So this guppy has had white poop (it doesn’t move at all) and now today has stopped eating. One of my others has a similar issue but still eats. The white spots are new and just started today and affect none of my other fish but I did notice white particles coming out of my new filter so I’m unsure if it’s the particles or ich. My 5 tetras and 2 ottos seem unaffected and so do my other 3 guppies besides the one with sometimes white poop. I’m really at a loss here and unsure what to do. Should I try API general cure or an ich treatment? Can I do both? Please help me I don’t want to lose a fish ): yellow and blue one only has the poop problem but eats fine, the orange and black one has the poop and won’t eat and white spots. I’ve been dosing the water with melafix which is supposed to cure bacterial infections
Fish do a stringy white poop for several reasons.
1) Internal Bacterial Infections causes the fish to stop eating, swell up like a balloon, breath heavily at the surface or near a filter outlet, do stringy white poop, and die within 24-48 hours of showing these symptoms. This cannot normally be cured because massive internal organ failure has already occurred.
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2) Internal Protozoan Infections cause the fish to lose weight rapidly (over a week or two), fish continues to eat and swim around but not as much as normal, does stringy white poop. If not treated the fish dies a week or so after these symptoms appear. Metronidazole normally works well for this.
There is a medication (API General Cure) that contains Praziquantel and Metronidazole.
It's interesting that API and the Californian government have listed Metronidazole as a carcinogen. That's a concern considering it was widely used to treat intestinal infections in people.
Anyway, if you use this or any medication, handle with care, don't inhale the medication, and wash hands with soapy water after treating the fish or working in the tank.
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3) Intestinal Worms like tapeworm and threadworms cause the fish to lose weight, continue eating and swimming normally, and do a stringy white poop. Fish can do this for months and not be too badly affected. In some cases, fish with a bad worm infestation will actually gain weight and get fat and look like a pregnant guppy. This is due to the huge number of worms inside the fish.
Livebearers like guppies, mollies, swordtails & platies are regularly infected with gill flukes and intestinal worms. If the fish are still eating well, then worms is the most likely cause.
You can use Praziquantel to treat tapeworm and gill flukes. And Levamisole to treat thread/ round worms. If you can't find these medications, look for Flubendazole, which treats both lots of worms.
Remove carbon from filters before treatment and increase aeration/ surface turbulence to maximise oxygen levels in the water.
You treat the fish once a week for 4 weeks. The first treatment will kill any worms in the fish. The second, third and forth treatments kill any baby worms that hatch from eggs inside the fish's digestive tract.
Treat every fish tank in the house at the same time to prevent cross contamination.
You do a 75% water change and complete gravel clean 24-48 hours after treatment. Clean the filter 24 hours after treatment too.
Do not use the 2 medications together. If you want to treat both medications in a short space of time, use Praziquantel on day one. Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate on day 2 & 3. Treat the tank with Levamisole on day 4 and do a 75% water change and gravel clean on day 5, 6 & 7 and then start with Praziquantel again on day 8.
The water changes will remove most of the medication so you don't overdose the fish the next time you treat them. The gravel cleaning will suck out any worms and eggs that have been expelled by the fish. Repeating the treatment for 3-4 doses at weekly intervals will kill any worms that hatch from eggs. At the end of the treatment you will have healthier fish.
-----------------------
Melafix isn't worth using.
If you do try medications, do a 75-90% water change and gravel clean the substrate before adding the new medication, otherwise the new medication can react with the previous one and poison the fish.
You can treat white spot by raising the water temperature to 30C (86F) and keeping it there for 2 weeks. Then reduced the temp to whatever it normally is. No chemicals needed. Just increase aeration/ surface turbulence to maximise oxygen levels in the water.
1) Internal Bacterial Infections causes the fish to stop eating, swell up like a balloon, breath heavily at the surface or near a filter outlet, do stringy white poop, and die within 24-48 hours of showing these symptoms. This cannot normally be cured because massive internal organ failure has already occurred.
-----
2) Internal Protozoan Infections cause the fish to lose weight rapidly (over a week or two), fish continues to eat and swim around but not as much as normal, does stringy white poop. If not treated the fish dies a week or so after these symptoms appear. Metronidazole normally works well for this.
There is a medication (API General Cure) that contains Praziquantel and Metronidazole.
It's interesting that API and the Californian government have listed Metronidazole as a carcinogen. That's a concern considering it was widely used to treat intestinal infections in people.
Anyway, if you use this or any medication, handle with care, don't inhale the medication, and wash hands with soapy water after treating the fish or working in the tank.
-----
3) Intestinal Worms like tapeworm and threadworms cause the fish to lose weight, continue eating and swimming normally, and do a stringy white poop. Fish can do this for months and not be too badly affected. In some cases, fish with a bad worm infestation will actually gain weight and get fat and look like a pregnant guppy. This is due to the huge number of worms inside the fish.
Livebearers like guppies, mollies, swordtails & platies are regularly infected with gill flukes and intestinal worms. If the fish are still eating well, then worms is the most likely cause.
You can use Praziquantel to treat tapeworm and gill flukes. And Levamisole to treat thread/ round worms. If you can't find these medications, look for Flubendazole, which treats both lots of worms.
Remove carbon from filters before treatment and increase aeration/ surface turbulence to maximise oxygen levels in the water.
You treat the fish once a week for 4 weeks. The first treatment will kill any worms in the fish. The second, third and forth treatments kill any baby worms that hatch from eggs inside the fish's digestive tract.
Treat every fish tank in the house at the same time to prevent cross contamination.
