White stringy poop under the microscope

[Harold999]

Got a clownfish who is getting skinny and hardly eats anything anymore, and noticed the famous white stringy poop. I was able to catch some of that and looked under the microscope. Was expecting to see a ton of living creatures (parasites? Worms? Bacterial infection?) but nothing. Just dead organic matter.

In case of an internal infection, should i see living things in the poo or do they stay inside the clown?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Got a clownfish who is getting skinny and hardly eats anything anymore, and noticed the famous white stringy poop. I was able to catch some of that and looked under the microscope. Was expecting to see a ton of living creatures (parasites? Worms? Bacterial infection?) but nothing. Just dead organic matter.

In case of an internal infection, should i see living things in the poo or do they stay inside the clown?

If you’re feeding mysis shrimp, brine shrimp or both- it will mimic stringy poop internal issue

 

[Harold999]

If you’re feeding mysis shrimp, brine shrimp or both- it will mimic stringy poop internal issue

Okay, but then i still got the issue of not eating anymore and getting skinny.
(water parameters are good, rest of the tank is fine other then amphidinium dino's on the sandbed)

 

[vetteguy53081]

Okay, but then i still got the issue of not eating anymore and getting skinny.
(water parameters are good, rest of the tank is fine other then amphidinium dino's on the sandbed)

Change up diet adding foods such as
Spirulina brine shrimp
Hikari marine cuisine
Small plankton
LRS fish frenzy

Dino:
Prepare by starting with a water change and blow this stuff loose with a turkey baster and siphon up loose particles.
Turn lights off (at least white and run blue at 10-15%) for 5 days and at night dose 1ml of hydrogen peroxide per 10 gallons for all 5 nights. If you dont have light dependent coral- turn all lights off.
During the day dose 1ml of liquid bacteria (such as bacter 7) per 10 gallons.
Clean filters daily and DO NOT FEED CORAL FOODS OR ADD NOPOX as it is food for dinos.
Day 5,, you can start with blue lights - ramping up and work your white lights up slowly

 

[Harold999]

Just watched a new "sample" under the microscope for a second opinion and again, it looks completely sterile. Nothing moves. Zero.

First pic is 80x, second pic is 200x, third pic is 400x

 

[Harold999]

Change up diet adding foods such as
Spirulina brine shrimp
Hikari marine cuisine
Small plankton
LRS fish frenzy

Dino:
Prepare by starting with a water change and blow this stuff loose with a turkey baster and siphon up loose particles.
Turn lights off (at least white and run blue at 10-15%) for 5 days and at night dose 1ml of hydrogen peroxide per 10 gallons for all 5 nights. If you dont have light dependent coral- turn all lights off.
During the day dose 1ml of liquid bacteria (such as bacter 7) per 10 gallons.
Clean filters daily and DO NOT FEED CORAL FOODS OR ADD NOPOX as it is food for dinos.
Day 5,, you can start with blue lights - ramping up and work your white lights up slowly

Been busy with the dino's for a week now with pretty much all your recommendations. ;-)

 

[Harold999]

By the way, it's not that the skinny guy has no interest in food at all. He comes to the feeding place, looks at the food, going real close, and then it's nope not hungry not for me bye bye.
(different brands/sizes pellets, flakes, frozen mysis and frozen brine shrimp.)

 

[Harold999]

I'm looking and looking on the internet for other microscopic examinations of fish poop but to my surpise i can't find any. It seems that nobody does it, even no articles about the use of a microscope on fish poop. Odd.

 

[attiland]

Check YouTube there are some guys there with endless microscope images and talk about what they’ve seen under microscope

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Just watched a new "sample" under the microscope for a second opinion and again, it looks completely sterile. Nothing moves. Zero.

First pic is 80x, second pic is 200x, third pic is 400x

Those look like sloughed mucus cells. I can't tell you why, but as I mentioned to you by PM, systemic bacterial infection is a possibility.

Jay