did i do this right

[kcalbat]

hi..sorry i should have posted this is the gourami problem forum topic but i wanted it read in case i did anything disasterously wrong....

ok...my gourami in the hospital tank has anchor worms...

i just noticed the fish in my 40 gallon have anchor worms too...

this is what i did...the only treatment i could find right away was>>
ANTI-FLUKE treatment for fluke parasites
made by aquarium products

that is ALL i could find...the ingredients read: dimethyl, hydroxy and trichloromethyl phosphate

it does not have..that i see...organophosphate...or does it??? i dunno

im willing to go where necessary to find better medicine..any advice on this?

what i did was medicate the 10 gallon and the 40 gallon..but after reading some artical on inefficient medicine for anchor worms I:

from 40 gal:
seperated three fish (without visible anchor worms) put in gallon bowl with some salt, stress coat, and the anchorworm treatment

seperated three fishes, removed all visible anchor worms, and did same as above in different bowl

seperated small pleco in own bowl with AW treatment

10 gallon:
put Gourami in own bowl same as above after removing most of the worms
put pleco in own bowl with treatment

tommorrow i strip clean both tanks

now for my urgent questions:

did i do this right?
will that medicine be effective?
what do i use to disinfect both of the tanks, ornaments, fake plants, gravel, ect?
how long do i keep fishes in the bowls?
how do i do water changes in bowls (lots of poo)?
how do i feed fish if they must stay in bowls for a few days?
how do i know the medicine is working?
any more advice, tips, ect?

PLEASE HELP

 

[WILDER]

Coppersafe and clout for anchor worm, do you no that med you bought does it say what it treats.
Clout
Manufacturer: Aquarium Products
A very strong and effective medication for parasitic and protozoan infestations. Treats: Ich, Hydra, leeches, Planaria, Epistylis, Trichodina, Hexamita,Tetrahy-mena, body fungus, digenetic flukes, parasitic copepods, monogenetic flukes and anchor worms.

 

[kcalbat]

this medicine is made by the same company as those..it says it treats fish lice, anchor worm, and gill flukes

 

[WILDER]

I wouldn't strip the 40gal down just yet, see if the meds get rid of them, good luck.

 

[3fsh]

Don't put them in bowls!!! Their ammonia will kill them... it's better that they are all in a filtered tank, even if you have to treat the fish that aren't sick. Could you possibly set up a small quarantine tank with a sponge filter to keep the other fish in? I would recommend using "Parasite Clear" by Tank Buddies. It worked wonders when my fish had internal parasites (it's also for external parasites) and I used it with a pleco who suffered no ill effects from it. Just make sure that if you do use it with the pleco, you use it at half dose for twice the recommended period of treatment.

 

[kcalbat]

thanks for the great advice 3fsh! i did have them in bowls but i am doing frequent water changes..with medicine for the anchor worms and medicine for secondary infections.

i wasnt sure if i should use the Tank Buddies medicine but now that you gave it credit i will try it out.

i am cleaning out my big tank..but leaving my small 10 gallon running though both were infected. i do not have another tank..the 10 gal was suppose to bemy hospital tank...for one fish..but all are infested..

i will return the fish to the big tank and if the anchor worms reappear i will use the tank buddies..thanks a bunch because not many medicines are available for the anchor worm and i didnt know what to use..but will it work on this tough worm?

i do have two plecos...i will keep the dosage in mind

thanks a million