shih-tzu mom

Well, this is my first guy, he has 4-long thread like things, hanging from his dorsel fin?? don't know what this is. The rest of him looks great eating trying to swim as much as he can in a[ 5-gallon-sick uncycled tank]-daily water changes and lots of meds. Today is their day off. with just clear water, But my Question. is this anchor worm that won't let go? My next treatment is fluke tabs tomorrow.i am losing my patience lol they have never seen a cyled tank lol. they have both had something or other wrong with them since i brought them home. This one whom i call Pop-Top is the first one treated and looked like he was clearing up and these things have not let go yet and i'm tired of reading fish diease's lol any one have any idea's please help. they have been sick since end of oct; bella

Emory

Can you obtain a clear piccy? plz

shih-tzu mom

Emory, i wish i could but camera not working properly. These things might be anchor woms as the other fish i removed one and he seems to be doing good, but this guy what-ever this is ,it won't let go and i'm kind of afraid to remove as it looks just a little diff; then the other one did. lol it is white string stuff like 4-of them attached to just below his dorsel fin. bella

Emory

Don't worry about it, I don't even have a working camera except for the one on my phone.

When you search the diseases, which you are understandable tired of, did you ever search Google images? Most of the time when I am searching for something I search the pictures of it to get me to a decent web page. Sometimes it really beats searching through pages of link descriptions for one specific thing.

shih-tzu mom

Yes, i have searched google but the only pic, i come up with is anchor worm and some how this fish, looks a little diff;i'm thinking if it is a fungus it would be in more area's then in 4-stings and for anchor it don't look right so i am quite frustrated. but i don't mind treating him ,but i would like it to be the right thing ,he is being treated. i understand some of these meds can 'kill or cure lol ' and i sure would like to cure.' bella

Lucy

I ran across this a while ago, Maybe it will help you:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...US_en%26sa%3DN

shih-tzu mom

No, Lucy nothing in there that compares to it. the closest, i came was on google images and again anchor worm so i guess i have to remove 4-of these little suckers and hope he is being treated right bella

Lucy

Gosh, by the time you get things straightened out, you'll be a fish vet.
I'm sure there's a correct word for it, but I don't know what it its.

I hope you're able to kick this soon.

MrsM3197

Good Luck Bella, your gonna be a Fishy Dr. in no time. You'll be a PHishD!!!

shih-tzu mom

MRSM, no kidding, i'm about ready to give up but all i've been reading in the last 5-6-days is fish dieases, and i'm tired of it lol and this poor fish is depending on me to get him out of this mess and i don't have a lot of courage right now for plucking these little suckers off-they look awful, and i guess i have to do it. but he looks a little week from all these meds and i'm hoping by tomorrow he will be a little better and then i can operate on him. He is pretty flighty right now. bella

Emory

Gruesome but fantastic information on that link! I'm bookmarking it. Thanks!

hozzie

2 of my guppies have anchor worms. Can you recommend treatment for them please?

female has approx 4 and male has 2....

thanks Helene

Red1313

Call a fish vet?

gremlin

The fastest easiest way to get rid of anchor worms is to manually remove them. Gently hold the fish in one hand and using tweezers, grasp the worm as close to the fish's body as possible. Gently pull until the worm releases and comes out - you should feel a little pop when they release. Throw the anchor worms in the trash (I wipe the tweezers on a napkin or paper towel). The smaller the fish, the harder it is to remove the anchor worms without doing more damage.

shih-tzu mom

Hozzie-Hi: i agree with Gremlin that you have to remove the anchor worm but with a small fish like a guppy it will be hard lol but hold him gently and pull them out and a med. i used was clout before i removed the worms-but a word of caution lol i lost the last one as he had too many worms and went away then came back. hope this helps you some and be brave and gentel good luck, another excellant med. is made by jungle all in one treatment for parasites.Make sure your hands are very clean as he can get an infection and you want to dab with a q-tip and a bit of peroxicide to prevent infection. i also put the tweezers in peroxicide as well and had a paper towel and super clean water to put him in after you are done.best of luck to you and be very, very gentel lol bella

shih-tzu mom

Hozzie;Sorry i am forgetting a most important part i destoyed everything that came in contact with the fish as the female lay's eggs and they can reinfest lol and with everything that i used i through out and that is why the clean water also-so the eggs don't have a chance to reinfect your guppy's lol again hoping this helps you, and if you have them in a big tank you will have to dinfect the tank. i threw out gravel, filter nets, anything that i used to be safe and the rest of whatever-i used a [disinfectant] bella

hozzie

Thank you

I did the deed and removed the worms by tweezers, added some stress coat.

