Floating poo?

[ponderingky]

Is floating poo a concern? I have noticed that my fish seem to be producing a lot of floaters. It is not white and doesn't hang on them - it just floats. I read all I could in the archives about poo but nothing seemed to address floating, regular looking turds. They are reddish brown in color and look like little sausages. Some seem to break apart and look shredded. I have only had them about a week - they were raised on FBW exclusively - I have introduced Omega one flake also which they love. Never thought I would write a question like this - any input would be greatly appreciated.

[poconogal]

You must have them on a "Lite" diet! :D I sometimes get a floater or two, but not lots. Never heard of that before, but hopefully someone else will come along that can answer your question.

[billeagan]

I would not be worried...

There is a joke somewhere about more floaters than sinkers... But, this is a family forum =()

[Ryan]

I get this a lot when I feed bloodworms, but it's not so much poop as it is leftover bloodworms that float to the top and bunch together. At least that's what happens in my case. The bloodworms turn a dark brown/black color after being left in the warm tank water for a few hours.

Whatever it is, I just skim it off the top with a net during my w/c and rinse it down the drain.

[ponderingky]

I knew when I asked this question that I opened myself up for a few jokes - I had to laugh as I wrote it. A 45 year old man asking about "floating poo" - come on. :D I was just concerned that by adding Omega One to their diet that I had somehow upset their digestive system. I also noticed that one this morning was pointing head down with a shimmy - thanks to Carol Roberts post on common problems I added some epsom salt to the tank and all is well this evening. A few of them have a "pinched in look" - I need to read somemore on bloat/constipation and how long to treat. This is my first go round with discus - I love them. My hope is to eventually breed them and expose others to this awesome fish. Thanks again - I will keep watching the poo! ;)

[tpl*co]

Got Gas?

[poconogal]

You're not the only one watching poo. That's my life now... poo watching! My husband thinks I'm certifiable when he hears me announce "oh good, nice poo you did." :D

[ponderingky]

My oh my - why are the common things so funny? Seeing how the epsom salt helped - how long do I continue to use it? I did a 50% WC tonight and redosed w/epsom salt. Several of the fish still have that "pinched" look down their sides. Will this go away with time or do I need to continue dosing w/epsom?

Thanks for you help and your humor - it is nice to laugh! :laugh:

[Ryan]

My oh my - why are the common things so funny? Seeing how the epsom salt helped - how long do I continue to use it? I did a 50% WC tonight and redosed w/epsom salt. Several of the fish still have that "pinched" look down their sides. Will this go away with time or do I need to continue dosing w/epsom?

Thanks for you help and your humor - it is nice to laugh! :laugh:

Epsom salt should only be a one-time dosing IMO. It's used as a laxative to help with bloat.. once the bloat is gone, you don't need to re-dose.

Do you have a picture of this "pinched in" look? My young discus often had a small dent in their sides too, but it's because I kept their stomachs full and so the area behind the stomachs always looked a little pinched.

[ponderingky]

Ryan,

Thanks for your input - I am trying to get some pics - it is just hard because I have to catch them at the right angle/shadow to actually see the "pinched" sides. I finally figured out the using the flash was not a good idea - kinda eliminates the shadow :embarassed: duh. I have two more little guys (culls) that are exhibiting the same symptoms - head down, shimmy, distended stomach, trouble swimming. I have dosed the tank again w/epsom - will let you know tonight how the little ones are doing. I feel like Jim Carrey in Dumb and Dumber - dosing my friends w/TurboLax. Hope it works. I am beginning to suspect something else.

Thanks,

[Deepak]

Can it be there are gas bubbles inside the poo which makes it float ? A sign of internal bacterial infection ? Sometimes we can see gas bubbles trapped in the substrate when we overfeed or there's a lot of decomposing material lying around.

[billeagan]

Can it be there are gas bubbles inside the poo which makes it float ? A sign of internal bacterial infection ? Sometimes we can see gas bubbles trapped in the substrate when we overfeed or there's a lot of decomposing material lying around.

