Urgent help needed Powder blue tang

Ayoob

Ayoob

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Hi all.

Powder blue has some wired white stringy worms or something to that sort attached in 3 different areas on body. cant seem to identify the sickness and hoping to get good feed back on what medication should be used. As im not fimiliar with this sickness and how serious it is. I have also checked links in the sick forum and to my opinion it looks as if its Anchor worms. Fish had been in quarantine for over 3 weeks and eating well till today i discovered this worm like things on body which is like 4mm long. Your advice would be appreciated to what it might be. Thanks.
 
Occasionally a aquarium fish will become infected when they are fed live foods that may carry the parasite. It is contagious.
This is a very serious disease, as large infestations often cause weight loss and eventual death.
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Cure:
There are so many cures suggested for Anchor Worm. Over the counter treatments have been developed, with some success. Alternatively, you may treat the aquarium with 2mg/litre potassium permanganate, this approach has had much success. After treatment has ceased, I recommend feeding the fish antibiotic food, available from many aquarium shops. If this is not available, use a mild anti-biotic additive to the water, available again from aquarium shops. The anti-biotic will ensure no secondary infection occurs, as this is often the cause of death.
It has been suggested to remove the worms yourself. Using anti-parasitic medication, dab the worms first with a cotton swab to kill them. Then, gently remove with tweezers. After the worms have been removed, use an antibiotic designed for fish and dab the wounds sites with it. This will prevent a secondary infection. Although it has had varied success, this approach is not the best idea as the worms are often burrowed so deeply that physical removal may harm the fish. Adding small amounts of aquarium salt also helps.
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http://www.angelfire.com/blues/fish_problems/ANCHORWORM.html
 
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best pics i could take will try and upload more later
 
@belindamotion. Thanks i have seen that in your other posts. 2mg/litre potassium permanganate ill start adding
 
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Anchor Worm (Lernaea)
Symptoms: The fish scrapes itself against objects, whitish-green threads hang out of the fish's skin with an inflamed area at the point of attachment.
Anchor worms are actually crustaceans. The young are free swimming and borrow into the skin, go into the muscles and develop for several months before showing. They release eggs and die. The holes left behind are ugly and may become infected.
The anchor worm is too deeply imbedded to safely remove. Treatment can best be done with a 10 to 30 minute bath in 10 mg per liter of potassium permanganate. Or treat the whole tank with 2 mg per liter, but this method is messy and dyes the water.
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Fish Disease and Treatment Diseases



Saw this on the Internet....I don't know Anchor Worms so can't say what works and what doesn't...sure one of the other Reefers will steer you in the right direction...

De-Los

USE: For control of anchor worms, lice, gill flukes and assorted external parasites on freshwater, Koi and marine tropical fish. Toxic to sharks and snails. Do not use on prehistoric fishes such as arowanas, silver dollars, lionfish. Not for use in tanks which contain invertebrates.
DOSAGE: 1/2 teaspoon per 10 gallons. Treat once a week for 4 weeks. 1/2 pound (treats 908 gal.) If you are using this product in outdoor Koi ponds, no water changes are necessary. This product will kill fluke eggs, Praziquantel will not.
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Fish Medication - Products Page 1
 
I hope so as well. Its just the colour is white stringy but has similar shape to that of anchor worms. It could even be leeches. Hoping nothing to serious.
 
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Leeches seem to be "heart shaped"...curled up against the body...so I'll say that...going by you'r description, don't think it's Leeches...

...are easy to spot and identify as they tend to be large enough to be spotted with the naked eye. Leeches are worms that often appear hearth shaped as they curle themselves toward the body of the fish. Leeches attached themselves onto the body, fins or gills.
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Leeches in aquariums

Leeches
Symptoms: Leeches are visible on the fish's skin.
Leeches are external parasites and affix themselves on the body, fins, or gills of the fish. Usually they appear as heart shaped worms (they are just curled up) attached to the fish. They are usually introduced to the aquarium via plants or snails.
Since leeches are sucking and borrowing into the surface of the fish, removal with forceps can cause great damage, if not death, to the fish. If the fish is bathed in a 2.5 percent solution of salt for 15 minutes, most of the leeches should just fall off. Those that do not will be affected enough to remove with forceps with minimal damage. Another treatment is to add Trichlorofon at 0.25 mg/l to the aquarium. Live plants should be removed and treated with potassium permanganate at 5 mg/l before replanting.
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