Stringy Poop

[CharlesMTF]

I have my albino oscar with some stringy poop. I had already put him in a quarantine tank before seeing the poop due to being picked on by another fish (or so that's what it seemed, from nipped fins).

Oscar is about 2.5".
In a 75 gallon (48x18), with a JD, 5 silver dollars, and 5 S. juruparis.
Sand substrate.
Ammonia/Nitrite = 0
Nitrates = about 20ppm
Was being fed a mix of cichlid pellets, cichlid flakes, the occasional algae wafer, and bloodworms.

She's been hanging out on top, sort of sideways, until I try to touch her with the net, then she takes off and swims like everything is fine. Was like that for 2 days, until I decided to put her into a quarantine tank. Has been in quarantine for one day, and there she just hangs out on the bottom. Doesn't swim around much, stays in one spot. Doesn't look like she's struggling in any way (ie. no labored breathing or struggling to maintain position). Then this morning was the stringy poop.

Best way to verify if it is parasitic? And, if so, best way to treat?

Any other recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

 

[tlindsey]

I have my albino oscar with some stringy poop. I had already put him in a quarantine tank before seeing the poop due to being picked on by another fish (or so that's what it seemed, from nipped fins).

Oscar is about 2.5".
In a 75 gallon (48x18), with a JD, 5 silver dollars, and 5 S. juruparis.
Sand substrate.
Ammonia/Nitrite = 0
Nitrates = about 20ppm
Was being fed a mix of cichlid pellets, cichlid flakes, the occasional algae wafer, and bloodworms.

She's been hanging out on top, sort of sideways, until I try to touch her with the net, then she takes off and swims like everything is fine. Was like that for 2 days, until I decided to put her into a quarantine tank. Has been in quarantine for one day, and there she just hangs out on the bottom. Doesn't swim around much, stays in one spot. Doesn't look like she's struggling in any way (ie. no labored breathing or struggling to maintain position). Then this morning was the stringy poop.

Best way to verify if it is parasitic? And, if so, best way to treat?

Any other recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Hope this helps until others chime inhttps://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/oscar-help-need-advice.707593/8

 

[islandguy11]

I'm not sure why but link above is leading to an 'Oops!' erro (on my desktop) -- can you guys open it?

In any case yes Charles your Oscar likely has a parasitic infection, though really not easy to know 100% or which type without examining its feces under a microscope.

Here is another very useful thread that may help you -- it's in the Flowerhorn sub-forum but Hex/HITH (hole in the head) parasitic infections are very common in Oscars as well, so the info is quite pertinent: https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/treating-hexamita-aka-spironucleus.339362/

Below I highlight the main point/solution as recommended by the very knowledgeable OP of that Sticky RD. using Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt):

"Now for the treatment ......
For a 3% solution of Magnesium sulphate, add 1 level tablespoon (15 grams) magnesium sulphate to 500 milliliters of distilled water. Stir, and it's good to go.

Use an eye dropper or pipette to add to pellet food (or any other food that will readily absorb it), and stop dripping water once the pellets become saturated. Use only enough water to saturate the food, with no excess water, so that the water soluble vitamins in the food remain intact. Feed twice a day, for 3-5 days. (I went with 5 days)

In extreme cases, the oral solution could be administered to a fish via a pipette.Just make sure to use a flexible tip so as not to damage the fishes esophagus when squirting the solution down the fishes throat. Only a small amount is required, but repeat daily until the fish is accepting pre-soaked pellets, and continue treatment for 5 days.

My own experience with this treatment ........ so far it's proven to be a life saver, where all other previous 'textbook' methods of treatment for internal parasites have failed, including several days of treating with 500mg Metro per 10 gallons, while feeding Metro soaked food at the same time. (fish was chewing & spitting, but was eating some food twice a day)."

 

[CharlesMTF]

I'm not sure why but link above is leading to an 'Oops!' erro (on my desktop) -- can you guys open it?

Yep, thanks. Figured it out, removing the "/8" at the end took me to the correct place.

