Do my fish have digestive parasites?

[Fishrfood]

Hi everyone I am really worried about my fish, and their lack of poop. I have rarely seen them poop solid dark feces. My Rams poop white stringy feces and I think my Discuss as well. Very rarely do I see my Discuss excrete either. Can I give them medicated flakes? I don't want to treat the water.


Problem

1. Please explain the problems with your fish. When did you notice the problems and did anything unusual happen that you think started them?

Hi everyone I am really worried about my fish, and their lack of poop. I have rarely seen them poop solid dark feces. My Rams poop white stringy feces and I think my Discuss as well. Very rarely do I see my Discuss excrete either. Can I give them medicated flakes? I don't want to treat the water.

2. Symptoms (i.e. turning dark, excess slime, not eating, clamped fins, flashing, darting, clamped gills, white/yellow/green poop, hiding, headstanding or tailstanding, white on tips of fins, rotting or fungus, blisters/white zits on fish, bloated, cloudy eyes, wounds).

White poop. no major symptoms. One Discuss does not seem to get very fat and does not eat excessively like my other discuss that turn into baloons.

3. What medications/ treatments have you already tried and what were the results. Include dosage and duration of treatment.

I have already treated with All in One Medication by Marineland. for 1 week. I have done this treatment twice. Except with my two red discuss.

Tank/Water

4. Tank size and ages, numbers and sizes of fish.

Age: 4 months. 55 Gallon long and tall. 3 Discuss- 1 skinny orange PB and two fat red PBs. different sources. 5 red fin tetra, 6 odessa barbs, 5 large neons, 2 male German Blue Rams also affected. 1 Pleco, 2 Large angelfish also affected.


5. Water change regime (What percentage and how often).

Weekly, 50%

6. How long has tank been running? Is it bare bottom? If you have substrate, what type and how deep is it?

Planted, for about 4-5 months. Planted. Soil mimic substrate for aquarium plants. 2cm depth.

7. Do you age your water? If you do for how long and what is the ph swing.

no

8. Parameters and water source;

Note: Water Parameters are important in diagnosing problems within a tank. If you don't own test kits for the following information, you can purchase them, test your parameters and post this info as soon as possible.


- temp __82___

- ph ___6.8__

- ammonia reading __0__

- nitrite reading _0___

- nitrate reading _5___

What type of water or combinations of water sources do you use? If it is an RO/tap/well water mix, please list percentages in the mix.

- well water ____

- municipal water _Yes-100%___

- RO water ____


9. Any new fish, plants or inverts added recently.

all fish recent

10. Please tell us what you feed your fish and how often. This can be critical information for solving the problem so be as specific as you can.

Previously fed frozen bloodworms and normal tropical flakes. Now only feed them D-Allio discuss flakes and D-50 red discuss granules. from Tropical premium.

11. Include any pictures or videos you have which shows the symptoms. If you can't add them to this post, please provide a link to them.

http://s11.photobucket.com/user/ciklido/slideshow/new%20tank

I want to give medicated flakes to treat digestive tract, any ideas?

[White Worm]

If they are eating, you can feed them medicated food but you really need to up your wc's. 50% weekly is your main problem and in a planted tank to boot. A lot of waste and organic buildup will affect their health at a young age. Clean water goes a long way towards keeping your fish healthy. You can medicate the fish but if you don't improve the environment, you are defeating the medication treatment.

[Ryan925]

If they are eating, you can feed them medicated food but you really need to up your wc's. 50% weekly is your main problem and in a planted tank to boot. A lot of waste and organic buildup will affect their health at a young age. Clean water goes a long way towards keeping your fish healthy. You can medicate the fish but if you don't improve the environment, you are defeating the medication treatment.

+1

It's also tough medicating in a planted tank. You have a nice planted scape there however not the best environmwnr for these fish hence the peppering and issues you are having.

I initially started with mine in a planted doing weekly wcs. Fortunately did not experience illness but definitely saw less than acceptable results with my fish and caught my mistakes early enough to avoid disaster.

As white worm said you may be able to medicate but if you don't change your wc schedule you will have continued problems

[Fishrfood]

Ok,

I think I will get MetroPlex from Big Als in Canada, it contains metrodinazole. (I suspect Hexamita is the culprit)

Why is peppering an issue?

But if this is a parasite how would daily water changes help prevent internal parasites that live in the gut? If you could explain please,

thanks

[White Worm]

Bacteria that are normally present do not cause problems until the fish is injured, stressed, or suffering from another disease. These bacteria take advantage of the compromised animal's weakened immune system and reproduce out of control, creating the resultant sicknesses and problems. An unhealthy environment creates opportunity for illness.

[Ryan925]

Ok,

I think I will get MetroPlex from Big Als in Canada, it contains metrodinazole. (I suspect Hexamita is the culprit)

Why is peppering an issue?

But if this is a parasite how would daily water changes help prevent internal parasites that live in the gut? If you could explain please,

thanks

Peppering is not an issue in itself but can be an indication of stress or just potentially due to your black substrate

Pigeons pepper where barred fish would display stress bars