Need Help Diagnosing Internal Parasite...

[HaliHostility]

i have a 55 gallon tank with 3 juvenille discus, a small angel, baby shovelnose catfish, and two glassfish. the previous owners of the tank had it infected with ick, the tank has been sitting dry with gravel, decorations for a year. i know ich needs a living fish to survive but i treated the tank washed the gravel and decorations anyway...i know they some sort of parasite when i put them into this tank [my discus had sunken bellys dark color,erratic swimming,clamped fins, and they were really lethargic and obviously white stringy poo,] but i cleared all that up and theyre lookin beautymouss now:] HOWEVER, I CANT GET RID OF THE WHITE POOP!!!!!!SOMETIMES it will have some regular brown marbleing but then itll be white for the most part...they have a pretty balanced diet [hikari frozen bloodworms and mysis shrimp,omega one shrimp pellets,tetracolor flakes,dried bloodworms,and algea tabs sometimes] and they eat a good amount 3 or 4 times a day. so i dont understand whats up..maybe im worrying to much? when i first got them contrary to the sunken bellys,dark color,and clamped fins they had really healthy large poops more like a dogs than a string and now its just the opposite..please help


ps, when i turn the light on in the morning they get all sketched out and start jerking around while they swim...its wierd..my angel and the catfish dont mind but my discus get all freaked out is that normal? sometimes with the discus tank at the fish store, i see them do it to.

 

[Tolak]

Have you treated them with anything yet? Also, are you from the US or UK?

 

[HaliHostility]

Have you treated them with anything yet? Also, are you from the US or UK?

oh yes i forgot to mention i put some bacterial and fungus treatment and it worked but theyre still pooping white..and im from the US

 

[Tolak]

Pick up some metronidazole, sold as Metroplex by Seachem, or Het A Mit, don't recall the manufacturer on that one. As long as they are eating, sprinkle a bit on some frozen brine shrimp, make it look like a small powdered donut. Feed this once daily, for 7-10 days.

Real common thing with angels & discus, less so with other NW cichlids. Internal protizoan, pretty much a normal part of the digestive flora, but can grow to be unmanageable by the fish's immune system if the fish is stressed.

 

[HaliHostility]

Pick up some metronidazole, sold as Metroplex by Seachem, or Het A Mit, don't recall the manufacturer on that one. As long as they are eating, sprinkle a bit on some frozen brine shrimp, make it look like a small powdered donut. Feed this once daily, for 7-10 days.

Real common thing with angels & discus, less so with other NW cichlids. Internal protizoan, pretty much a normal part of the digestive flora, but can grow to be unmanageable by the fish's immune system if the fish is stressed.

thank youu:]
also i wanted to ask, i have some metrodaz. but its pharmacy prescribes is it okay to crush them up and use that? ive always been curious

 

[Tolak]

Actually, several months back one of my dogs had a weird stomach ailment. After a visit to the vet we got a prescription for metro, go figure. 250mg once daily for a 15 pound dog, could have done that cheaper myself, same med.

Look up the manufacturer on the metro you have, most likely if it needs to be crushed it just has a binder to make it into tablet form. I would check to be sure though, as I know some antibiotics will contain substances besides the antibiotic to make the medication work a bit better.