White Stringy Poo...

[Lively]

I know what to do, in theory, but I've never had disease in my tanks so this is a first for me.

It's the Electric Blue Jack Dempsey's. From what I've read on these guys - a rite of passage for all keepers of them. And, it is my favortite of the lot that seems to be hit.

I suspected something was wrong yesterday so I picked up the meds today, but picked up the wrong stuff - got malacite green - will have to go out first thing tomorrow to get the metronicazol. I was thinking of doing the med treatment in a qt tank - but now I'm thinking I should just go ahead a treat the whole tank as a precaution and do a salt bath for them. (2 1/2 cups salt per 10 gallon is what I've been told) for 5-10 minutes.

I'm also going to try to get them to eat some blanched peas - I've no clue why this would be helpful but have seen many posts about fish illness where this is the preferred diet when a fish has a problem like this.

Do I have good advice - anyone want to add any suggestions?

 

[iamzrad]

Are there any other signs of disease? Like, not eating or barely eating, fat bellies, very "poppy" eyes?
What are you feeding your JD's?

Salt bath sounds good, but I am assuming the JD's are the only fish in the tank? If so, treat the whole tank if not take them out and place in a quarantine tank.

Also, if you have carbon in your filters take it out when you treat with meds.

 

[fishmeds]

White stringy poo can have numerous causes and not all are from disease. As a start, certain foods can cause white stringy poo (ex: zucchini you feed plecos or certain flake or pellet foods with certain vegetable matters in it). It can indicate parasites and worms as well. With that said, not all worms are a problem and many, if not most, wild caught fish have internal parasites and worms. As noted previously, if the fish displays other symptoms such as a bloated or shrunken belly, bulging eyes, odd behavior, change in appetite, or change in locomotion, then you need to worry and treat.

There are many different kinds of worms and internal parasites which affect fish; some harmful and some not, and determining which type of worm is infecting your fish without dissecting the fish is almost possible. Because of this, we sell and recommend only one medication which does it all. Metronidazole will not kill internal parasites or worms. It is an anti-protozoa that works on hexamita (hole in the head) or slime disease. You need to use an internal parasite medication. We sell Paracide X and D which kill all internal parasites and worms. Both have the same antiparasitic medication (tin based) and Paracide X also contains a laxative. You feed X or D for about 5 days and you are done (unless you are faced with camallanus worm). PM me or email me and we can get you set up with the correct meds if you would like.

If the fish have stopped eating, this becomes a bit more difficult and treatment becomes more complicated and can take longer.

As far as adding salt, I would recommend against this as it can cause mass organ failure in the long run as most freshwater fish are not designed to handle even minute amounts of salinity.

 

[Lively]

Three are not or barely eating and one has sunken eyes - also they are very inactive. I feed a mix of Tetra Min Flake, hikari cichlid gold and cyclopezze granules - irregular feeding cycles is the norm for me - I do not overfeed and I don't use bloodworms because of increased risk of parasites. I've had the fish for two weeks, today.

12 Jacks total in tank - I was in the process of pairing them up.

fishmeds - i knew there was stuff on the market that works as broad spectrucm meds - foolishly I didn't stock up on that stuff prior to getting the fish. But since they aren't eating I really do need the tank treatment.

I wasn't planning on adding salt to the whole tank, setting up a salt bath in a 5 gallon. You "dip" them for 5-10 minutes and remove either putting them in a qt tank or back in the main.

 

[cmcpart0422]

Ive been there I just finished treating one of my tropheus with metro. http://trophs.com/index.php?ind=reviews&op=entry_view&iden=1 at the bottom of this article is a 7 day treatment for tropheus. I dont know if it would be best for JD but it might be useful. I hope all goes well. It is also a good idea to maybe every once in a while to feed them some flakes soaked in metro just to keep them safe. Again im going on things that work for tropheus. Keep us filled in, i hope things get better.

 

[George]

As far as adding salt, I would recommend against this as it can cause mass organ failure in the long run as most freshwater fish are not designed to handle even minute amounts of salinity.

I really don't want to argue. I just wonder where you get this kind of info. I especially wonder why you would say this about SA or Central American fish.

George

 

[danger_chicken]

^ I agree with George

 

[Lively]

I was wondering, but I'm an absolute newbie on fish illness. Up until today, it was all book learnin'...

Isn't a salt bath a good treatment? I've not done it yet. I have marine salt and tank on the ready. I also read epson salt can be used it help for constipation.

Don't many cichlids come from brackish water?

 

[dogofwar]

"Don't many cichlids come from brackish water?"

Not many at all...but some come from water with high pH and hardness...

Black belts (Vieja maculicauda), Iranocichla, Etroplus, and some Saratherodon/Tilapia can withstand or prefer brackish water.

Anyone think of others?

