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OK so I had a whitespot breakout and against my gut instinct allowed myself to use rapid whitespot remedy (because the guys in the shop rang the importers of the noses who said I could use it at half strength) I did this because

The mystery white things are anchor worms, and the higher temp thing might speed up their lifecycle. One day after treating the tank, I have my small nose dying in a 30 liter hospital tank (fighting for it's life but I havn't much hope..it's little body is all blistered) The bigger nose is hanging in the main tank..he is ok..only just, a considerable amount of finnage is missing..but his body looks ok.

The plan was to treat the whitespot followed by treating for the anchor worms. But I find that the product they have convinced me to buy is no good even in half doses for noses.

Hours I have spent researching trying my darndest to do the right thing. On the phone, talking to people. No avail.

So looks like I need to get another hospital tank set up for the big nose and quarantine him. manually remove (somehow) any anchor worms that show up. And I need to thoroughly treat my tank while it is noseless.

I feel so bad for the poor things. And frustrated.

First picture is about three weeks ago, I first noticed it, took a pic in case..but it went away.

These pictures are this afternoon. They really are tiny. I dislodged one with a cotton bud and it drifted away without activity.

Left no mark that I could see. I did discover more on the body and near gills. Fish too small and mobile to closley incpect the gills..outward appearance OK.

These things on both sides..the rest not so ready to dislodge.

View changed first message in thread.

Found the culprit ..it came in on the Big nose it seems. There is an 8mm long approx "mother" of a worm hidden under the gill on the big nose. The white spot treatment must of weakend it because it made a couple of awkward appearances before the fish worked it back to where it caused the least distress. I guess too it is getting too big to stay hidden in there.

Well I bought a AR380 to isolate the nose while I try figure the best way to treat it without killing it. I cant access the worm to remove it..and in any case there may be others. Currently treating other tanks and the bristle noses none too happy.

Sometimes you can't win.