# Internal Parasites?



## Amour (Jun 26, 2010)

I'm trying this section because it tends to get looked at more than the Emergencies section.

My betta has been bloated now for about a week. He's been 'trying' to eat like the pig he is, but I haven't been feeding him and instead have given him Epsom salt baths.

Today I noticed white poo hanging from his bottom. So I'm wondering, could he have internal parasites? If so, what do I do?

Also, is this contagious? I have another betta in the same tank with him and don't want him to catch anything.

Help!


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## kuklachica (Dec 23, 2009)

Eeek, that doesn't sound good. Is the poo mucousy? If so, then it most likely is internal parasites. And yes, they are contagious. I would try Jungle Parasite Clear to start with. It may or may not work depending on the parasite. Are there any red stringy things/worms hanging from where he poos?


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## Amour (Jun 26, 2010)

Ugh. Now it seems my female has it too which is in another tank. She must've gotten it from his tank because he used to be in the tank she was in. I did a 75% water change on both tanks before I switched them but apparently that wasn't enough.

There doesn't seem to be any worms and the poo just looks solid. I'm going to look up different medicines to see which to get.


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## Ajones108 (Jul 7, 2010)

Jungle Parasite Clear is so expensive...

I'm posting because I wonder if this is the same thing up with my betta. He's lively and eats well and whatnot, always around the tank. But sometimes I see some bunched up poo around his area and I thought he might just be bloaty or having a hard time. It always falls off. Sometimes the poo unbunches and looks stringy? But he seems perfectly healthy. Not mucus-y either. I seem to have the same problem you do, Amour. Let me know if you find anything.


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## kuklachica (Dec 23, 2009)

Before you start medicating...

What kind of food are your feeding? How much are you feeding? If the poo is not mucousy it may not be parasites. one of my guys got bloated pretty often due to the food I was feeding (mixture of Wardley's, Aqueon and Hikari). I was primarily feeding the hikari, however. They recently changed their food around and added MSG. Apparently he couldn't handle that. He also had clearish/whitish poo while he was constipated. Now I feed Ken's Crumbles and New life Spectrum and he is fine. Have you tried feeding them 1/2 of a blanched pea to see if it clears their systems?

Edit: Ajones, my guy who had the problem also poos a big wad of poo and sometimes normal string poo (like playdough being pushed through a spaghetti strainer). This is ok. It's when you start seeing mucous coming from them that it could be parasites. But it could mean that he is having trouble processing the food.


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## Ajones108 (Jul 7, 2010)

I use Atison's Betta Food. The small little pellets. I was doing 2-3 in the morning and 2-3 at night but when I started seeing this poo its now 2-3 in the morning and he is always fasted on Saturdays. I slip in an occasional FD bloodworm. Do you think pre-soaking the pellets would be easier on him or same effect? If its the ingredients I guess the processing would be just as difficult.

And lol at the playdough reference <3


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## kuklachica (Dec 23, 2009)

Atison's is really good so it shouldn't be the ingredients. Yes, try soaking them. Bettas aren't "made" to process dry food, so he could just be really sensitive to it. Also, try feeding him 1/2 of a blanched pea and see if it clears him up before feeding him again. I give my guys 1/2 pea at night on Saturday and fast them on Sunday. It's worth giving it a shot and see if it helps.


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## Amour (Jun 26, 2010)

I feed my bettas Omega One Betta Buffet pellets. I always soak them before I give them to them. 

And the first betta I saw the white poo on, hasn't eaten in over a week because I thought he was constipated. Except maybe the day before I found the white poo he had a little bit of algae wafer that I fed my snails.

Could is still be constipation?


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## kuklachica (Dec 23, 2009)

Possibly. Have you still been feeding your snails? He could be sneaking some of the wafer without you know. Try the pea and see if that helps. It is a laxative and should clear him out if it is constipation.

Does he have any scales sticking out? i.e. does he look like a pinecone when looking down at him?


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## FloridaBettas239 (Jun 29, 2010)

I would treat him it can't hurt is what my mentor breeder told me my fish was acting up. She had me go to target and buy them 1.5 gal containers that are 5 of them for $4.50..with lid's... So I use the 1.5 gal container as a hospital. she had me give him tetracyclin antibiotics for 5 day's. It is important you go the whole 5 days, then 1 day of prue aged water just pure water a whole day and now 3 days of quick cure. And this guy is already acting like a mean betta flaring at me, snatching food out of my fingers before I can even drop it.. 
If you go look on the disease section of the bettatalk web site, Its just like she said to quote " good luck finding out which disease they have" Because it really is hard half or more than half the time


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## Amour (Jun 26, 2010)

Well I'm trying the pea thing. Again.

Back a week ago I tried the pea thing two days in a row. Didn't help much.

So I'm gonna go with that and if he hasn't pooped by tomorrow, I'm going to go the internal parasites route.


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## FloridaBettas239 (Jun 29, 2010)

Amour said:


> Well I'm trying the pea thing. Again.
> 
> Back a week ago I tried the pea thing two days in a row. Didn't help much.
> 
> So I'm gonna go with that and if he hasn't pooped by tomorrow, I'm going to go the internal parasites route.


Algae waffers are very good to use they work great.. and the fish seem's to go after them more...


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## Amour (Jun 26, 2010)

I found out that he really does have internal parasites and I ordered some medicine for him since none of my LFS around here carry it. Hope it gets here before it's too late.

Thanks for everyone's advise.


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