# Help! Bloated and white poop!



## Lunchbox148 (Feb 11, 2013)

Hello everyone! I started a female sorority yesterday and I noticed one of the bettas (the alpha) was kind of bloated... A lot of them at the pet store looked this way.. When I came home I noticed some white poop coming out of here anus not too much just a lil bit. Now it looks like another one of them is a little bit bloated. I have Rid-Ich Plus, and Maracyn Two will any of these meds work? Thanks a lot friends! 

Housing 
What size is your tank? 15 gallons
What temperature is your tank? 81
Does your tank have a filter? yep
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? no
Is your tank heated? yep
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? 5 female bettas

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Bio-Gols, NLS, frozen Bloodworms sometimes
How often do you feed your betta fish? 3-4 pellets 2 times a day sometimes less.

Maintenance 
How often do you perform a water change? I just started the tank.
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? I just started the tank.
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Prime, sometimes regual de-chlorine, sometimes stress coat, recomended amount of AQR salt for new fish, then lessen the dosage during water changes

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?

N/A

Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity: 

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? One was bloated when I bought here, now another betta looks a tad bloated
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? not at all, they have healthy apitites all of them, but the bloated alpha is kind of a mild eater
When did you start noticing the symptoms? I noticed the alpha was bloated when I took her home and I whent to the fish store today and strolled around the female bettas and noticed a lot of them were bloated and some males bloated in quarantine by the sink
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? Not yet I'm hoping someone will point me to some good meds or let me know if rid-ich, or maracyn two will do the trick asap
Does your fish have any history of being ill? They are brand new!!
How old is your fish (approximately)? They look really young maybe 2 months or 3 months they alpha looks the oldest tho.


----------



## callistra (Jun 29, 2010)

posted in the wrong thread.. brb


----------



## callistra (Jun 29, 2010)

They really should have been QTed apart.. what you are describing is either internal parasite or internal bacterial infection. They probably all have it at this point.

Are any of their scales raised?

What is AQR?

None of those meds will work.


----------



## Lunchbox148 (Feb 11, 2013)

callistra said:


> They really should have been QTed apart.. what you are describing is either internal parasite or internal bacterial infection. They probably all have it at this point.
> 
> Are any of their scales raised?
> 
> ...



Opps i meant AQ or Aquarium salt I ordered some *API® General Cure™ *do you think this will work? there scales are not raised. Thanks a lot for always helping me, I appreciate it. I can count on you!


----------



## callistra (Jun 29, 2010)

AQ should only be used on fish who are actually sick, and only for up to 10 days. Using longer or when the fish is not sick will make it useless in case of actual infection because the disease will be resistant to the salt, and also it can cause premature organ failure.

I would mix medicated feed. I would get these:
http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/Metronidazole.html
http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/Focus.html
http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/GarlicGuard.html

Put a small amount of garlic guard in a cup and one level measure each of focus and metro. Mix it up and dissolve it as best you can, then place pellets in there, mix it up again and let it soak 10-15minutes. Feed two twice a day for a minimum of 3 weeks and at least one week past the last sign of white poop.

You can use the Hikari to soak. The NLS wont' absorb enough meds.


----------



## Lunchbox148 (Feb 11, 2013)

Thanks a lot, callistra! Problem solved!


----------



## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

You don't want to confuse bloat with normal full tummy and treat needlessly-Generally with true bloat you will have other S/S along with the enlarged abdomen-like-buoyancy issues, lethargic, hiding, clamp fins, poor appetite to name a few common S/S.

It is normal and expected for the fish to look more rotund after eating and the abdomen should reduce in size as the food is digested.

If the food is causing symptomatic bloat-it is usually due to poor quality food that is high in grain/grain byproducts that produce gases in the gut.

With females-its not uncommon for them to be more rotund looking-especially as they mature-they sometimes will take on a head down-tail up swimming position as the unripe eggs form.
As females mature and unripe eggs develop-they will either drop and eat or not or absorb the unripe eggs on a regular basis.
Its not uncommon for the fecal matter to change color and look a more white/creamy appearance for several days after they eat or absorb the eggs.

When the mature female detect a male-her eggs will start to ripen and her abdomen will swell even more-along with swimming head down and sometimes clamp fins to show submissiveness.

Fish/Betta in general will always have low numbers of internal parasites that they keep controlled by passing on a regular basis along with the immune response.
While there are a few internal parasites that can cause the fecal matter to change color-More internal parasites do not. Having white feces or the lack of white feces isn't a good indicator of internal parasites.

Other factors that can cause white feces-stress being one and with females it can be egg related.

Since it sounds like you are in the process of fish-in cycling-I would recommend a 50% water only change starting on day 3 of setup-if you don't have testing products on hand-
If you have testing products-test the water and make that 50% water only if your results are- ammonia, nitrite 0.25ppm or greater. 
This would be over and above your regular weekly 50% with vacuum.

As posted-you don't need or want to use aquarium salt long term, however, it shouldn't hurt anything at this point-but I wouldn't add anymore salt-As you make your water changes you will remove it over a period of time.

IMO/E-you don't need any medications or pesticide at this point.

Look forward to some pics...


----------



## Lunchbox148 (Feb 11, 2013)

I see some of there poop and it's normal looking but they have large bellies still and they have a little white thing pertruding from there anus( really small like half the size of there eye) I don't know what it is.... I'm treating with Tetra-Parasite Gaurd.... Is this even parasites or is that like a bacterial infection? What do you think?


----------



## soady (Nov 26, 2012)

Lunchbox148 said:


> I see some of there poop and it's normal looking but they have large bellies still and they have a little white thing pertruding from there anus( really small like half the size of there eye) I don't know what it is.... I'm treating with Tetra-Parasite Gaurd.... Is this even parasites or is that like a bacterial infection? What do you think?


Does the white spot look like this?










If so, that's how they're supposed to look like, and if there is no change in their behavior the bloating are probably the eggs...


----------



## Lunchbox148 (Feb 11, 2013)

soady said:


> Does the white spot look like this?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



That's exactly what it looks like, That little white thing coming out.... I see there stool all over the leaves of the tank and it's normal looking... What scared me is that only one had it when I put them in the tank and after 1 day they all started to look like that.. They are a little more bloated than that betta in the pic, i would take pics but the quality is horrible and this is exactly what they look like there behavior has not changed they look really happy and no change in appetite. Do you think this is eggs? How long will they look hold the eggs? Also they some of them have little blackish grey marks on the tops of there heads idk what it is..... It might be wounds or some kind of bacteria... 
Here is the picture of the curious grey markings


----------



## soady (Nov 26, 2012)

You are having the exact same questions I had when I got my bettas! 
Your fish are fine, just feed them nice and rich foods and they will be very colorful! This is how my female used to look when I got her, and now:










She looked like that because I didn't take proper care.

The gray thing you are talking about is normal, especially with green/blue colors and specifically from head down.

Your fish are good, just learn about them.


----------

