Breeding tube and clear poop?

[Devan]

My male angelfish's breeding tube is out today and he also has clear poop hanging there..?
I did a water change yesterday and the water got cold for a minute and I didn't realize.. could it be from the change in water temp..?
Should I be concerned?

[Devan]

[daquaticb]

Clear poop once in a while is nothing to worry about ( I base that on my own angelfish not off of research) just watch to make sure it isn't always clear. If it's always clear I would guess some sort of parasite but be sure before treating for anything

[Devan]

Thank you for your response!
He has never had abnormal poop before. But he's not near as active as he normally is either.
If I treat the tank for parasites tomorrow.. could it hurt them if they don't have parasites?

[Andy Sager]

Clear "poop" can come from lack of eating as much as from an internal parasite. If the fish has been eating and still has this clear poop, you need to treat for INTERNAL parasites not external ones ( like ich or oodinium.) Make sure the medication you get is for internal parasites and I would suggest treating the fish in a separate hospital tank. That just needs to be an empty tank with a measured amount of water, an airstone and a heater. The medication you get will tell you how often to use it and when to do water changes. Follow their directions.

[Devan]

Thank you Andy.
That's what I was afraid of. He has been eating but is still pooping clear. I was thinking of treating the whole tank because I have noticed the fish eating his poop/spitting it back out so I fear they have had too much exposure to the "possible" parasite.
Do you think I should wait for the other fish to show signs or treat them as well?

[Andy Sager]

If the fish are still eating, the best meds for this would be administered in the food. If they are not eating, you need to get ones that are absorbed through the skin. Either way tho, I would not do it in the main tank. You want to be able to see the parasite bodies to confirm that was the issue. You can't really do that effectively in a tank with substrate. You also need to be more exact in the dosing. Most meds are prepackaged in doses for 10 gals of water. A 10 gal tank does not hold 10 gallons of water however. So you would either need to use a larger volume tank where you have measured out exactly where 10 gallons of water is in the tank or if the fish are small enough, measure out 5 gals of water and 1/2 of the dose ( if it's measured for 10 gals.) Use either a piece of tape or a magic marker to mark the water line so that you won't have to do it again in the future ( should you need to. ) You can see how I did it in this pic Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community - Andy Sager's Album: Breeding Bettas - Picture
As for dosing, I use plastic measuring spoons I get at the dollar store. Measure the whole package and divide in half ( again assuming a 10 gal dose and you are using 5 gals of water.)

Hope this helps