Help please

[eudielynn]

Please bear with me since Jericho is at home and I am at work and trying to describe this by memory.

Last night my husband noticed something hanging out from under Jericho's "chin", right under his gill rakers. It looked like it might have been a piece of food, but I don't know how it got stuck on/in him. I had just fed the community tank some tubiflex worms in the little cubes, I usually break off a couple of little chunks for the bigger fish, and then powder some up for the smaller guys. We noticed the thing hanging about an hour after I fed them.

I tried to catch him so I could get a better look, but he was too fast for me and knows all the good hiding places. I saw him a few minutes later and could not see the thing hanging any longer. I thought maybe he had knocked it off himself when he starting hiding from me. I saw him from several angles and was sure it was gone.

This morning when I got up, it's back, but as soon as I tried to catch him he was gone again. I can't tell for sure if it's food hung up in his gills or if it's something else. Either way I have to get it off of him. I will probably go home tonight and take everything out of the tank so I can catch him (20 gal with lots of plants, caves, arches, tree stumps, whew.).

Can they get food stuck in there gills like that, or could it be a parasite of some sort? He has been behaving normally and I have had no sickness in this tank in months and no other fish have anything like this going on.

Sorry for this being so long, but I'm really confused. Any ideas?

 

[D Chia]

Parasites (e.g. anchor worm, flukes) can attach themselves to the fish's membranes (e.g. eye, skin, gills).

Hence, it's possible that it's a a parasite hanging out from under Jericho's "chin". Any pictures?

 

[eudielynn]

No, no camera or pc at home. I am going to get him out of the 20 gal tonight when I get home so I can check him out better. I just did not have time to take everything out of the tank before I came to work this morning, and he hides too well otherwise.

I have been watching my other fish in the tank closely, but none of them seems to be bothered. He doesn't seem like it's bothering him either. It's just hanging there. He's still eating and swimming fine and his breathing doesn't seem labored. There is also no redness that I can see around the gills.

I'll have to check him out tonight and then maybe I can describe it a little better tomorrow.

 

[flautist]

My fish look kind of like that when they poop... Could it be that you just happened to catch him pooping those two times?

 

[OrkyBetta]

It could be food. I might be wrong but I thought I read (on this forum) that food is sometimes passed through the gills. Maybe it just fell out after he swam awhile. I'd keep an eye on him though.

 

[eudielynn]

I'm sure it wasn't poo. Too far to the front and also way too big. I am hoping it was just the tubiflex worms coming back out his gills. I'm going home in less than an hour. Hopefully it'll be gone when I get there, but if not you'll be hearing from me again tomorrow.

 

[BettaMomma]

Waiting to hear the update...
(I'm very impatient)

 

[eudielynn]

I just PMed you BettaMomma, for a shortened version here, I went home last night and took him out of the tank. He seemed fine, I saw no signs of anything unusual and I watched him for about 5 hours. I finally put him back in the big tank because he was really stressed in the little bowl. This morning he hid for a long time, and then I saw both he and one of my dwarf gouramis have long white stringy poo, so I know I have a problem and need to treat the entire tank I guess.

I need suggestions on what would be best for the entire tank, I can't use salt because of the tank inhabitants, including ADFs, a snail, and ghost shrimp. I also have otos in there that are supposed to be pretty sensitive.

The only thing I can think of I have done differently was to start giving them tubiflex worms a week or so ago. The kind in the little cubes you crumble up.

I have been gradually raising the temp. I took it from 77 to 78 last night and turned it up another degree before I left this morning.

Aren't you all glad this is the short version?

 

[eudielynn]

*Bump*

Any suggestions on something that works well for bacterial infections?

 

[abstract]

there are plenty of medicated foods out there that would work for you i'm sure...i have not personally dealt with a similar situation but remember seeing these and hearing good things about them

 

[BettaMomma]

Stringy white poo is most likely from internal parasites.
Usually I use CopperSafe or Maracide to treat.
If you have live plants, you'd want to pick Maracide over CS because CS can harm some plants.
BUT.... in either case, these meds could possibly harm your little bottom dwellers - like the shrimp and/or frog. I know there are other parasite meds out there - like Parasite Clear, but I've never used any of them because I only have one-inhabitant tanks and don't ever have the worry of dealing with anyone else besides a betta in the tank during treatment.

Somebody else will probably have to come along and give you a better recommendation.

 

[FishEnthusiast]

I have used Maracide with ADF's and had no problem. I don't know if that was luck or if it is safe for them. Hope you get more advice from someone who knows for sure what will help.

 

[eudielynn]

Posted in the fish emergencies section and may have hit upon something. Wondered if any of you have had problems controlling the chlorine in your tap water. I live in a very small town and have problems with tap water constantly. One day it looks like mud coming out of the tap and the next day the chlorine will knock you down from the smell. I use the recommended amounts on the declorinator instructions, but I wonder if the chlorine levels in our tap water are so high that I am not putting enough in for my water changes and the chlorine is messing up my tank.

Any ideas?

 

[BettaMomma]

You could try putting your water into jugs or containers for a few days before you do water changes - the water will then settle down as far as the chlorine goes...?
To warm it up you'd then just set it into the sink in hot water until it's the right temp...

 

[eudielynn]

I'll give it a try. Hmmm, jugs... Dollar store here I come.