With the pinch sides you could be correctd Deepak...

Any chance of getting a pic up? Are they still eating normally?

[ponderingky]

Thanks for all the input - I do have some pics - if I can figure out how to post them. All seems to be better - they eat like hogs (fbw and Omega one flake - according to breeder raised almost exclusively on fbw). This morning I noticed 3 showing the same signs - though not as pronounced. Dosed again w/epsom and they perked up pretty quickly. Did about a 25% w/c last night. My water parameters all very good - amm 0, nite 0, nate < 20 (api liquid test last night showed 5 ppm - dip showed at less than 20) GH approx 120, KH between 40 and 80, ph - according to liquid test 7.4 according to dip strip less than 7 (this has been consistent - the dip strips always show it lower - leaning toward the liquid). Other than some of their poo being loose and floaty, it appears to be normal. Last night when I cleaned the gravel (I am doing this several times a week) I noticed that there were only sinkers in the tank.

I was reading on another post (looking for ways to prevent this) and one of the posts said that calcium in the water may inhibit the uptake of magnesium and contribute to bloat/constipation. Hence the need to add epsom salt. Any ideas on this. My larger fish do not seem to be having problems like the smaller ones.

Thanks,

[ponderingky]

Pics not my thing - hopefully it will allow me to post THIS time. What a pain in the behind!

That is one SICK looking fish :D
Thanks,

[ponderingky]

Here is another attepmt w/pics - I was able to read a bit, hopefully this will work.

[tpl*co]

You're not the only one watching poo. That's my life now... poo watching! My husband thinks I'm certifiable when he hears me announce "oh good, nice poo you did." :D

Only discus keepers have an undieing interest in their fish's poo!:D

Tina

[ponderingky]

That worked - hooray. It is amazing what can happen if you have time to search past posts. I included one pic of the whole tank - it is crowded - I only wanted 12 but the breeder just kept throwing fish in the bags :D.

I have since acquired 2 75's and another 55 - I will get these up and running and be able to spread these out a bit. My water is staying in great shape and I am cleaning the gravel almost nightly.

Some of the pictures are a little blurry - it was hard to get them to hold still, at the right lighting angle, at the right place in the tank. Thanks for your input.

[ponderingky]

Here are a few more - did my best to get different angles. Not all of them have this pinching.

[ponderingky]

Tina,

I wasn't this interested in my children's poo - is this crazy or what?:crazy:

[poconogal]

An SD member, Kindredspirit, had a thread regarding that exact indent in her Discus' sides. It was a thread on another forum, also on SD but very few posts on the SD thread. I just read thru the entire thread and it ends with no solution. I'm going to PM her to see what came of it. They were talking about extra feedings with high protein, like CBW and the like.

[ponderingky]

Thanks for the help Connie - this site is an awesome resource. I have read so many posts - I am averaging about 6 hours of sleep per night. There is just so much to learn with discus.

[poconogal]

Only discus keepers have an undieing interest in their fish's poo!:D

Tina
Tina, so true! I have a friend who uses a magnifying glass to inspect each and every Discus in her tank as they swim by in addition to poo inspection! :D

[poconogal]

Thanks for the help Connie - this site is an awesome resource. I have read so many posts - I am averaging about 6 hours of sleep per night. There is just so much to learn with discus.
Andy, I've asked kindredspirit if she would visit this thread and put her 5 cents in so as soon as she sees her PM, I'm sure she will! I can tell you that she did not lose any Discus, so that should ease your anxiety over this some!

[Kindredspirit]

Hi Andy!........so ~ I suppose I have to read this thread to grasp the situation! lol!

Thanks Connie!:) j/k guys! Andy, I shall read and return ~ but I am thinking if Connie can't assist you, not much I will be able to pull off:o

brb~


Marie ~ balloon:

[poconogal]

Hi Andy!........so ~ I suppose I have to read this thread to grasp the situation! lol!