You do a 75% water change and complete gravel clean 24-48 hours after treatment. Clean the filter 24 hours after treatment too.
Do not use the 2 medications together. If you want to treat both medications in a short space of time, use Praziquantel on day one. Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate on day 2 & 3. Treat the tank with Levamisole on day 4 and do a 75% water change and gravel clean on day 5, 6 & 7 and then start with Praziquantel again on day 8.
The water changes will remove most of the medication so you don't overdose the fish the next time you treat them. The gravel cleaning will suck out any worms and eggs that have been expelled by the fish. Repeating the treatment for 3-4 doses at weekly intervals will kill any worms that hatch from eggs. At the end of the treatment you will have healthier fish.
-----------------------
Melafix isn't worth using.
If you do try medications, do a 75-90% water change and gravel clean the substrate before adding the new medication, otherwise the new medication can react with the previous one and poison the fish.
You can treat white spot by raising the water temperature to 30C (86F) and keeping it there for 2 weeks. Then reduced the temp to whatever it normally is. No chemicals needed. Just increase aeration/ surface turbulence to maximise oxygen levels in the water.
Please note that there are two other threads on the same subject
www.fishforums.net
www.fishforums.net
I have locked the other two threads so all replies to the three threads should be made in this one as it combines information from the other two threads.
White Stringy Poop
Help! 2 of my 4 guppies have white stringy poop. They have good appetite and only one is slightly lethargic but always has been since he tends to be picked on. I recently introduced them to a new tank with 5 neon tetras and two ottos. The guppies seem to be the only 2 with issues. I’m not sure...
www.fishforums.net
White dots on fish, I don’t think it’s ich?
Hi! I know I’m probably annoying with all my questions but. I recently got a new tank and the filter was very loud. The company sent me a new filter today. I rinsed it well and put it in to replace the old very loud filter. Directly after installing the new filter I noticed quite a bit of white...
www.fishforums.net
I have locked the other two threads so all replies to the three threads should be made in this one as it combines information from the other two threads.
I’m going to get general cure and I’ve raised the temp. I woke up to my smallest guppy on the bottom on the tank just laying there ): he’s still alive but it doesn’t look good
Please note that there are two other threads on the same subject
White Stringy Poop
Help! 2 of my 4 guppies have white stringy poop. They have good appetite and only one is slightly lethargic but always has been since he tends to be picked on. I recently introduced them to a new tank with 5 neon tetras and two ottos. The guppies seem to be the only 2 with issues. I’m not sure...
I apologize! People stopped answering me and I’m pretty desperate right now. I don’t think the orange and black one will make it. He’s very lethargic and won’t eat. The white spots are gone which means it was just the particles from the filter. IWhite dots on fish, I don’t think it’s ich?
Hi! I know I’m probably annoying with all my questions but. I recently got a new tank and the filter was very loud. The company sent me a new filter today. I rinsed it well and put it in to replace the old very loud filter. Directly after installing the new filter I noticed quite a bit of white...
I have locked the other two threads so all replies to the three threads should be made in this one as it combines information from the other two threads.
I apologize! I’m just desperate and people stop answering on those. He’s not looking very good, the orange and black one. He won’t eat but the white spots are gone which means it was just filter particles. I’m not sure if it’s just age with him or stress as he’s always been the odd one out since he’s the smallest but I feel terrible and don’t know what to do. All the rest of my fish have great appetites and show no concerning behavior. Is there anything I can do at this point? I believe the white poop just might be from him not eatingPlease note that there are two other threads on the same subject
White Stringy Poop
Help! 2 of my 4 guppies have white stringy poop. They have good appetite and only one is slightly lethargic but always has been since he tends to be picked on. I recently introduced them to a new tank with 5 neon tetras and two ottos. The guppies seem to be the only 2 with issues. I’m not sure...
White dots on fish, I don’t think it’s ich?
Hi! I know I’m probably annoying with all my questions but. I recently got a new tank and the filter was very loud. The company sent me a new filter today. I rinsed it well and put it in to replace the old very loud filter. Directly after installing the new filter I noticed quite a bit of white...
I have locked the other two threads so all replies to the three threads should be made in this one as it combines information from the other two threads.
As you can see the white spots are gone but he’s very lethargic and won’t eat. The rest of my guppies eat find and gobble it all down but not him. I can’t tell if he’s just old or stressed or what’s going on since none of my other fish are showing symptoms. Is this just old age? He’s always been small compared to my other ones and kind of an outcast.
I don't think people stop answering them, it's just they've just suggested everything they can and no-one has any more advice than what's already been given.
I’m sorry ): colins post is a bit hard for me to read but I do know I need to treat them. Is Seachem ParaGuard or api general cure better for what I have going on right now?
All I can get my hands on right now is either Seachem ParaGuard or api general cure, what would you recommend?
Thank you! I ordered it
I had to start ich treatment before the general cure as I had to order the general cure. I got the api super ich cure. I removed my carbon filter pad but left in my specialty sponge filter which removes ammonia. The super ich cure is supposed to dye the water blue for a while, but three hours later and my water is clear. Do I need to take out my specialty sponge filter and dose again or is this normal?
Does the filter have carbon in it? Carbon will remove medication from the water
There actually is but I’m starting to believe it’s from my filter. Idk if you can see it on his head but it’s clearly visible to me and they’re flashing. This happened after putting in the new filter pad and it spit a bunch of white particles like you see in the sink no matter how much I rinse it. I’m not sure what to do about this I also don’t think it’s ich at this point but my fish seem to have these white particles stuck to them.
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