Can't get rid of internal parasites

[Sixty7x]

I'm going on 5 weeks of medicated feed. 3 weeks of General Cure, Focus, Selcon and Garlic Guard soaked with mysis. 1 week of the same medicated mix but double the dose of General Cure and more than double the Focus. Finally for the last week it's the same mix but I replaced the General Cure for Metroplex. One clown will be fine for a week and the other with thin white stringy poop, next week they switch and so on. @Big G recommended Beta Glucan 1,3 but I haven't gotten it yet. I can only find it locally in tablet form. Now one of my clowns will not touch mysis or the prime reef frozen. It will only eat pellets. Is it possible to make medicated feed using pellets? I've only got the 2 clowns in QT and mixing up 1 feeding might get interesting with such a small quantity. I have Fenbendazole and am considering using this for the next round of medication. Suggestions? #reefsquad

 

[Sixty7x]

FWIW the clown in the pictures with the poop is the fish that is eating everything i put in the tank. It's the other one that is only eating pellets.

 

[piranhaman00]

White stringy poop doesn’t mean internal parasites. Mysis shrimp causes my clowns to get it. There a couple of threads circling around about this. It can mean parasites but it’s not always. If it comes and goes I wouldn’t worry personally.

Are really stringy white poops a sign of internal parasites or is it a myth?

In the disease part of the forum – it comes a lot of advises according handling stringy white poops that often show up when you buy a new fish. The general answer to this is that the fish have internal parasites – treat ASP and it is often recommended to treat with Metronidazole or its...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[lapin]

This is my opinion.
I have had fish that had stringy white poop a few times. After treating with meds 2x as recomended, most had normal poop. Meds work. However 2 fish at different times still had white stringy poop after treatments. I decided instead of treating them for the 3rd or 4th time that perhaps it was normal and in the tank they went. Both fish I have had for about 2 years now and once in a while I notice stringy poop. Maybe its normal to have a different digestive output for some fish. I do feed a lot of live food if that makes any difference.

 

[Sixty7x]

White stringy poop doesn’t mean internal parasites. Mysis shrimp causes my clowns to get it. There a couple of threads circling around about this. It can mean parasites but it’s not always. If it comes and goes I wouldn’t worry personally.

Are really stringy white poops a sign of internal parasites or is it a myth?

In the disease part of the forum – it comes a lot of advises according handling stringy white poops that often show up when you buy a new fish. The general answer to this is that the fish have internal parasites – treat ASP and it is often recommended to treat with Metronidazole or its...

www.reef2reef.com

well then, I'm going to look into it. Thanks

 

[piranhaman00]

well then, I'm going to look into it. Thanks

Fwiw, same as above, I did two rounds Of 14 day GC soaked. After seeing white poop still I said F it and put the fish in display, haven’t seen it since. I think stress can play a role, I know when I’m stressed it does.

 

[Sixty7x]

This is my opinion.
I have had fish that had stringy white poop a few times. After treating with meds 2x as recomended, most had normal poop. Meds work. However 2 fish at different times still had white stringy poop after treatments. I decided instead of treating them for the 3rd or 4th time that perhaps it was normal and in the tank they went. Both fish I have had for about 2 years now and once in a while I notice stringy poop. Maybe its normal to have a different digestive output for some fish. I do feed a lot of live food if that makes any difference.

This is my first go at quarantining and it's all new to me. In my effort to do all I can I fear I might be trying too much? I just always read white stringy poop was a sign of parasites. I'm going to read the link posted above. Thanks for your input

 

[Big G]

Sorry your guys are still showing the white stringy poop. Here's more info and notice the bolded red areas:

Internal Issues

For simplicity’s sake, there are 6 basic problems a marine fish may experience on the inside:

1. Intestinal worms
Symptoms: White stringy feces, pinched stomach, loss of color, fish eats voraciously but still seems to be losing weight.
Treatment of choice: Praziquantel
Alternative treatments: Fenbendazole, Levamisole, Piperazine

2. Internal parasites/flagellates
Symptoms: White stringy feces, pinched stomach, loss of color, fish eats voraciously but still seems to be losing weight. Flagellates are more virulent than worms, and thus can kill faster.
Treatment of choice: Metronidazole
Alternative treatments: Albendazole, Flubendazole and Mebendazole all show promise.

