Parasitic Worm?

[Lenna]

I've just noticed some worms on a couple of fish in my planted community tank. I've never seen anything like them before. They are white and approximately 5mm long. I've looked at some pictures of anchor worms, etc but they are different. The affected fish (2 cardinals & 2 rummynose tetra) seem normal otherwise with no loss of colour, appetite, etc in fact they don't seem bothered by them at all. They (the worms) just look a bit unsightly. My other problem is treating them . They're in a heavily planted 180g and are impossible to catch. It's a bit impractical to add meds to a tank this size and I don't want to dose it because I have loaches and BN plecs in there. Anyone know a good way of catching a 1" fish in a 180g tank
PS tank stats are:
NH3 0ppm
N02 0ppm
N03 15ppm (it's an EI tank)
pH 6.6
temp 30 deg C

I do a 10-15% water change every week with gravel vac where not planted
TIA

 

[Behemoth]

well you can try this, if you feed them flakes they may come to the top to feed and just scoop him with a net.

 

[Lenna]

Yeah, unfortunately I'd get half a dozen fish if I tried that. Then I'd have to sort through them all. They're such pigs. The cardinals are more mid to bottom feeders though, only my sharks, hockeys, kribs, etc fed at the surface.

 

[Behemoth]

well just feed a bit at a time and if he comes close grab him and if you get another just shoot em out. that way if you fail to catch him you can put a little more food in and keep trying. i know it's very tough to catch fast fish or fish in big tanks.

 

[WILDER]

Anchor worm look like nylon with a forked tail.

 

[Lenna]

I looked at pics of anchor worm, these are different. Anyone know what treatments will work on worms, assuming I can catch these fish?

 

[The-Wolf]

could be skin flukes (dactylogyrus / gryodactylus)
the best treatment for this is formeldahyde
many fish meds have this as one of the active ingredients,
you just need to read their lables.