fish louse

Question
i purchased a spotted gar today .. and once i got it home and in my aquarium i noticed it had a pariste i really only read about.  it is fish louse.. it had only one on the fish.  i was wondering what actions i should take on this.. i plan to remove the parasite with forceps tomorrow (if thats not to long to wait since i have to leave for the night)  and was wondering if this one parasite will cause a outbreak. and what kind of treatment i should use after i remove it. thanks for taking the time to read this

Eric

Answer
Hi Eric;

Removing it with forceps or tweezers is just fine. I've had to do that on koi and goldfish especially. Watch for infection at the bite area. I like to keep aquarium salt and Melafix on hand for preventing infections from bites and injuries such as these. The "plucking" usually ends it, but sometimes there are more you didn't see. There are some really good parasite meds available these days with an ingredient called "Praziquantel". If you see more of those little critters you might want to use it. "Jungle Parasite Guard" is one of them I think. Check the label to be sure.

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins