You lovely people helped me a little while ago with identifying a red worm-like parasite protruding from one of my fish, and since then I’ve routinely medicated (as per dosage instructions) with a recommended parasite medication, thoroughly vacuumed the substrate on nearly every water change, tested my water, and feel like I’ve exhausted every option. I’m heartbroken, I’ve lost nearly every fish in the aquarium besides my otos (which seem to be the only fish not obviously affected) and an albino bristlenose pleco despite continually showing the adult worms poking out from its vent. I have a beautiful aquascape, healthy plants and moss, I inject Co2 - and while I know none of that was relevant to the infestation, I feel like I’ve put so much time, money, effort and love into this tank and yet nearly all my poor fish have perished and I seem to be left with the only option being to completely trip the tank and start again and it’s just heartbreaking. I’ve maintained a flourishing group of amano shrimp, along with some beautiful rabbit snails and they’re all still healthy because they aren’t affected by the parasite as they aren’t the primary hosts.

Where do I even begin to start? If I do strip it down, after keeping the invertebrates in a temporary back up tank can I move them back into the new aquascape once it’s cycled without risking reintroducing the parasite? If not how would I make them safe if at all Possible or would they have to permanently rehoused in a quarantine habitat? The same goes for the plants? And the otos?

Please help me, where on earth do I start?