OH NO! ...Clear feces?

[13BRAVO]

OK, now I am worried (again). As some of you know I've been battling a few things since getting into this hobby with my children: Ich, Fish Louse, Stupidity.

However, I just read in another post that clear feces means that the fish has an internal parasite!?!?!?!?!?!? Did I read this right? Is this correct? 100% correct?? My fish have excreted clear feces since I first got them...not every excretion is clear but many (or at least some) of them are.

Please let me know and if so...WHAT DO I DO?? YIKES! :eek:

Thanks in advance!

13BRAVO

[13BRAVO]

I'm not a fan of the bump so please forgive me doing this...but I'm worried about the whole internal parasite thing....

BUMP :o

[mayreee]

I am sorry I can't help you. I just noticed this with a few of my fish also. They all seem fine except one molly which I haven't seen her poop yet. In the poop I have seen coming out... some of it is clear and some of it is normal looking (on the same string). Good luck!

[phanmc]

What are you feeding them? does the fish show a lack of apetite?

[mayreee]

I am feeding mine tetramin tropical flakes and freeze dried bloodworms. They are eating normal.

[13BRAVO]

Same here, tetra goldfish flakes and dried blood worms, normal appetite, they will eat anything and everything...including one of my ghost shrimp!

[phanmc]

Keep an eye out for loss of apetite but I don't think you have to worry yet. Now if the poop comes out pale, almost whitish, then I'd consider getting some meds for parasites.

[13BRAVO]

Thanks phan, I really appreciate the advice! I will monitor his eating habits!

[biogirl361]

i had a bout of the clear/white poop with my angelfish and plecostomus a while back. i now believe that they did indeed have internal parasites as they eventually lost their appetite. i was able to nurse both of the angelfish back to health, but the pleco died, and after a reoccuring appetite loss, one of the angelfish died a few months later. recently i have seen the second angelfish having clear poop again and starting not to eat as well. if i was you i would try to find some of the medicine that you put on their food and feed them that while they are still eating, as water column meds are basically useless so once they stop eating it is too late. there is a chance they could recover on their own just from their own immune system, but they must have absolutely no stress until it goes away, and even then it is taking a chance.
phanmc is right when he says the white poop is more ominous than the clear poop, and it will prob turn white before they quit eating... but having gone through it before, i would cut the parasites off now. why risk it? my .02.

[13BRAVO]

Point taken, thanks! I'm just wondering now, if I feed them these medicated flakes and they DON'T have internal parasites, would that harm them in any way? Is there a downside to giving them the medicated food "just in case"?

Thanks in advance!

[biogirl361]

i read on a different message board that the parasite meds would not harm healthy fish. it is called metronidazole and apparently most lfs should have some medications with this ingredient in it. here is the thread from the other board: http://www.piranha-fury.com/forum/pfury/index.php?showtopic=51170&st=0&#entry667047

[13BRAVO]

Thanks Biogirl!

[NowherMan6]

question: are intestinal parasites infectous to other fish in the tank? how would they spread?