Internal Issues

[Mjrenz]

@Humblefish @ngoodermuth I have a clown that I've been feeding GC soaked food for 3 weeks, and is still showing white stringy poop. Should I continue or use a different medication?

If it has been that long then it's likely that you've encountered a prazi resistant intestinal worm. Food soaking fenbendazole (Thomas Labs Fish Bendazole) using the same method you're using for GC would be the best alternative treatment.

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

@Humblefish I think my clownfish is breathing faster than he should be. He opens his mouth about 2-3 times a second. He had internal parasites (white stringy poop) and I've been treating with GC soaked food for 3 weeks. Just now the symptoms are going away. Not sure though about the rapid breathing. Any suggestions?

 

[Mjrenz]

@Humblefish I think my clownfish is breathing faster than he should be. He opens his mouth about 2-3 times a second. He had internal parasites (white stringy poop) and I've been treating with GC soaked food for 3 weeks. Just now the symptoms are going away. Not sure though about the rapid breathing. Any suggestions?

Unfortunately Humblefish isn't on the forum any longer, the rapid breathing could be a number of different things. Is he in a qt? If so ammonia could be building, there could be a low oxygen issue or there could be other parasites that affect the gills present. Dosing prime(only if copper is not being used) or BioSpira can help to control ammonia, aiming a power head at the surface of the water causing a lot of agitation can help with oxygen, and as far as parasites go, a freshwater dip can rule out the possibility of flukes.

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

Unfortunately Humblefish isn't on the forum any longer, the rapid breathing could be a number of different things. Is he in a qt? If so ammonia could be building, there could be a low oxygen issue or there could be other parasites that affect the gills present. Dosing prime(only if copper is not being used) or BioSpira can help to control ammonia, aiming a power head at the surface of the water causing a lot of agitation can help with oxygen, and as far as parasites go, a freshwater dip can rule out the possibility of flukes.

Not ammonia/low oxygen. I have a Marineland 350 (rated for 70 gallons) on a 20 gallon tank. It could be gill flukes, because of the recent white stringy poop. It's irritating me because I've had this clownfish in QT now for 2 months and I still don't feel confident he is completely healthy. What happened to humblefish?

 

[Mjrenz]

Not ammonia/low oxygen. I have a Marineland 350 (rated for 70 gallons) on a 20 gallon tank. It could be gill flukes, because of the recent white stringy poop. It's irritating me because I've had this clownfish in QT now for 2 months and I still don't feel confident he is completely healthy. What happened to humblefish?

I'd do the freshwater dip to check for flukes, if you don't see any it's possible there could be another parasite. Have you treated with copper or cp?

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

I'd do the freshwater dip to check for flukes, if you don't see any it's possible there could be another parasite. Have you treated with copper or cp?

I have not. I doubt ich could be present.

 

[CheckeredPants]

Will the dead parasites/worm expel even without the Epsom salt?

 

[Lurch72]

So, I've been dealing with white stringy poo with one of my clowns for several weeks now. I used general cure with focus. It seems to work for a while but it comes back later. The clown never shows any symptoms except for it's poo. The OP says that fenbendazole or levamisole would be the next option. With Focus are these then Reef safe? Also, she has had this going on for probably 3 months on and off now and other than the poo, she is great. Very active, fat and happy and she runs the tank, is there anything else this could be? I mainly feed pellets and supplement with mysis and flake for variety.

Thanks

 

[Humblefish]

The original post of this thread has been updated with new information.

 

[Salt_for_Brains]

love reading your threads @Humblefish

 

[fLajNuT]

If I have other fish Will internal worms/parasites be contagious? I have my first 2 fish and 1 seems to have stringy white poop. I’m going to treat with General cure and focus but just want to make sure the parasites won’t float around Or lie dormant in the water and infect the other fish or new fish later.

 

[Lurch72]

If I have other fish Will internal worms/parasites be contagious? I have my first 2 fish and 1 seems to have stringy white poop. I’m going to treat with General cure and focus but just want to make sure the parasites won’t float around Or lie dormant in the water and infect the other fish or new fish later.

As I understand it, other fish contract the parasites through eating the infected's poo.

