Anchor worm is a small 1cm whitish red worm-like thread, trailing at the female parasite are 2 tube like egg sacs. The parasites can be found anywhere on the body of the fish, including the eyes, gills and fins. A small ulcer may appear at the attached site, the most common symptom that your fish has got anchor worm is it will rub up against the gravel and rocks trying to detach the parasite.
The parasitic crustacean Lernaea. Lernaea burrow into the muscle and gill tissue of fish, often times reaching as deeply as the internal organs, causing severe damage. Heavy infestations can cause significant weight loss and death.
You should kill all visible worms by dabbing them with a cotton swab, dipped in Potassium Permanganate or an anti-parasitic medication. You should carefully remove the parasitic worm with a pair of tweezers. You should kill the parasites before removing them because if they have burrowed deeply, removing them alive could cause the fish pain and significant physical damage. Once you’ve removed the parasite, you should then dab the wounds with Methylene Blue to prevent secondary bacterial infections from occurring. It is highly recommended that you feed the fish with medicated food. The tank will also need to be treated to kill any unseen, free-swimming juvenile parasites. You can use Fluke Tabs, Clout, Paragon or Trifon for this.
Regards dean30bb