Oscar died this morning. So, working on figuring out the cause, for future knowledge.

Thank you.

 

[islandguy11]

Yep, thanks. Figured it out, removing the "/8" at the end took me to the correct place.

Oscar died this morning. So, working on figuring out the cause, for future knowledge.

Thank you.

Sorry to hear that. I can't guarantee it was the cause or sole cause (as stress also most surely contributed to it's condition and demise one way or another), but just from the food list you stated, and if we're talking about parasitic infection, we could guess the most likely culprit was the blood worms.

Depends on the quality of where you're getting them from (and how you keep them afterwards), but blood worms are often cited as causing such infections. Especially due to such quality concerns here in SEA, I personally would never feed blood worms unless a fish absolutely wouldn't eat anything else, which is never a problem with fish I've kept thankfully. That said in the US I'm sure you can get better quality frozen foods like Hikari, etc. so again maybe this wasn't the cause, just saying it was a possibility.

 

[CharlesMTF]

Sorry to hear that. I can't guarantee it was the cause or sole cause (as stress also most surely contributed to it's condition and demise one way or another), but just from the food list you stated, and if we're talking about parasitic infection, we could guess the most likely culprit was the blood worms.

Depends on the quality of where you're getting them from (and how you keep them afterwards), but blood worms are often cited as causing such infections. Especially due to such quality concerns here in SEA, I personally would never feed blood worms unless a fish absolutely wouldn't eat anything else, which is never a problem with fish I've kept thankfully. That said in the US I'm sure you can get better quality frozen foods like Hikari, etc. so again maybe this wasn't the cause, just saying it was a possibility.

Does that apply to freezedried bloodworms? I use Omega One Frreze-Dried Bloodworms.

 

[islandguy11]

Does that apply to freezedried bloodworms? I use Omega One Frreze-Dried Bloodworms.

Good question, not really sure on that, but I think freeze dried blood worms would be safer than frozen ones. Also Omega One is good quality so I would change my response and say maybe it wasn't your feed -- but wherever you got it from beforehand might have been feeding frozen BW's -- it looks like a pretty advanced case that likely started before you got it.

That said it could have just also come down to a stress thing (esp. due to being beaten up a bit earlier). Most all fish have bad parasites inside them; usually their immune systems can fight them off, but when stressed the bad stuff can take over.

 

[CharlesMTF]

So... the saga continues...

2 days ago the other oscar started acting a bit lethargic as well. What used to be a very energetic oscar whenever it sees you and assumes DINNER, has now become a static fish in the corner. First day I noticed, he'd still come get food when I put it in, but then would go back to the corner. Yesterday was the same, probably a bit more lethargic. Today... I noticed the same stringy poop as the albino. So, I'll set up a quarantine tank tomorrow.

So... I'm assuming its parasitic, and maybe should treat as such. BUT... being that its hit two fish in the same tank, should I just treat the whole 75 gallon, so that I get all the fish?

All the occupants went into the tank together, same day, from the same fish store. However, the two oscars came from the same tank. While the albino was being picked on a bit, and I originally thought that might have contributed, this guy has not been bullied at all. No fin nips, no tears, perfect finnage. If its parasitic, it must have came from that tank.

I did put 3 nerite snails in around the time that the albino got sick... but don't remember if it was before or after the illness started showing. Usually keep better records, but unfortunately not this time.

 

[Rocksor]

Treat with API General Cure. Then proceed to use the epsom salt solution on floating pellets/gel food/dehydrated krill until over saturated.

 

[duanes]

Being picked on by other fish can be enough stress to cause immune suppression so the normally benign bacteria in the gut becomes infectious (and those bacteria are always present waiting for an opportunity to flourish).
Compared to many other cichlids, especially if those are more already intrenched, oscars are on the mild side, and can be easily stressed to death, by more dominant types (the JD may be the culprit), and especially in a tank as small as a 75 where there isn't enough escape space.
JDs (and most cichlids) usually don't break off chase until they hit 4 ft, .