What is this?

[nlifs]

Hello all,

Thank you very much for all of the helpful advice provided to date.

I brought home three sunburst platys yesterday and they seem to be doing OK so far (tried a more robust acclimation for them) but one of them has this long white stringy thing coming out of him (see attached image ... hopefully the attachment worked). He's had it for around 12 hours now ... looks like it's been getting longer but still attached.

From some Google searching, it looks like this might be some poop and that he might be constipated?

Please let me know what you think and what my next steps should be ...

Thanks!

 

[Andy Sager]

White stringy poo is a sign of either a lack of food or intestinal worms. You rule out lack of food when you have been feeding daily but the poo is white. In that case, you need to treat the fish for intestinal worms in a hospital tank. Fritz Paracleanse or API General cure should treat what you most likely have. If not, you would need to use something more specific to roundworms and nematodes which would be Fritz Expel-P or other products containing levamisole hydrochloride.

 

[nlifs]

Thank you!

I just got them from the store yesterday and haven't fed them yet, so it's possible they haven't eaten for awhile.

Am I OK giving them regular pellets (I have Bug Bites, I think) or do I need to give something else?

 

[Andy Sager]

Make sure the food is small in size. The fish looks a little emaciated so if it were me, I'd be using frozen foods or flakes over pellets which are very dry. For frozen, I'd use the gut loaded brine shrimp or omega infused brine shrimp or bloodworms. For non frozen foods, you want to get a variety for maximum health for the fish. You want foods that are balance of protein, vegetable matter and vitamins.

 

[nlifs]

Thanks again! The advice is greatly appreciated.

Sorry for the bother, but would you have any brands that you could recommend? Links would be especially appreciated!

For example, I found the following at my local petsmart:

https://www.petsmart.ca/fish/food-a...sh-food-17914.html?cgid=300113&fmethod=Browse

https://www.petsmart.ca/fish/food-a...-flakes-17903.html?cgid=300113&fmethod=Browse

As a relative newbie, any specific information would be wonderful.

Thanks again.

 

[Andy Sager]

Thanks again! The advice is greatly appreciated.

Sorry for the bother, but would you have any brands that you could recommend? Links would be especially appreciated!

For example, I found the following at my local petsmart:

https://www.petsmart.ca/fish/food-a...sh-food-17914.html?cgid=300113&fmethod=Browse

https://www.petsmart.ca/fish/food-a...-flakes-17903.html?cgid=300113&fmethod=Browse

As a relative newbie, any specific information would be wonderful.

Thanks again.

I assume since you showed a Canadian Petsmart's listings, I assume you are in Canada so it would be hard for me to make brand suggestions since not everything available in the US may be available in Canada. That said, The Brine shrimp( https://www.petsmart.ca/fish/food-a...sh-food-17914.html?cgid=300113&fmethod=Browse ) was one of the ones I suggested so a good buy. The DR. Bassleer food line is another good one if you have it in Canada. I also like Omega One brand foods because they are not made with meals but of whole fish ,shrimp, etc and not fish meal or shrimp meal. (https://www.petsmart.ca/fish/food-a...er-flakes-fish-food-17905.html?fmethod=Search ) (https://www.petsmart.ca/fish/food-a...ropical-fish-flakes-17913.html?fmethod=Search ) Add to these some frozen foods. You may need to get Dr Bassleer foods at a local Mom & Pop pet shop vs the box stores like Petsmart or Petco. It may cost a little more but your fish will show the difference if they are eating it.