Anchor Worm Treatment?

Hi all,

I've got a few platies in QT right now that are suffering from an anchor worm outbreak. I first spotted the "worms" a little under two weeks ago, and I treated the tank with praziquantel. I unfortunately lost two fish, but the others seem to be improving -- becoming more active, nibbling at food again, etc.

I'm on the second 7-day prazi treatment cycle now, and I'm wondering about how best to proceed. While the prazi appears to have stopped any further anchor worm reproduction, there's still worms holding on tight to the remaining fishes.

Some of the literature I've read on the 'net says that the worms must be removed manually. Unfortunately, that same literature is pretty short on details. I've never performed "surgery" on fish, and while I'm willing, I also want to make sure I get it right.

So, two questions to those who may have more experience with anchor worms:

1. Is manual removal necessary to rid a fish of anchor worms?
2. If so, how do I go about performing the surgery -- and do I need to treat the wound afterward?

OK, that was more like three questions, but you get the idea.

Thanks in advance.

-John

P.S. Daveedka, your posts re: prazi in these same forums were invaluable, so thanks!

Monday morning bump

Hi all,

Thanks for your replies. I have read up on these parasites, including the page linked by Bigguppy, and like I said, I've treated the tank chemically. (Praziquantel is actually the main ingredient in Parasite Clear.) What I'm looking for is somebody who has direct experience with manually removing/successfully eradicating the "worms" and might have some insight to offer.

Thanks again for writing back -- I do appreciate it.

Makes sense to me. Thanks, Sully!