Thanks Connie!:) j/k guys! Andy, I shall read and return ~ but I am thinking if Connie can't assist you, not much I will be able to pull off:o

brb~


Marie ~ balloon:
Awww, thanks Marie! :kiss:

[Kindredspirit]

Andy ~ here is the dent on my discus ~ as you see, mine has a pinched look...and it is under the chin as opposed to your discus...is in the middle...I just noticed this dent one time while taking pictures! I have had him for almost two years...I do not have him anymore tho ~ he has a new home:( But I did hit him with de-worming meds and...no worms though ~ he was just fine and always was ~

Just Pinched:)


Having said that...I did see your pictures of the dent...and it is pretty prominent, that's for sure..but I have seen that in my BD...not so prominent but it is there, on occasion, in other discus...

Not much help huh?

...that is why there is our Connie!:)

[poconogal]

Well, here's the link to the thread on SD, but its a picture of a different Discus:

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=54644


Marie, you had a pic of this guy with the indent circled, do you remember?

[Kindredspirit]

Got it! You are good, woman...I will give you that! I have been looking for 20 min for that picture and the more I looked, I could see the mental image in my head of the circle drawn on it!

In that thread though Connie...the dent was never addressed....only the other issue I think...


I hope this helps somewhat ~ may be another thread specifically addressing this issue, Andy/Connie...! I must hit the shower right now get ready for work! Connie is on it Andy...she is awesome! Anyone can figure it out it will be this lady...and if she can not she will bug someone till they help!!:D

Ya gotta love her!


M ~

[poconogal]

hahahahahaaa... Marie! :p :D

It wasn't really addressed on SD, but on Bidka it was lengthy, with much back and forth about internal parasites, worms, etc. You treated for worms, but there didn't seem to be any. But nothing ever happed to that Discus, right? No issues, other than the gill fluke issue. Do you still have this one or is it one that found the new home? Did the indent remain?

Maybe like Paul I think said, it just needed to eat more, it was skinny?

[Kindredspirit]

I will have to see if I still have this one Connie....good question...the ones like this seem to be common in my tanks!:)

Now watch me go and look closely at my fish and discover dents on all of them!! lol!

Andy ~ this fish was fine...dent and all:) Just watch him!

[poconogal]

I will have to see if I still have this one Connie....good question...the ones like this seem to be common in my tanks!:)

Now watch me go and look closely at my fish and discover dents on all of them!! lol!

Andy ~ this fish was fine...dent and all:) Just watch him!
Oh no Marie, you will NOT find any more dents! Eeeeek! :D

[ponderingky]

Connie and Marie,

Thank you so much for trying to help me figure this out. They all still continue to eat like pigs - always begging for more. Kind of reminds me of my 16 yr old son :). As far as the dent, maybe those are male discus and they are just sucking in their sides to impress the girls ;).

It is reassuring to know that Marie's discus did fine and that the dent was not an outer symptom of an inner problem. That is my main concern - should I medicate or just continue to observe. I did find another post about dents in the side and have pm'd the poster to see how his fish are doing. If I hear back I will let you know.

These guys are so cool - I sit and watch them like TV! All my water parameters continue to stay excellent - amm and nite = 0, nate = 5 ppm, ph 7.4, temp 85.5.

[poconogal]

Andy, you are addicted, you do know that, right?

[ponderingky]

Also - It isn't just one fish - 3 or 4 of my brilliant turqs have this dent, and they do look skinnier than the ones that don't. None of the blue pigeons have this dent. I am beginning to wonder if it is genetic. I saw the mom and dad when I picked them up but I was in awe of Mike's fish room and all the beautiful - and I mean beautiful - pairs he had in the breeder tanks so I was not looking closely at them. I have also been having bloat/constipation problems with several of them - epsom salt does wonders. They were raised almost exclusively on fbw - I have added Omega One flake and just this morning I put some fbs in w/the fbw - some ate them, some looked like a deer in the headlights at them. Trying to vary their diet more and get more fiber in them. Sounds like they need to eat more salad ;).

