyes, gills and fins. Raised ulcers may appear at the site of attachment. Consequently, secondary bacterial infections may occur. The tale-tale sign that your fish is infected will be if you notice it rubbing or scraping against objects in the aquarium. It does this in an effort to remove the parasite.


Cause:

The parasitic crustacean Lernaea. Lernaea burrow into the muscle and gill tissue of fish, often times reaching as deeply as the internal organs, causing severe damage. Heavy infestations can cause significant weight loss and death.


Treatment:

You should kill all visible worms by dabbing them with a cotton swab, dipped in Potassium Permanganate or an anti-parasitic medication. Then you should carefully remove them from the fish with tweezers. You should kill the parasites before removing them because if they have burrowed deeply, removing them alive could cause the fish pain and significant physical damage. Once you�ve removed the parasite, you should then dab the wounds with Methylene Blue to prevent secondary bacterial infections from occurring. It is highly recommended that you feed the fish with medicated food. The tank will also need to be treated to kill any unseen, free-swimming juvenile parasites. You can use Fluke Tabs, Clout, Paragon or Trifon for this.



Article/Source. Fish+Disease.Net

Parazin by waterlife for anchor worm.

http/www.waterlife.co.uk/waterlife/parazin.htm

 

[skinbad]

The Sterazin is the med I was recommended, but I suspected it wasn't working.

The first ram died overnight, I suspect from the head injury, the other began treatment yesterday.

still don't understand why only the two rams though, or does it have a long life free swimming?

also, how best to sterilize the equipment after treatment?

 

[WILDER]

Dterazin only treat flukes. The lad at the LFS must if been having a bad day at work.

You need to get the sterazin out of the tank by a water change. Run some new black carbon.

I would get some parazin by waterlife.

Have you added any new plants to the tank. As anchor worm can be fetched into a tank with live plants.

Sterilize the equipment in boiling water.

You will also need to treat for secondary bacteria infections.