okay this is NOT normal. white stringy poop that pulled itself back in! :o

[masshiimarro]

yep, it pulled itself back in. it was really long, and at one point there were two ends sticking out. and then... gradually, it snuck back in... 0_o im pretty sure its a parasite, since it looks... wormy, but what do i do?? my PK has been having cloudy eye spots again, but originally i thought it was becuase of i rearranged his plants and there was some dieoff was causing the water quality to go down. but now i have my suspicions that it has to do with these creepy white strings that came out and somehow dissappeared back in..
hes currently being quarantined in another container with some aq salt added.
help?

Housing
What size is your tank? 10 gal divided 3 way
What temperature is your tank? 78-79
Does your tank have a filter? yes
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? no
Is your tank heated? no its already hot enough here..
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? 2 divided fellow bettas, nerites and pond snails

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? pellets and occasional frozen bloodworms
How often do you feed your betta fish? 4 pellets a day or 2 pellets 2 worms

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? once a week
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 50%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? prime

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

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

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? a cloudy spot on both eye and that creepy white string he was pooping and never came out.
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? not really changed, still active
When did you start noticing the symptoms? 2 days ago his eyes clouded, the poop was tonight.
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? AQ salt
Does your fish have any history of being ill? had a spot of cloudy eye that mysteriously disappeared on its own.
How old is your fish (approximately)? 1 year?

i have crappy pictures here, but its better than nothing! sorry about the quality. in all of them, just look for the white string that hangs where he poops.

[masshiimarro]

oh and i also saw rather big sized normal poop as well.. constipated? sigh..
heres another pic of those strings..

[masshiimarro]

umm... anyone? its really worrying me.. :o

[bettaloverforever16]

I really don't know, but I hope you get help soon (:

[vaygirl]

I'd pick up either Jungle Anti parasite food or get Jungle parasite clear tank buddies. But really, any antiparasite treatment from the pet store should do.

Edit - Also make sure you treat in his main tank and vacuum his gravel really well after treatment.

[BetterBetta]

I'm no expert, but it does look like internal parasites, and I would go with something he can ingest to wipe the parasite out, like vaygirl said I would go with Jungle Anti Parasite Fish Food. However, I've heard these don't taste so well, and it helps to soak them in garlic juice or something like bloodworm juice (). Ingesting it will help to clear the parasite out, as it focusing on internal parasites.

EDIT: This is from Darkmoon17's sticky:

Internal Parasites
•Symptoms: Betta is losing weight but eating normally and acting lethargic.
He/she might dart or rub against decor.
•Treatment: These can be hard to fight and can get confused with the fatal disease Tuberculosis. Perform daily 100% water changes (if possible, for larger aquariums change 3/4). Make sure you carefully clean the gravel to remove eggs/larva. Aq.Salt does not seem to be affective against internal parasites. I find combining ES with an anti-parasite med is best. Treat with 1-2tsp/gal Epsom Salt combined with either Jungle’s Anti-Parasite Pellets, Jungle’s Parasite Clear Fizz tabs or API General Cure. PP is also effective against internal parasites.

[masshiimarro]

so do you guys think the cloudy eye had anything to do with this? this morning i checked and his fins started... deteriorating? idk how to explain this, but they were a little ragged on the edges and white.. it was a very little amount, im not so sure its fin rot.
currently i have jungle fungus clear, and AQ salt on hand. i feel like he may have a bacterial infection as well since theres a cloudy eye spot on each eye. ive heard you can cure internal parasites just by garlic juicing their pellets, though it takes a while? i dont want to medicate unless i have to..
hes still very active and loves eating..

[Indyfishy]

Unfortunately, you'll have to medicate to get rid of the parasites =/ I'd get the anti-parasite pellets, and soak them in garlic juice to tempt him to eat them. Since he might have some type of infection along with the parasites, I would use API General Cure instead of the Jungle parasite fizz tabs. Also, an epsom salt treatment will do him alot of good. AQ salt won't help him since the parasites are internal. The measurements are 1 tsp per gallon, but I'd up it to two or three if he's not getting any better. I see he's already in QT, which is great! Do a 100% water change everyday while he's in there, but i'm sure you know that already. Good luck, I hope he feels better soon!

[masshiimarro]

hmm... so API general cure, epsom salt, and anti-parasite pellets? right now im more worried about the ragged fins. something about it doesnt seem right. if it was fin rot, i wouldnt be as worried... currently im thinking it might be the start of columnaris..? the ragged ends are WHITE, not dark discoloration...

[BetterBetta]

PM Darkmoon17 or Oldfishlady... they'll know more than I do I'm sorry I couldn't help you that much