Why Do Mysis Make Clowns Fish Poop Stringy

[lx_Reef]

Iv noticed everytime I feed my clown mysis he has stringy poop and the days I feed only pellet its back to normal, Iv started feeding metroplex yesterday just incase but wondering if any of you run into the same situation.

 

[Old Fritz]

typically its the other way around. The pellet food causing stringy poop and not the mysis. There is a chance that your clownfish has a parasite. Switch to mysis shrimp and stay on that for a week and see if the stringy poop goes away. If it doesnt you have a parasite and need to treat.

 

[Terri Caton]

Nope. Never noticed that.

 

[Lasse]

As with us - the microbial population in the digestive track will change with the food eaten. If you have feed with nutrient rich food with high digestibility for a prolonged period (most dry food) and switch to a more nutrient poor feed with lower digestibility - or vice versa - the present bacteria population will have problem - often result in a stringy pop.

Too feed with metroplex in this situation may make the situation worse IMO. The metroplex is an antibiotics that works against anaerobic bacteria and flagellates - both part of the normal digestive process. There is a type of flagellates - often refered to "hexamite-like" flagellates from the genus Spironucleus that can start to grow without control in certain situations - often in conjunction with wrong food to mainly herbivorous, insect eating and bacteria eating species. especially the mainly herbivorous species have a long intestines - not adapted for very heavy meaty food with high digestibility. The symptoms will vary between species - the early stages is often damage to head and the lateral line. Hole in head among South American cichlids. Head and Lateral Line Erosion Disease (HLLE) in some saltwater species is also by some authors linked to Spironucleus infection. Later stage is shyness, dark colouration, spitting out food, refusal to eat and a tiny white poop. IME - the tiny white poop that is often seen as an parasite infection - is only visible during the late stages and include a refusal of eating.

In your case - I do not see the tiny poop as a sign of parasite infection. Please see this thread for deeper understanding and that there is people that do not agree with me. judge by your self.

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...

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Sincerely Lasse

 

[lx_Reef]

typically its the other way around. The pellet food causing stringy poop and not the mysis. There is a chance that your clownfish has a parasite. Switch to mysis shrimp and stay on that for a week and see if the stringy poop goes away. If it doesnt you have a parasite and need to treat.

Thanks for the reply , i figured i wouldnt take a chance and started treating with metroplex and focus , I just got my new 2nd clown 2 days ago so i figure id feed both just incase