I have just got back from the fish shop where they have sold me some stuff called Aquarium treatment no 12, anti crustacean parasite - made by interpret -that claims to eliminate anchor worms....BUT .... it also kills your plants and destroys your filter bacteria; so this puts me back to square one as the tank will have to cycle from scratch??

If I disinfect the tank do i have to change the filter medium? or can i just clean it in aquarium water from my other tank? I can change the gravel no problem; its a small 40 l tank. What should i use to disinfect it?

On a plus side they have put a 'not for sale ' sign on their guppies while they treat them and promise to inform their supplier; I noticed several in the tank had the worms.

I am really reluctant to use this stuff as I have, water wise at least a happy tank...

advice?

Thanks again Helene

hozzie

Just a thought... if i took some water from my clean 180l tank and set up the little quarantine tank ...would I be able to put my fish in the Q tank while i treat them ...

then if i emptied the 40l replaced the gravel and gave it a good clean; cleaned the filter in clean tank water from the 180l...would this preserve my bacteria and help the cycle re-establish? or could i refill the 40l with water from the 180l??

I am sooooooo confuffled.... eeek!

Helene - having a blonde moment

gremlin

The main reason to disinfect the tank is to get rid of any eggs the anchor worms would have left behind. They will be microscopic and will be stuck to anything the adult anchor worms had access to, as well as anything the water went through (filter). It is best to replace the filter and media completely. Put a new clean filter in your 180 l tank so it can get seeded with your good bacteria. Personally, I would replace the gravel. Although, if you washed it good in bleach water, rinse it really good in clean water, then let it dry for several days and wash it in clean water again, it should be ok. Same with any of the plants/decor in the tank. Live plants, you could try an alum bath but I'm not sure how that would work. We just threw all our lillies in the mulch pile and started over. I like the idea of using some of the water from the 180 to set up a quarantine/treatment tank, and to refill the 40 l when it is cleaned. That would help with your cycle in your 40 l so it may be able to cycle faster between using some of the cycled water from your 180, and having your new filter in the 180 to be seeded, and maybe even using a bit of the gravel (or vacuuming up some of the gunk to transfer to the new gravel) to transfer more good bacteria to the 40 l.

hozzie

thank you muchly... that is what i will do

shih-tzu mom

Glad you got all those suckers out of your guppie's
, i have never heard of that med; but the one i used was jungle all in one for parasite's and clout. lol hope this helps, they also have one for anchor worms that is called fluke tabs. bella

shih-tzu mom

Hozzie;- How's your babies and the tank coming along?Hope all is going alright for you lol. bella

hozzie

so far so good. fish are being guppies...eating and erm .... the other lol so i presume they feel ok.

fingers crossed and following Gremlin's advice....

shih-tzu mom

Great;Hozzie he has excellant advice and so easy to follow even for me, lol and i'm glad everything is ok. bella

gremlin

She, not he

Thank you - I am glad to help when ever I can.

shih-tzu mom

Sorry.bella

gremlin

no prob - it was probably just a typo anyway.

shih-tzu mom

nO, FOR SOME REASON I NEVER LOOKED AND ALWAYS THOUGHT OF YOU AS A GUY LOL SO SORRY BELLA-OHcaps on again sorry just finshed work and i work with caps on an always forget to take them off.

gremlin

So, should I be offended or complimented?

shih-tzu mom

I hope not offended Gremlin, now that i know, and would you see my new post and tell me what you think please bella