# Internal parasites



## danilykins (Dec 22, 2010)

My fish were having clear stringy poo so I got some tetra parasite guard. Now the poo is thicker and kinda clumpy, does that mean the parasites are leaving the fish, dead? How can you tell?


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## Big Dog (May 17, 2010)

Not to sure if it's getting better or not.


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

If the poo is the color of their food, and if its clumpy, then it is considered healthy.


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

If it is the balloon mollies you list, you have less to worry about. The balloon shape is caused by a severe genetic spinal deformity, which in turn causes a serious compression of the bowels in most affected fish. They usually have digestive difficulties.
It's a common deformity that breeders used to try to eliminate. Then it was discovered to appear cute, so it has been selected for and set as a strain, and the poor things are sold everywhere. I had the balloon deformity show up in various fry over the years, and I never let the poor things breed. I could have been rich, although I know I did the right thing.


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## danilykins (Dec 22, 2010)

Right now I'm just getting lots of stringy clear/white poo, more than usual. I'm hoping this is the parasites coming out of their body...dead.


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

If their poo is still stringy and white, I would assume they are still infected.


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## danilykins (Dec 22, 2010)

How do I know when they are gone? When they get normal poo?


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

Yes


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## danilykins (Dec 22, 2010)

I've done 2 treatments with the parasite guard and all but 2 seems to be cured. Is there anything more I can do, especially for the 2 that are still affected? They are still pooing clear stringy poo, but it seems...clumpy. I'm thinking either parasite eggs, or dead parasites, because it doesn't look like regular poo mixed in. Should I wait a week and treat the tank again? Should I try a different internal parasite medicine?


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

are you treating your main tank(the 29 gal.)? if so, I would put the rest of the infected fish in a QT and Medicate then. no sense in medicating and stressing out already healthy fish.


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## danilykins (Dec 22, 2010)

Should I change the treatment or treat again with the parasite guard?


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

The problem is not knowing what the parasite is. Poo as you describe can also be from a bacterial infection. You can't know for sure if you are treating for a parasite, and then, if it is in the families of parasite affected by over the counter treatments.


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## danilykins (Dec 22, 2010)

Well crap.. Then how the heck am I suppose to treat this? Treat for both? Which meds should I treat for bacterial?


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## afremont (Mar 1, 2012)

danilykins said:


> I've done 2 treatments with the parasite guard and all but 2 seems to be cured. Is there anything more I can do, especially for the 2 that are still affected? They are still pooing clear stringy poo, but it seems...clumpy. I'm thinking either parasite eggs, or dead parasites, because it doesn't look like regular poo mixed in. Should I wait a week and treat the tank again? Should I try a different internal parasite medicine?


The directions say that you can repeat the treatment up to two times with 48 hours in between. I interpret this to mean that three treatments in a row is acceptable. I would be inclined to do one more treatment and then do another round in about two or three weeks to break the life-cycle.

I have some DGs that were badly infested with round worms (nematodes). I treated them with parasite guard and they pooped allot of nasty goop out. But even though most of them started pooping normal, there were still worms that weren't dieing from the meds. I treated them again with fenbendazole and almost poisoned them all. They still pooped a bunch more worms. So in my opinion, a return to normal looking poop could be a sign that you have killed all you will kill with the current meds and that they could still be infested.

Another key thing to do is to vacuum your tank allot to remove larvae and eggs that might still be alive. Meds don't always kill the worms, sometimes it just makes them spaz out for a while and release from the fish yet they are not dead.


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## danilykins (Dec 22, 2010)

I'm losing a battle with the last fish infected  he is just kinda sitting there on the gravel. Sometimes on his side  not sure what else I can do.


He's gone


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