Strange Parasite

Question
This question has been cross-posted to other forums and experts.

I have a 7 gallon tank which contains two dalmatian Mollies(1m,1f) and a swordtail/platy crossbreed(m).I have an Odyssea Power Filter which came with the tank. I use Mardel 5-in-1 Chemical Test Strips which have always come back with ideal or near ideal levels of nitrates(0), nitrites(0), hardness(~50ppm), Alkalinity(~80ppm), and pH(~6.8). The water has been changed 6 times since December 20th when I first introduced the fish to the tank.


Shortly after I got the fish, they began to show signs of Ich and I began treating with an antifungal. After a day or two of the treatment, I a noticed a strange protrusion on the platy's back, right next to his dorsal fin. It visibly continued into his body and as I continued the antifungal regimen, it seemed to "come out." It became longer and showed a split end. I'm guessing it's some sort of parasitic worm as it is translucent, about 5mm long( outside the body) and roughly cylindrical. It didn't seem to bother the fish at all so I wasn't overly concerned about it, other than it grossing me out. However, in the past few days, it has grown thicker, and gained a grayish-silver color. Today i noticed that my male molly has a similar protrusion as the one I first saw in the platy several weeks ago.

So, my question is this: what is this creepy thing crawling out of my pet fish and how in the world do I get rid of it?

One site I read suggested manually removing external parasites, but I'm afraid that this will harm my fish. I'm rather attached to them and want to do whatever gives them the greatest chance of survival.

Answer
Hi Freya;

Your fish probably have a parasite known as "Anchor Worm" aka "Lernea". Your fish may be too small to pull them off. It could cause serious damage because they "anchor" themselves by barbed hard hooks in the flesh. If you just kill the little devils with some medicine from the fish store, at least they won't spread. Here is a good web page about them, with how to treat and what to use;

http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/Anchor%20Worm.html

Good Luck...

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins