CHoffman

Well..Great ..Was looking at my 10 gallon with my glofish and my 1 dwarf gourami..and I noticed white poop on a couple of the plants...Does white poop always mean parasite??...Also..I know I'm going to get kicked for this but I didn't quarantine my new glofish and the new ones have ick...I know I know..I learned my lesson though..I promise..ALWAYS quarantine. Sooooo..I guess I'll raise the temp in that tank to 84 for two weeks and do lots of waterchanges..but what about the white poop??

Zackj

(Taken from Yahoo answers) This is often a sign of internal parasites in the digestive tract. Other than medicated food (which is VERY effective), you could try Paracide-D or any other internal parasite medications.

soldieroffortune1974

Unfortunately the stringy white poop is the best indicater of internal parasites.If you're seeing it,chances are there's parasites.

I learned my lesson though..I promise..ALWAYS quarantine mmhhhhmmmmmmm.............

CHoffman

UGHHHH..Ok..now what..What do I treat with.

I really don't get something..I've seen allot of post like..."Well I haven't done a water change in like 4 months and the tank is nasty but no sick fish, they are breeding like crazy"..I know you don't do allot of waterchanges SOF but you have lots of plants and good filtration these people just don't keep there tank up..I change my water ALL the time and still end up with problems..What the heck..I knew you would be the one KICKING me for not quaratining

soldieroffortune1974

I know you don't do allot of waterchanges SOF but you have lots of plants and good filtration I also use 'Oldschool Methods' that other people seem to think is unsuitable for most fish,like salt. I also add vitamins and minerals to the aquarium. I feed my fish garlic extreme every 3 or 4 days,and keep a close eye on all parameters.

Here's what I would do. Dose the aquarium with 1/2 tsp salt,allow the fish to stay in the 'salt tonic' for 12 hours.Change 50% of the water,allow them to sit in the freshwater for 12 hours,then add 1/2 tsp salt/gallon for another 12 hours.Continue that until it clears up,or you see visible signs of parasites coming out of the fish. At that point treat with almost any anti-parisitic/protozoa medication.***note Danios (glofish) and gouramis will not be harmed by the salt.

OR.......if youre not comfortable with the salt you can use medicated foods (best option) as suggested by Zackj,but there are several options.

Internal Parasite Guard by Jungle Labs...works well and readily available at most shops
[b]Flubenol 15[b]
Paragon 2 by Aquatronics ...not easy to get,but works great
Maracyn Tc by Mardel...more anti bacterial,but is made with sodium chloride and works well,when mixed with Garlic Xtreme by Kent These 2 meds combined (garlic isn't a med) is ideal for ANY disease and works wonders at maintaining a healthy aquarium.

I would not use Melafix or Pimafix with the gourami,instead use Maracyn Tc by Mardel for preventing secondary infections while the fish is healing.Trisulfa is a broad spectrum anti-biotic and can prevent the weak fish from getting further illnesses.

****TIP on Meds***** most anti-bacterial/anti-fungal/anti-parasite meds are made with sodium chloride,that's why if you skip the meds and use sodium chloride in the aquarium water in low doses,it prevents these infections.

I would never kick you for not quarantining,but I would strongly suggest it............You live and you learn,you might buy 100 fish that never needs quarantining,but (as you found out) 1 bad buy and that's all it takes.Now you know.So good luck with getting the fish better.

Butterfly

What have the fish been eating? Sometimes what they eat will also change the color of their poop. Just a thought
Carol

shih-tzu mom

Choffman, sorry to hear that it is worms- but that the white stringey poop is my first indication of worms and as you know i have had a lot of them. SOF advice with salt works, it will bring out the worms so you can treat. lol I use Jungle Parisite Clear which seems to work well. Hope you get it under control lol. and i do quartine the fish, but still have the worms, so don't beat yourself up as they probably had them when you purchased bella

Dozey

Is it actually possible for fish to just develop parasites? Do parasites not have to be introduced into a tank weather transported on live plants or in an infected fish?

shih-tzu mom

Choffman; Just as a point of interest; i do water changes daily and keep all fishies super clean and sometimes i wonder when i see posts'i don't change my water for?' it just makes me think what am i doing wrong too lol. bella

jdhef

CHoff, there was a thread a while back in the betta forum, where it was decieded that too much cleaning and water changes were actually detrimental to the fish. So I don't know what your cleaning schedule is, but you make it sound like it is possible that you are overcleaning. Just a thought.

shih-tzu mom

Dozey, yes that is possible as some fish, just have them and they come out, wether transportated or not. That has been my observation lol. bella

shih-tzu mom

Jdhef; i have to clean on a regular basis as i have had a lot of worms and all these fish have just came from the store lol and if you don't keep them clean, they will never come out of quartine lol. thanks for comments bella

shih-tzu mom

Sorry, Dozey-brain dead kicking in -no they don't have to come in on plants lol but it is possible, and some fish do carry parisites but they never come out. And yes you would have to introduce into tank-thus is why quarantine lol. bella

Dozey

Thanks Bella

shih-tzu mom

Welcome Dozey.

CHoffman

I feed them Flake food, Freeze dried bloodworms, frozen brineshrimp..

Butterfly

sometimes the first couple of times I feed something different my fishes poo is a little different. Just on the off chance I thought I would suggest it.
Carol

GouramiGirl1221

The medicated food by Jungle is a great product. I'm currently using it...I have no idea where my parasites came from, but they're kind of cycling through my fish. Origionally it was my red wag sword, then my bolivian ram, now my "golden" sword (I don't know, she's a typical goldfish color lol). I've heard some people use the jungle tank buddies for parasites in conjunction with the food to help speed up the process, but if your fish will eat the food I don't see a reason to spend the extra money.

soldieroffortune1974

The parasites have to come from somewhere.Some fish can be carriers,be infected and never show symptoms. Some parasites and protozoa can become dormant,on plants,rocks,wood,etc (even inside the fish) until the conditions are right (as eggs or larvae) much like bacteria. Unfortunately,most conditions for fish to thrive in,are also excellent conditions for parasites to flourish as well.

I've heard some people use the jungle tank buddies for parasites in conjunction with the food to help speed up the process, but if your fish will eat the food I don't see a reason to spend the extra money.

As you said,the worms are making the rounds from your fish,that could be because you're not taking the extra step to eradicate the parasites. The medicated food will kill the intrnal parasite,but do nothing for any egg or larvae outside the fish. The Medication kills the parasite eggs and larvae outside the fish,but does nothing to the adult parasite inside the fish. Using the medicated food AND the tank buddies (or other external med) will kill the parasite INSIDE the fish and OUTSIDE the fish at the same time.If you only get rid of 1,you srill don't solve the probelsm.Treating both at the same time,will get rid of the entire problem a lot faster,more effectively and with less stress to the fish.

Dozey

Thanks SOF for clearing both of those issues up.

GouramiGirl1221

SOF THANK YOU!!! People may very well have tried to tell me that on my other thread, but didn't make it quite as clear. I was planning on going out tomorrow anyway, so I'll be sure to pick up the tank buddies. Do they mess with the cycle?

soldieroffortune1974

The tank buddies do not harm the cycle.but I don't know how effective they are,I have never used them.Good Luck

And you're all welcome.I know some of the most frustrating things are 20 people saying something in different ways,but noone quite understanding that they're talking about the same thing.

shih-tzu mom

GG1221; i find the Jungle Tank buddies is very effective if your fish, won't eat lol. bella