White Poop

[CammieTime]

Is white discus poop bad?

[Graham]

Hi, generally yes...it's a symptom of anyone one a number of things from water, parasites to bacteria or hex.

did it just start?

[CammieTime]

Yes, two of them have long stringy poop hanging from them. I just moved them to a new tank last night - would it be stress related? I didn't notice it before.

They also have heavy breathing. I checked my water and everything is very good. I moved them to the new tank because I could not keep the old tank clean enough, it had gravel in it.

What should I do?

[Graham]

Since it may be stress related from the move, I'd do nothing for the moment

[LizStreithorst]

I would suggest that first you treat for external parasites. PP is best but foramilin works, too. Then, give them a day's rest, slowly raise the tank temp. to 92. If the fish are still eating well treat with mitronidazole in the food for a week. If they are not eating well, treat with metro in the water for 10 days followed be the week of metro in the food once they start eating again.

[LizStreithorst]

Sorry, Graham is right. Since they have just been moved do nothing but good WC with aged water for several days. If they are still having problems, go with my advice above.

[ShinShin]

So, when the stress from the move is over, the pathogens just disappear? Moving a discus from tank to tank is not stressful. I do it routinely. To take effect overnight suggests that they were infected previous to the move. I would follow Liz's first post.

Mat

[Graham]

But Mat you're moving fish around in water that is almost identical to were they came from, of course there would be no stress. Where as, a brand new tank full of water, just might stress them out.

I would also assume that if her fish had been sick prior to the move, she might have noticed it....this sounds like something that showed up after the move

[ShinShin]

Graham,

I interpetted her post as she just moved them to a new tank, not that they were brought in from the outside. Perhaps she can clarify.

Mat

[Graham]

''...I just moved them to a new tank last night - would it be stress related? I didn't notice it before....''

Moved to a new tank and new symptoms...

[Porkchop]

I moved them to the new tank because I could not keep the old tank clean enough, it had gravel in it.

What should I do?

Mat and Graham...The fish might have already had it and been stressed. If it was not as clean as she liked, it would have been a stressful environment.

When my Discus got sick, it didn't eat for almost 3 days before it started having white poop. I'm only guessing 3 days because I didn't pay much attention. Just dropped food and walked away (something I no longer do).

I'm guessing this fish was already sick before the move but who am I? I'm just new to the hobby.

Anthony

[Eddie]

I am not an expert by any means but white stringy poo would always direct me to internal. That's just my thoughts. Other symptoms would give me the surefire answer but I would say internal.

Eddie

[ShinShin]

Porkchop,

That is what I suggested in my first post.

Mat

[CammieTime]

I'm a guy, just to clarify.

They ate just fine in the other tank, but as I said, I could not keep it clean enough, so yes, it is possible that they got it from that tank. But, again, I didn't notice it until now and they are all sitting on the bottom of the new tank all dark in a group breathing very heavily. But they are eating.

The poop is white and stringy.

Someone else said they think it is hex...when do I know if it is that? I have not dealt with sick fish before, when do you know you should start with medications?

[rickztahone]

when do you know you should start with medications?

now!, and i would follow the advice of the expert members above.

[ShinShin]

If you don't have Metro on hand, raise the temp tonight antway. You want to be at 92-94F. Get some metro ASAP, and treat at the high temp. Lower gradually after treatment.

Mat

[Eddie]

Does the poop look like this?

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a225/jaimeaguilar/IMG_0261.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.portalpez.com/hexamita-con-vientre-hinchado-vt5217.html&usg=__22RH09IaxVi9aGkHzDSpe64OjL4=&h=427&w=640&sz=126&hl=en&start=8&um=1&tbnid=ARjsYTVKoYZ4tM:&tbnh=91&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dhexamita%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

See post #4

If so, get metro as directed and follow Mats advice.

Eddie

[CammieTime]

Does the poop look like this?

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a225/jaimeaguilar/IMG_0261.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.portalpez.com/hexamita-con-vientre-hinchado-vt5217.html&usg=__22RH09IaxVi9aGkHzDSpe64OjL4=&h=427&w=640&sz=126&hl=en&start=8&um=1&tbnid=ARjsYTVKoYZ4tM:&tbnh=91&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dhexamita%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

See post #4

If so, get metro as directed and follow Mats advice.

Eddie

No it does not. It looks like regular poop full size and everything, it is just whitish in color. It is not that thin and stringy, it is like normal, but whiteish in color.

I thought that maybe it was whiteish because I started feeding them lean hamburger since they would only eat brine shrimp...and the hamburger turns white in the water.

[Eddie]

Hey well then you are all good. Don't need to treat with metro.

Eddie

[CammieTime]

If they do not have hex, will using Metro hurt them at all?

[Eddie]

If they do not have hex, will using Metro hurt them at all?

I would not use any medication for the heck of it. Some use meds when they quarantine new fish but even then, metro is not one to use for preventive treatment.

HTH
Eddie

[TankWatcher]

I'm no expert and agree that stress can bring things on, but if it continues, I would act. Also, just a thought, in a tank with gravel etc, it isn't as easy to notice white stringy poop, unless you catch it in the act. Perhaps there were white poops on the gravel, that couldn't be seen easily.
I thought that white, stringy & segmented means a job for Levamisole. White, thick & slimmy is a job for metro.

[TankWatcher]

Cammie, in this thread of mine I have a discus that demonstrates the poop that requires levamisole, as well as the poop that requires metro. If you go to about post 25, Paul tells me which pic in his opinion, indicates which internal parasite.

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=68330

[Eddie]

No it does not. It looks like regular poop full size and everything, it is just whitish in color. It is not that thin and stringy, it is like normal, but whiteish in color.

I thought that maybe it was whiteish because I started feeding them lean hamburger since they would only eat brine shrimp...and the hamburger turns white in the water.

It's probably from the meat then. I've fed my fish with green flake and they poo green, when I feed tetra bits (on the rare occasion) their poo is red. So they are probably just pooing the hamburger meat.

I wouldnt be too worried unless the fish are showing any other symptoms.

HTH

Eddie

[CammieTime]

I wouldnt be too worried unless the fish are showing any other symptoms.

HTH

Eddie

It is definately not slimey or stringly. It is thick, just whitish. What are the "other symptoms?" They swim around a lot and are not all black, they seem normal. They also are eating.

I thought that discus poo is always dark?

[White Worm]

Nope, color may vary accordng to what you are feeding. My discus eat mostly tetra bits and their waste is exactly the same color coming out as it is going in.....well.... maybe somewhat darker like tetra bit burgundy.

[CammieTime]

Nope, color may vary accordng to what you are feeding. My discus eat mostly tetra bits and their waste is exactly the same color coming out as it is going in.....well.... maybe somewhat darker like tetra bit burgundy.

Then I bet that is what is going on...the poo looks normal, it's just whitish (the color of the lean raw hamburger) with a little brown tinge here and there.

[Roxanne]

brine shrimp make my fish poop whitish...:)

[Patr1ck]

Nope, color may vary accordng to what you are feeding. My discus eat mostly tetra bits and their waste is exactly the same color coming out as it is going in.....well.... maybe somewhat darker like tetra bit burgundy.

...tetra bit burgandy. You should suggest that to Crayola.:D:p

Pat