Anchor Worm :(

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OnceLoyal

Candiru
MFK Member
May 13, 2008
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My 220 I was cycling had a few fish added from the lake. A large mouth bass and 3 bluegills. I see now that 2 of the bluegills have anchor worm. I will trwat them with copper. Just wondering if I will have a problem with my plants. SOme amazon swords, java fern and some bulb plants. Any one ever have any problems with their live plants and copper? Man these worms are freekin huge too.
 
Surely someone has used copper with live plants before?
 
it will afect the plants, but not kill them...

why don't you try a specific medication for anchors? SERA has a reputed medication, ARGULOL
 
I will check it out. I have to run back up to get some stuff anyway. I will check it out.
 
K I got some stuff called Life Bearer Parasite treatment (liquid form). I will keep ya posted on how things go with the plants and of course the anchor worms.
 
Remove the anchorworms stuck on fish using tweezers. Try to pull the head which is buried under the epidermis. Treat the fish's wound with iodine solution.
 
Lupin I did that, but I wanted to make sure the tank is treated in case some eggs or larvae is around somewhere. I am not too sure of the life cycle. To be honest I was pretty lazy on this one. I did however see very tiny little white "hairs" close to the same area where the big ones where, so I assume they were multiplying.
Anyway, after a 2 day treatment of the Life Bearer, a little bit of elevated temp, and a little bit of salt everything seems ok. I see no signs of anything else. I consider this cured. If something else happens I will post it up. Time to change out some water!!!!
 
Just for future reference. Good luck though.:)

Anchorworm (Lernaea elegans)
Description:
The crustacean Lernaea is often called "anchorworm" by aquarists as it anchors deeply in the fish skin with its branched suction organ and has an elongated body without visible limbs. At the back end, there are two sac-like outgrowths where eggs develop.

It takes the eggs between several days and and two weeks to attain maturity. Then they fall off and the larvae hatch. The mother crustacean dies and is repelled from the fish tissue after the eggs have fallen off. The larvae are also parasites and go to the gills of the fish to suck blood. As larvae, they attain sexual maturity there. After mating, the female larvae leave the fish and swim around as planktonic organisms for a short time. Then they find a host and bore their way into its skin.

Treatment:
1. Dimilin Powder
The only known method of killing this parasite, without killing the fish is DIMILIN POWDER which can be used safely at any water temperature and has an action of sterilizing the adult and larval stages of this parasite which insures that all eggs produced, after the application of Dimilin, will not hatch.

Method: Dimilin Powder at the rate of 1 gram per ton of pond water. Measure out the quantity required and mix in a plastic bucket with pond water ensuring that the powder is dissolved then add to the pond in the previous manner. A second dosage may be needed to ensure that the life cycle of the anchor worm has been halted. After this second application the dead adults, which will still be hanging from the fish, can be removed using tweezers but making sure that the hooks, as well as the tail of the anchor worm are removed and then apply a proprietary topical dressing to prevent a secondary infection.

2. Potassium Permanganate
There is another way of removing anchor worm but more care has to be taken when removing all parts of the anchor worm which is to mix a strong solution of potassium permanganate crystals of 1 gram into 25 mls of hot water. Mix well until dissolved and then dip the tweezers into this solution prior to the removal of the anchor worm, once the solution touches the body, the anchor worm releases its grip immediately and it can then be lifted clear of the fish and the water. Wipe the end of the tweezers on a clean tissue to remove all traces before attempting to remove another anchor worm.

3. Sera Cyprinopur
Follow the instructions accordingly. Use Sera Baktopur to treat the wounds of the fish after the anchor worms have been pulled out. When pulling anchor worms out of the fish, firmly grasp the tweezers near its base where it is burying to the skin and quickly pull it out.
 
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