 

[Sixty7x]

Sorry your guys are still showing the white stringy poop. Here's more info and notice the bolded red areas:

Internal Issues

For simplicity’s sake, there are 6 basic problems a marine fish may experience on the inside:

1. Intestinal worms
Symptoms: White stringy feces, pinched stomach, loss of color, fish eats voraciously but still seems to be losing weight.
Treatment of choice: Praziquantel
Alternative treatments: Fenbendazole, Levamisole, Piperazine

2. Internal parasites/flagellates
Symptoms: White stringy feces, pinched stomach, loss of color, fish eats voraciously but still seems to be losing weight. Flagellates are more virulent than worms, and thus can kill faster.
Treatment of choice: Metronidazole
Alternative treatments: Albendazole, Flubendazole and Mebendazole all show promise.

They definitely don't have pinched stomachs, they eat well and are gaining weight and the one clown has some loss of color on spots of a few fins, but I don't believe this is the loss of color that is referred to. Again, this is all new to me and these are my very poorly uneducated guesses. I'm at the point where I'm wondering if I'm possibly causing more harm than good with all the meds. I think I'm going to back off the medicated feed for a few days and go from there.

 

[Paul B]

I think it's all the medication making stringy poop and probably killing the fish eventually.
Just my opinion of course.

 

[Big G]

I would highly recommend making your fish a "smoothie" and adding Beta Glucan to the mix.
Using several different frozen fish cubes like mysis, brine, chopped clams, cyclops, algae mix, reef mix, etc., take one cube of each placing it in a bowl and then into the fridge to "slump" (thaw). Then pour off the excess liquid. It will spike your nitrates and phosphates in your tank. I've actually used that liquid to raise my nitrates and phosphates when the levels were too low in my tank. Mix in some Beta Glucan. I use an algae derived version that comes in capsule format. I use 1/2 a capsule in the mix. Can add Seachem Focus (binder) or agar or unflavored gelatin if you want to make a stiffer mix to bind everything together. The mix will stay good in the fridge for a few days. You can also make a similar "smoothie" by using scraps of fish, clams, mussels, crab, etc. from your market. I save the scraps from when I am cleaning fish after fishing in the ocean. Info below on Beta Glucan. I get this through Amazon.

It's a fantastic booster to immune systems. Heck, my fish get it, my wife and I take it daily. Best of luck with your fish!

 

[Sixty7x]

I would highly recommend making your fish a "smoothie" and adding Beta Glucan to the mix.
Using several different frozen fish cubes like mysis, brine, chopped clams, cyclops, algae mix, reef mix, etc., take one cube of each placing it in a bowl and then into the fridge to "slump" (thaw). Then pour off the excess liquid. It will spike your nitrates and phosphates in your tank. I've actually used that liquid to raise my nitrates and phosphates when the levels were too low in my tank. Mix in some Beta Glucan. I use an algae derived version that comes in capsule format. I use 1/2 a capsule in the mix. Can add Seachem Focus (binder) or agar or unflavored gelatin if you want to make a stiffer mix to bind everything together. The mix will stay good in the fridge for a few days. You can also make a similar "smoothie" by using scraps of fish, clams, mussels, crab, etc. from your market. I save the scraps from when I am cleaning fish after fishing in the ocean. Info below on Beta Glucan. I get this through Amazon.

It's a fantastic booster to immune systems. Heck, my fish get it, my wife and I take it daily. Best of luck with your fish!

I'm on board Big G! I tried to source it locally and haven't had any luck yet. I'll just have to order it online. Thanks a ton....Again.