One of my fish appears to have an anchor worm and so I have bought some Interpret 12 - Anti Crustacean Parasite treatment. However, it says that it damages p;ants and biological filter media, and I suppose it also kills snails. Does anyone know whether the fish has to be in it for a long time or whether I could put her in a vivarium that I occasionally use floated in the main tank with the treatment in so that I don't have to put it in the main tank? If she only needs a dip for a few hours I think this would be OK but not if it were for days (it also apparently reduces oxygen levels).
Anti Crustacean Treatment
- Thread starter Crunchy
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Lupin
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- Sep 21, 2006
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- Paul
For anchorworm infestations, treat the whole tank. Dips will not work as the anchorworms have enough time to establish their population already. Email Interpet for the ingredients first and please update us of this development. They usually don't reveal their ingredients and a lot of ingredients turn out to be powerful enough to kill a fish if dosed recklessly.
In the meantime, remove the anchorworms with tweezers as soon as you spot them and apply iodine solution on the wounds. Be careful not to put the iodine solution near their eyes and gills. If you must handle the fish with bare hands, apply stresscoat with aloe vera on your hands to minimize slime coat damage.
In the meantime, remove the anchorworms with tweezers as soon as you spot them and apply iodine solution on the wounds. Be careful not to put the iodine solution near their eyes and gills. If you must handle the fish with bare hands, apply stresscoat with aloe vera on your hands to minimize slime coat damage.
Thank you for the reply and the advice to treat the whole tank, which I have done.
On the Interpet box it says it contains sodium chlorite, which comes up as a weed killer and for removing anchor worms on google. I have taken all the plants, snails, 25% of the water and biological filter medium, as well as putting another filter (minus the carbon in the tank) and treated the whole tank. I will put all the stuff and some of the water back in after a few days and test the water daily in the meantime as apparently it raises ammonia levels.
I tried pulling the worm off with tweezers this morning when the fish were still after I switched the light on but although I grabbed it quite firmly it wouldn't come off when she swam away. I am still worried about the stuff sticking out of her vent as I am not certain that it isn't an internal parasite (callumanus) (see earlier post). All the fish are happy enough without the light on but scared the in bare tank with it on so I am just off to buy a few plastic plants for a while.
On the Interpet box it says it contains sodium chlorite, which comes up as a weed killer and for removing anchor worms on google. I have taken all the plants, snails, 25% of the water and biological filter medium, as well as putting another filter (minus the carbon in the tank) and treated the whole tank. I will put all the stuff and some of the water back in after a few days and test the water daily in the meantime as apparently it raises ammonia levels.
I tried pulling the worm off with tweezers this morning when the fish were still after I switched the light on but although I grabbed it quite firmly it wouldn't come off when she swam away. I am still worried about the stuff sticking out of her vent as I am not certain that it isn't an internal parasite (callumanus) (see earlier post). All the fish are happy enough without the light on but scared the in bare tank with it on so I am just off to buy a few plastic plants for a while.