Thanks again for your concern and assistance - I have already made one donation to the site and will make more in the future - I am amazed at the amount of information Al and the others provide w/o charging. Awesome site.

[poconogal]

Some juvies have trouble digesting FBW, so IMO its not an ideal food for juvies. Also, BS have little or no nutritional value, but they do provide roughage. I'd look to be feeding your juvies some BH or CBW. I use Omega One flakes too, among a zillion other types of food. Fish seem to do well on them. I also use New Life Spectrum Discus Formula pellets, supposed to be an excellent daily food for Discus, Tetra Bits (some soak them first because they do swell up and can sometimes cause a problem, I've never had one though and I don't soak them) and Ocean Nutrition Formula 1 flakes and OSI Discus Flake, which they love too. And I could go on and on... I have more Discus food than people food, I think!

Could be the dented fish are just underweight, as was suggested in the other forum.

[ponderingky]

Connie,

I have been addicted to fish most of my life. I worked in a LFS in high school and loved the fish stuff (not much on fur or feathers). I have almost always kept tank or something w/fish. For the last 7+ years I have been outside - putting two koi/goldfish ponds in my back yard. I hatched and raised some koi/goldfish last year for the first time - I was so cool to watch them hatch and grow out. I built an indoor pond (sort of) and let them grow for a year before putting them back in the ponds. Discus are the pinnacle of freshwater fish and I am loving the challenge. I can't wait to watch them breed and raise the babies. I have two tanks of sword babies that I am growing right now - hope to exchange them for some Discus stuff at the LFS.

Yes, my name is Andy Dixon and I am a discaholic :D.

Thanks again,

[ponderingky]

Connie,

I haven't tried BH and CBW (I am guessing that means cultured blood worms) I have no idea how to get them. Do you make your own BH or buy the frozen? What about CBW's - raised at home or bought? I know the LFS's carry only frozen foods, none live or fresh. I thought about mysis shrimp and read about them last night - sounds like a great food, if the fish will eat them. Maybe too large for my guys right now. I am feeding the baby swords daphnia but too small for the discus to even notice. I got the tetra bits - not one taker. I have been grinding them up to supplement the baby swords. Our LFS do not stock much for Discus - I am putting an on-line order together for several different things and will include a couple of the food items you recommended.

About the dent - it could be underweight fish - they do seem thinner. I am concerned that it is an outer sypmtom of an inner problem. They all eat well, one of the dented guys also needs glasses (hits below the food consistently) but the others see fine. I will just keep myself tuned to the discus channel and see what happens.
Thanks,

[poconogal]

CBW = California Black Worms, live food, many feed them to their Discus. I get them from Dan at www.aquaticfoods.com

Mysis shrimp, especially those posted about by Al are also very good. I don't think they'd be too big for your juvies.

BH - I bought BH which only had that in it, but was vitamin enriched. My Discus loved it. Now I have SF Bay BH Plus, with lots of other goodies in it, things that are put in homemade, and my fish wouldn't touch it. I did try it again today and somebody ate the whole cube, so I'm making progress!

www.drsfostersmith.com is a good place to get frozen foods from, when they have a sale. I stock up at that time, since I have a freezer in my basement.

You have to keep trying food that you want them to eat. I usually put in their regular food and add a bit of the new food with it. First they look at it like... what the devil is that, some may get adventurous and start to eat, eventually, (its taken me 2 weeks of doing this) they begin to eat the new food. Most of mine will eat anything I put in the tank, and this is what you want. I do have one, though, who has finally begun eating other stuff besides FBW, but it took 5 months! He was a stubborn one, that one! :D

[ponderingky]

I am beginning to realize that "floating poo" is a precursor to bloat/constipation. I just did a 50% WC - mostly all sinkers (very little floaters). All fish are doing fine - when I noticed a lot of floaters - I was also having several fish exhibit signs of bloat. SO - I'm guessing that the different type of food upset their digestive system and as they are adjusting to the flake, the "gas" is lessening and things are as they should be. Will keep you posted.

Thanks,