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One of my mollies has been having some stringy poo. I know that this could be a sign of internal parasites. But sometimes it is white and sometimes its is its normal redish color (I think this is normal) but it always seems to be really stringy and hang from its behind. Should I be worried about this? She still eats and from what I see acts normal.

Thanks

Jamie

I would watch and consider diversifying her diet.

I'm going to bet that Molly is eating some of the white slimey/crusty stuff that grows on things within the tank. I know my guppies love to eat it. There must be something in there that they like. Watch her carefully and see what she snacks on between meals.

It is good to have around 3 different foods. You can use one as a staple, like high-quality flakes or pellets. Once opened, these should be discarded within 90 days as they quickly lose vital nutrients that keep them healthy. Therefore, buy small containers. Good foods to mix it with are things like freeze dried brineshrimp or bloodworms, daphnia, or even frozen foods. For smaller tanks it is kind of hard to break these up. I buy blood worm sheets - the Hikari brand because they are smaller and go through a 3-stage sterilization process - and feed periodically.

Poop is typically the same color of that which they eat. If there is lots of red in the staple food, then you will see a more red or pink color. If they've been eating algae, it will be green. If they are eating somebodies eggs, then it will be more white.

White can signal internal parasites or even infection. Let's keep an eye on her and if things change, come back to this post and make a reply. If it goes mostly white, then you can try Parasite Clear Tank Buddies which has something called Praziquantel. It makes them expel worms within four hours of being in bath and is pretty safe for most fish at full stregnth. There is also Jungle's Anti-Parasite Medicated food which can be crushed to smaller size and fed for 3 days.