 

[Humblefish]

As I understand it, other fish contract the parasites through eating the infected's poo.

+1 Specifically, the eggs found on/in the poo.

 

[fLajNuT]

+1 Specifically, the eggs found on/in the poo.

So if I treat them through the soaking the food method with general cure and focus for 3 weeks, what’s to keep them from getting the parasites/worms again once I stop treating?
Do the parasites not survive out of the fish’ body?
These are my first fish so I’m trying to make sure I nip this completely before I begin adding more fish and clean up crew. I’d hate for them to eat a piece of poop in the bottom of the tank and get the parasites/worms and have to start all over.

thank you for any guidance it is much appreciated.

 

[dduby]

I noticed the white stringy white poo from one of my anthias and picked up some GC, Focus, and Metro. Getting ready to add some food i soaked. I'm wondering on how much carbon to run. I am going to run it in a media bag, if that makes any difference.

Any advice is appreciated.

 

[dduby]

So if I treat them through the soaking the food method with general cure and focus for 3 weeks, what’s to keep them from getting the parasites/worms again once I stop treating?
Do the parasites not survive out of the fish’ body?
These are my first fish so I’m trying to make sure I nip this completely before I begin adding more fish and clean up crew. I’d hate for them to eat a piece of poop in the bottom of the tank and get the parasites/worms and have to start all over.

thank you for any guidance it is much appreciated.

i think the main premise is to disrupt the life cycle/reproductive cycle.

 

[fLajNuT]

i think the main premise is to disrupt the life cycle/reproductive cycle.

I guess my main concern is that if the fish poops and it has worms or eggs in the poop can that survive out of the body of the fish? If so for how long. I don’t want to treat for 3 weeks then have one of the fish eat a piece of poop leftover from before I started treatment and kick this whole thing off again.
idk anything about internal parasites/worms and this seems to be the best resource as from what I have read @Humblefish is the go to resource when it comes to marine fish treatment.

 

[fLajNuT]

So if I treat them through the soaking the food method with general cure and focus for 3 weeks, what’s to keep them from getting the parasites/worms again once I stop treating?
Do the parasites not survive out of the fish’ body?
These are my first fish so I’m trying to make sure I nip this completely before I begin adding more fish and clean up crew. I’d hate for them to eat a piece of poop in the bottom of the tank and get the parasites/worms and have to start all over.

thank you for any guidance it is much appreciated.

Here’s a pic he doesn’t have the stringy poop anymore It came off. but since I got him I can see his veins. Idk if this might be something else or if it’s because of the parasites/worms. I’m still planning on treating just want to know what you think. It’s really hard to get a good picture of him he’s kind of a spaz.

 

[Humblefish]

So if I treat them through the soaking the food method with general cure and focus for 3 weeks, what’s to keep them from getting the parasites/worms again once I stop treating?
Do the parasites not survive out of the fish’ body?

The parasites themselves cannot live for long outside of the host organism, but the eggs (on the poo) may survive until the hatchling emerges. So, it's important to feed GC + Focus daily, and to ensure every fish in QT is eating the medicated food. Because you're basically fighting a war of attrition with internal flagellates/worms, which is why it can sometimes take so long to fully eradicate them.

I noticed the white stringy white poo from one of my anthias and picked up some GC, Focus, and Metro. Getting ready to add some food i soaked. I'm wondering on how much carbon to run. I am going to run it in a media bag, if that makes any difference.

Any advice is appreciated.

It would be better to run the carbon in a media reactor, to force the water through the carbon. When you put it in a bag, some of the water will go around it.

 

[fLajNuT]

The parasites themselves cannot live for long outside of the host organism, but the eggs (on the poo) may survive until the hatchling emerges. So, it's important to feed GC + Focus daily, and to ensure every fish in QT is eating the medicated food. Because you're basically fighting a war of attrition with internal flagellates/worms, which is why it can sometimes take so long to fully eradicate them.



It would be better to run the carbon in a media reactor, to force the water through the carbon. When you put it in a bag, some of the water will go around it.

@Humblefish thank you for the help. Starting the meds tonight when I get home.
hopefully the little guy makes it through.