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I remember reading something about it being a bad thing if a fish has white stringy poo? Can something be done about it? Is it contageous?

I just bought this fish today and noticed it. It is a rainbow (something/ can't remember).

I looked it up and it is a Turquoise Rainbow..... /:'

Really, really stringy and white poo can be a sign of parasites or other internal problems. But then again, I've had fish that have had white poo that's turned out to be nothing at all.

I'd observe for a day or two before jumping to any conclusions. Is the fish in quarantine? (Which will obviously give you a little more time to observe without worrying about the rest of your fish catching something.) Is it eating?

FYI, before you rush to treat with meds: A top-notch fish veterinarian that I know says that his advice to clients who are dealing with an ailing fish is always to do a 30-percent water change, and add aquarium salt (which he doesn't recommend for fish that aren't sick.) I forget what the salt dosage is that he recommends -- it's whatever the dose on the box is, although I could look it up for you if you want. He says more fish recover that way than using all the drugs he's ever prescribed. Obviously, he doesn't suggest that for a fish that has something like ich, that's readily diagnosable. But for "mystery problems," he says that the water changes plus salt often stimulate the fish's immune system enough to resolve the problem on its own.

Really.... thanks, I have always been putting aquarium salt in, I did not quaranteen it (oops....). I was told that aquarium salt would help to cure and keep ich away...

It is eating, are there any other symptoms????

I don't like to medicate but when I have too I use Melafix for rot/fungus, and it has worked miracles /:'

Just keep an eye on the fish & remove it if you see anything not normal.


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The other typical symptoms of internal parasites would be that the fish is losing weight and doesn't have much energy. Internal bacterial infections can also cause that, though, as well as red streaks in the fins.

But diagnosing fish can get really complicated because not every problem manifests itself the way it's "supposed" to; plus sometimes things that you think are going to be a problem end up resolving themselves without any treatment at all.

So I think I'd do that water change, and probably do a gravel vac as part of it (since that gets poo out of the tank, and parasites with it, if that's actually what the fish has) and keep the salt to the right level. Then keep an eye on him for another day or two -- you may observe new things that will give you a better clue what (if anything) is going on. And let us know what's happened!

FYI, I've used Melafix for fin problems, too, with great results -- that's the one "med" I don't worry too much about using (although -- knock wood hard -- I don't have to use it very often!)

so how white is white...ive seen some of my fish poo off-white to cream color....but they r energetic and eat a lot.

Thanks alot for your replies, I will keep an eye on it for a while and see what happens.

Tankie: the poo is really white, not off white.

I've had fish with really white poo, too, and it's no big deal -- it seems to depend on what they've eaten recently.

I'm guessing color isn't as critical as how long and stringy the poo is. If it's long -- and I mean stretched the length of the fish's body and as thin as hair, it would concern me a lot more than it would if it were just white and a little bit thinner than you'd expect.

(So this is what my life has come to -- discussing the length of a fish's poo!)

Well it is with sadness that I say my Rainbow died overnight. It has not been eating (or pooping that I noticed). I tried to convince my self that it was still adjusting to the new tank

Last night I noticed that it Had a bit of a wobble when it swam and it was near the bottom. When I got up today it was gone. ]

Since I'm on the poo topic, I was having a bit of a slimy problem happening on the glass of one tank so I got a pleco for it (I tried cleaning it with one of those magnetic cleaners but all it did was mix the slime in with the water and made it really foggy). He is about 1 1/2 to 2" and for the past 3 days I've been scooping out his waste about 3-4 times a day. It was very easy to do it because it was anywhere from 6 to 8" long !!!!!!! (Give or take, NO I did not measure it.

Needless to say the glass is clearing up.

I'm thinking it WAS indeed an internal parasite. I would watch your other fish for the same problems. If the problems persist you will ahve to treat for parasites. I have never had to treat for a parasite before, so someone else might have advice on what to use to get rid of them.

Good luck, and lets hope no more fishies are killed.

Ah, the white, stringy poo. That can be caused by internal parasites, but I've also had it happen and have it go away on its own, so sometimes it can be nothing. IME it usually does not pass from one fish to another, but I suppose it's possible.

Hey, you think your plec is bad? Try to imagine what my tank is like, when the plec itself is somewhere between 6-8".:%)

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

it may have "malawi bloat". an intestanal infection. i had a jack dempsey that had it, long stingy white poo. there are medications for it, signs are a bat looking stomach area, the fish isnt eating, it may be very shy and hide in the corners of the tank... best of luck mate