Fishy novice getting conflicting info from fish shop and google here, so I need some Mumsnet wisdom to add to the mix.
DD got a new bristlenose pleco before Christmas which appears to have a worm about 8-10 mm long attached just by the side of the dorsal fin. It's hard to get a good look as the pleco is tiny and very active (and quite strongly black/white patterned!) but I think it's an anchor worm.
We don't have a spare tank (can't see one on Freecycle atm). Do I need to get one, put just the Plec in it and treat that? Or will we need to zap the whole tank? I'm not sure if it arrives with this worm or has picked it up here somehow.
Fish store sold me Interpet 12, saying it wouldn't harm the filter bacteria, but the instructions say it does wipe them out. So that'll leave us an uncycled tank, right, and probably wipe out all 8 fish? Doesn't sound too good to me.
They also suggested turning the heater up to speed the parasite metabolism and make it die faster, but given their other advice seems dodgy I don't trust this.
Google came up with 'Parazin' for not killing off the filter, but varied reviews of whether it does anything useful; also suggestions of 'removing with tweezers' (bit tricky when the whole fish is about an inch long).
Errm, help? Before I give up and make a very small set of fish fingers?
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Fishy worm help needed please!
18 replies
Lancelottie · 11/01/2011 10:44
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