White stringy feces

[desley]

Hi all,

OK sorting out a few problems.

I have mostly heathy fish ... apart from two or three I have lost over the past few weeks (thinking lack of maintanence which I am in the process of sorting out).

BUT

to fix up this new immediate problem ... which now I am closely watching have noticed the following.

I seem to have a few fish that get slow moving (one had a fat belly and a couple didn't) and they seem to have whitish stringy feces that hang. No signs of any other parasites etc attached to any other part of their bodes. The fish seem to hang around for a while sluggish not eating and then die off. It's not constipation as I feed a good quality vege flake and also have plants and feed peas.

Is this internal parisites ?? If so, I have never encountered this problem before.

Does it go through the whole tank. How do I fix it ? I have been into the petstore and they don't have a clue.

Thanks
Desley

 

[black angel]

what kind of fish?
size of tank and water test results. how long has the tank been running. have you added anything new recently? could be a parisitic infection and maybe trying some live foods might help.

 

[desley]

Hi,

Don't shoot me but don't know test results

22 US gallons ... platties, guppies & now no cherry barb + 1 zebra danio.

Temp set at 28 (kept higher to stop ich from ages ago) + our summers are hot so it will be a more constant temp .. doesn't go on hardly at all at the moment .. if ever.

Water changes have been neglected over the last 2 months (done 2) due to injury which I am trying to get a python to get over that part.

Seemed the cherry barb bloated .. the guppies either bloated or were pregnant (were females) now 1 male guppy & 1 platty looking unhappy.

Recent 30% water change + salt added + melafix.

Filter completely cleaned out (but kept noodles unrinsed & one old filter pad) the week before water change but the problem has been slow and probably over 2 - 3 months.

I don't loose them rapidly .. but just maybe 1 a week/fortnight .. so the others all are perfect .. but 1 starts to look less than happy and I just notice it has this white stringy feces.

Hope that helps you help me and my fish.

Thanks

 

[black angel]

thanks for giving me more info

i am thinking that your fish could be suffering from hexamita, otherwise known as hole in the head disease. most of the symptoms you describe point to this even though you havent seen any pitting or ulcers on the fish. this is an intestinal disease and is shown by the bloating, lack of interest in food and stringy faeces. this disease isnt solely for cichlids and any other fish can get it if the tank conditions are poor. maybe you havent seen the pitting around the head as they are such small fish.
do lots of water changes to get the quality back and invest in some good test kits for nitrite, nitrate, ammonia and ph.
to treat you can get metronidazol made by tetra to add to the food (gel food would be best for this). 1/4 tsp per 4 oz, once a day for 10 days. good luck

 

[desley]

Thanks for your advice.

Seems I cannot find that sort of medication on any of the websites in Australia.

They just don't seem to have much in the way of aquarium products over here .. or I haven't found a good stockist.

Anyway, will keep trying to find the medication you mentioned but I tried searching the 3 websites and tetra only come up with general food items and nothing for metronidazol.

Is there anything else that you can use to treat the tank if I can't find this. Does it go through the whole tank .. meaning I will lose all my fish?

Thanks again
Desley

 

[desley]

the unwell platty died this morning but he was not bloated.

I went to the petstore and best option they had for anything internal .. was tablets to treat tapeworms. Will these help?

Going to attempt a water change now. Still put in melafix this morning for one of male guppies with a split fin .. which I think is from being chased around by another male guppy.

 

[lucky62]

As black angel said do water changes as well , IME water changes help more than any thing else . Maybe 10% a day or every other day , this will slowly improve the fishes health .

 

[desley]

Ok thanks 10% is pretty easy for me.

Does it have to be from the gravel or from the top OK .. or a bit of both

Top is obviously easier for me to cup some out and replace but if it is worms dropping to the bottom maybe gravel is better.

No other fish have anything hanging from anywhere and appear healthy apart from 1 small male guppy which is getting bothered by another one so I think it might be fatigue.

Thanks again

 

[lucky62]

Ok thanks 10% is pretty easy for me.

Does it have to be from the gravel or from the top OK .. or a bit of both

Top is obviously easier for me to cup some out and replace but if it is worms dropping to the bottom maybe gravel is better.