 

[Lively]

I wonder why I thought more than a few were brackish water. I read up on different cichlids, or plants or biotopes each night and I've not come across any that are brackish, but I still thought that. Funny how you get a piece of misinformation in your head and it sticks.

But, is a salt bath a good thing when treating for parasites?

 

[George]

I wonder why I thought more than a few were brackish water. I read up on different cichlids, or plants or biotopes each night and I've not come across any that are brackish, but I still thought that. Funny how you get a piece of misinformation in your head and it sticks.

But, is a salt bath a good thing when treating for parasites?

A salt bath isn't going to hurt your Dempseys and might work. I have never used "baths" or "dips" because my fish are fast, smarter than me, and hard to catch. I figure chasing them around the tank does more harm than good. My standard treatment for parasites is three teaspoons of salt per gallon added over at least an 18 hour period. I leave it for about a week and it has produced good results.

Evidently my fish have no internal organs:lol::lol::lol::lol:.

George

 

[Lively]

Then 25% daily water changes to reduce the salts gradually?

We keep a salt tank too, always have salt around... around the tank, the glass the hood.. the marine salt is what I should use, right? Or table. Had a salt disaster one night - all pet stores closed and not enough salt to make the water - used the plain salt (no iodine) from safeway - worked just as well, just harder to disolve.

 

[danger_chicken]

I thought it wasn't good to use table salt, but I don't remember why and I'm not expect so take that with a grain of salt.

Don't kill my fish!

 

[Lively]

I thought it wasn't good to use table salt, but I don't remember why and I'm not expect so take that with a grain of salt.

Don't kill my fish!

LOL!! You really did make me laugh out loud.

I'm not sure why except maybe the iodine in iodized salt is bad. You can get plain salt, straight NaCl or even sea salt these days. I read up on frehswater salt, it is sea salt, sea salt is supposed to be a mix of salts and trace elements - that includes the sea salt we buy at costco... The only difference between the processing is the quality control - one for human consumption the other for aquariums. I'd guess there are fewer rats allowed in the aquarium salt...

I'll keep you posted, I promise to do everything in my power to keep these beauties alive and thriving! They've all colored up beyond my expectations.

 

[danger_chicken]

The only difference between the processing is the quality control - one for human consumption the other for aquariums. I'd guess there are fewer rats allowed in the aquarium salt...

LOL I ope you have that backwards and it's less rats in the human salt.

 

[Lively]

Ever read The Jungle by Upton Sinclair and there is a more recent book by Robin Cook on the subject of food - might turn you into a vegitarian if not for the recent outbreaks of illness via those, too.

Started the salt treatment last night. Still have stringy white poo but they do seem to be feeling a bit better, they aren't all in hiding.

 

[crazyclowntang]

The salt thing has always got me thinking, how does the salt help with curing/treating fish disease? I can understand curing ich because freshwater ich can not stand high levels of salinity. But to cure internal parasites? Someone please elaborate more.

 

[cmcpart0422]

A salt bath isn't going to hurt your Dempseys and might work. I have never used "baths" or "dips" because my fish are fast, smarter than me, and hard to catch. I figure chasing them around the tank does more harm than good. My standard treatment for parasites is three teaspoons of salt per gallon added over at least an 18 hour period. I leave it for about a week and it has produced good results.

Evidently my fish have no internal organs:lol::lol::lol::lol:.

George

I agree here. I think that a salt bath could be helpful but the process as a whole might just cause even more stress for the fish. If they aren't feeling up to eating them I'm sure they aren't feeling up to getting dunked into a salt bath for 10 min after you chased them around the tank. My vote is with adding salt to the tank directly. :happy0144:

 

[longstocking]

There is a pretty good thread about salt that we had not too long ago.. let me dig it up.

In terms of curing "bloat". Epsom salt can help move the food/poop through the fish.

In terms of why people think cichlids are brackish... I have no freakn idea. I do know that at least one of the larger fish stores around here add enormous amounts of salt into their african tanks. To the point of being brackish !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They also tell people to add tons of salt.

There is epsom salt and there is sea salt. Then there is table salt...

Here are some links.... to look over that are good reading...

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/aquarium_salts.php
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/buffer_recipe.php

Here is a good link regarding disease and salts...

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/treatment_tips.php

Here is the link I was referring to above...

http://www.capitalcichlids.org/forums/showthread.php?t=2051&highlight=salt+teaspoon

 

[Lively]

I would surmise that as they "drink" the salt water the internal parasites get the higher salinity and it does them in. Also, it acts as a laxative (apparently epson salt is best for this) helping to clear them out. I know that salt water does the same for people.

Some of the fish are swimming directly into the salty water when I add it to the tank - it looks like they are gulping a couple of drinks and then move away. I'm predisolving it in very hot water and then allowing it to cool - adding about every hour to hour and a half slowly in the filter discharge water.

Seems that only the Blues are infected - definately two of them, likely four of them. The regular JD's have normal poop. This is like having kids - checking poop hourly...