# Need help identifying poop; parasites?



## fosschick (Apr 10, 2011)

It's long and stringy, and he's super bloated. (see my other thread with background info here: http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...ettas-color-dulling-belly-swollen-sign-68050/ )

Video:






Pics:

Here he is in his main tank before I moved him to his hospital tank:










Here he is after I moved him to his hospital tank; I think part of the poo broke off by this point:










I have a video of him in his HT as well; it's uploading to youtube now.

Is this what parasitic poop looks like? :-( I really want to know why he's so bloated! If it's parasites, how should I treat it? Tetra Parasite Guard premixed and put in his hospital tank? Any other brands you recommend? His main tank is planted. He won't eat pellets of any sort, garlic or no garlic.


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## fosschick (Apr 10, 2011)

Video of him in his Hospital Tank:






Sorry the videos are so short and the pics are so crappy. I'm trying to capture all of this on my iPhone. I can take more if needed.


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## fosschick (Apr 10, 2011)

Yesterday I suctioned up the poop out of the hospital tank with a turkey baster, put it in a bowl of water, and took a pic. Here is what it looks like:










I am treating him today with Tetra Parasite Guard, premixed in conditioned water. I replaced his hospital tank water with this and put him back in there. Hopefully this is the cause of his bloating and he will feel better soon!


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## DarkMoon17 (Apr 16, 2011)

Parasitic poop is usually white and stringy... this looks like a LOT of normal poop. How often and how much do you feed him? What brand do you use?


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## fosschick (Apr 10, 2011)

DarkMoon17 said:


> Parasitic poop is usually white and stringy... this looks like a LOT of normal poop. How often and how much do you feed him? What brand do you use?


That was his second huge poop yesterday. He gets fed every other day because of his bloating. 2 worms every other day, alternating between live blackworms and frozen bloodworms (Hikari if you want to know the brand), and once a week he gets frozen Hikari daphnia.


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## fosschick (Apr 10, 2011)

I took him out of his hospital tank with the treated water and back into his main tank. He's so lethargic and can barely swim to the surface.  I pulled up his anubias plant so it's floating now, and he's resting on the leaves so he can get air from the surface easily. I know most treatments will do this to a fish, but I'm really hoping I didn't do more harm than good.


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## nowzem (Apr 14, 2011)

Live blackworms are notorious for carrying/transmitting parasites to fish...


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## fosschick (Apr 10, 2011)

nowzem said:


> Live blackworms are notorious for carrying/transmitting parasites to fish...


Oh, he's been bloated LOOOONG before ever tasting his first live worm. (See also: incredibly long thread I posted in the OP.) But thanks anyway.  At this point I was grasping for solutions and thought it might be parasites. I'm thinking it's not. 

I also started a thread about "mystery bloat" and malawi bloat in bettas. Who knows what's wrong with my fish. We may never know until the end after a necropsy. It's my job now to just make him as comfortable and happy as possible.


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## Betta Slave (Dec 8, 2009)

I'm quite sure it's parasites, simply because of his bloat and the beige-y color in his poop... I can't think of any other causes. 

I'd say it's gone a bit far to treat him- but if you'd like, put one teaspoon of aquarium salt (or regular SEA salt) per gallon for ten days... I would recommend feeding him pellets soaked in garlic juice, but it looks as if he's about to burst D:


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## fosschick (Apr 10, 2011)

Betta Slave said:


> I'm quite sure it's parasites, simply because of his bloat and the beige-y color in his poop... I can't think of any other causes.
> 
> I'd say it's gone a bit far to treat him- but if you'd like, put one teaspoon of aquarium salt (or regular SEA salt) per gallon for ten days... I would recommend feeding him pellets soaked in garlic juice, but it looks as if he's about to burst D:


I did 10 days of epsom salt in a hospital tank floating in his main tank before this. (This issue has been going on for a LONG time.) It did absolutely nothing. No change in appearance or behavior. That was pretty soon after I first discovered his bloating. But I know that epsom salt is not really "salt" per se, so who knows. Maybe aquarium salt would be good for him? 

He will absolutely not touch a pellet. Not even soaked in garlic juice. I've tried, even after fasting for several days. He'll take a bite and then spit it right back out. :/ 

He pooped again tonight, in his main tank. A long, stringy, brown poo. And he's back to swimming normally. (Well, he's sleeping now on a leaf, but before that his energy was definitely back up.) I think he's just uncomfortable in his hospital tank. But now he's happy in his 80F water with perfect params, hiding places, and live plants. Too bad he's still bloated as f*ck.


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## Betta Slave (Dec 8, 2009)

Yes, aq salt wouldn't do him any harm. I've dealt with TONS of parasites, and aquarium salt definitely does help. 

I hope he gets better soon :/


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## jackals (Jul 20, 2010)

damn man, i read all of your posts/threads... can't seem to think what is wrong. I am definitely not as knowledgeable as many but it seems that its parasites.. but if parasites... everything your doing should fix him.. but its not.. BUT he is living life well.. not "acting" sick so to speak... so I am totally lost


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## fosschick (Apr 10, 2011)

jackals said:


> damn man, i read all of your posts/threads... can't seem to think what is wrong. I am definitely not as knowledgeable as many but it seems that its parasites.. but if parasites... everything your doing should fix him.. but its not.. BUT he is living life well.. not "acting" sick so to speak... so I am totally lost


Thanks for reading.  I'm going to try Aquarium Salt per Betta Slave's advice. It can't hurt anything at this point; I'm sure his belly is in need of more osmotic relief. We'll see what happens!


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## fosschick (Apr 10, 2011)

Rocko passed away this morning, after a long illness that started pretty much immediately after we got him from PetSmart. 

Thank you so much for all of your help with Rocko.


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## Betta Slave (Dec 8, 2009)

I'm so sorry about Rocko. You did what you could to help him. 


R.I.P Rocko.


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