No other fish have anything hanging from anywhere and appear healthy apart from 1 small male guppy which is getting bothered by another one so I think it might be fatigue.

Thanks again

As long as the water is well circulated through out your tank , it really won't matter top or bottom , though you may want to try and get out as much fish waists or uneaten food as you can with the change .

You may want to consider some type of hose/ siphon for water changes , it would make it easier then using a cup . You did say something about a cup , didn't you ?

Do you do weekly water changes ?

If not , could be the cause of excess nitrates in the water , a regular regimen of weekly partial water changes is a big yes , it really is one of the best things you can do for your fish, and is a big key in successful fish keeping . If you do weekly water changes disregard what I said .

And purging the gravel of waists from time to time is a good idea as well . If you do this let us know , someone , maybe me , can help you out with suggestions .

Good luck , hope the fish get well soon

 

[desley]

yes i have a gravel cleaner and almost always did them weekly .. if not every fortnight.

My problems started 2 odd months ago when i got hurt and have only had the opportunity to do 2 cleans in those 2 odd months.

I got a clean done a clean last saturday (gravel) and just now done a small gravel clean of about 15%.

They all still look good.

I have a pump with 2 switches for circulation with an airstone. One switch is more powerful and aerates more water .. but I most kept in on the lower switch as the fry seem to struggle a bit and I wondered if stirring up the yunk on the bottom was good or bad.

I only cup out water when I do a partial top clean of about 10%. If i'm to do any bigger i use the suction thing but would like to get python to help me with this task.

BUT at the moment cupping out smaller amounts is much easier for me.

Can I do a monthly gravel clean .. and a monthly top cup out clean .... so 1 clean a fortnight ??

 

[lucky62]

yes i have a gravel cleaner and almost always did them weekly .. if not every fortnight.

My problems started 2 odd months ago when i got hurt and have only had the opportunity to do 2 cleans in those 2 odd months.

I got a clean done a clean last saturday (gravel) and just now done a small gravel clean of about 15%.

They all still look good.

I have a pump with 2 switches for circulation with an airstone. One switch is more powerful and aerates more water .. but I most kept in on the lower switch as the fry seem to struggle a bit and I wondered if stirring up the yunk on the bottom was good or bad.

I only cup out water when I do a partial top clean of about 10%. If i'm to do any bigger i use the suction thing but would like to get python to help me with this task.

BUT at the moment cupping out smaller amounts is much easier for me.

Can I do a monthly gravel clean .. and a monthly top cup out clean .... so 1 clean a fortnight ??

I hope your feeling better , sorry , I always ask about water changes .

I honestly don't know what a fortnight is , could you tell me ?

Anyway as long as you keep to a water changing schedule of some kind .


I don't see why you couldn't pass on the gravel cleaning to every 3rd or fourth water change , even longer , just if you see something big in the way of waists , take them , net it .And as long as you're doing the water changes .







Good luck

 

[desley]

HI lucky62

Fortnight is every 2 weeks.

I usually did a 25% water change by sucking up the gravel every 2 weeks but that got neglected.

The water change from the top is easier (slower but heaps easier on my neck shoulders which are damaged).

I could do a gravel clean every 2 weeks .. then a top water change every 2 weeks .. and so on.

I thought the gravel needed to be cleaned every 2 weeks and this is what was making it harder on me.

 

[lucky62]

HI lucky62

Fortnight is every 2 weeks.

I usually did a 25% water change by sucking up the gravel every 2 weeks but that got neglected.

The water change from the top is easier (slower but heaps easier on my neck shoulders which are damaged).

I could do a gravel clean every 2 weeks .. then a top water change every 2 weeks .. and so on.

I thought the gravel needed to be cleaned every 2 weeks and this is what was making it harder on me.

Every 2 weeks , Thanks , I see you're trying to find a python , from your other thread , good choice and good luck .

 

[desley]

yes trying really hard to find one without the US$50 + postage rates !!

I want one but unless i pay about US$100 it looks like I will have to try to make one from the diy (?) page. Someone said you can make it but I don't like my chances